CAIRO (AP) 鈥� Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel鈥檚 main nuclear research center, while President Donald Trump warned the U.S. will 鈥渙bliterate鈥� Iranian power plants if it doesn鈥檛 fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
The developments signaled was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week.
Trump 鈥� who is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the strait as oil prices soar 鈥� issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend at his Florida home.
Trump said he鈥檚 giving Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the U.S. would destroy 鈥渧arious POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!鈥�
Iran warned early Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt attacks on U.S. and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets in the region, according to a statement carried by Iran鈥檚 state media and semiofficial outlets, citing an Iranian military spokesperson.
The which connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the globe鈥檚 oceans, is a critical pathway for the . Attacks and threats of further strikes have stopped nearly all tankers from carrying oil, gas through the passage. That鈥檚 also led to cuts in output from some of the world鈥檚 largest producers, because their crude has nowhere to go.
The Iranian strikes in Israel came after Tehran鈥檚 main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit earlier in the day.
Israel鈥檚 military said it was not able to intercept missiles that hit the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, the largest near the center in Israel鈥檚 sparsely populated Negev desert. It was the first time Iranian missiles penetrated Israel鈥檚 air defense systems in the area around the nuclear site.
鈥淚f the Israeli regime is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase of the battle,鈥� Iran鈥檚 Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X before word of the Arad strike spread.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said more emergency crews were being sent to the scene.
鈥淭his is a very difficult evening,鈥� he said.
Rescue workers said the direct hit in Arad caused widespread damage across at least 10 apartment buildings, three of them badly damaged and in danger of collapsing. At least 64 people were taken to hospitals.
Dimona is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the nuclear research center and Arad around 35 kilometers (22 miles) north.
Israel is believed to be the , though its leaders refuse to confirm or deny their existence. The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on X it had not received reports of damage to the Israeli center or abnormal radiation levels.
A dangerous new direction in the war
鈥淭he war is not close to ending,鈥� Israel鈥檚 army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir, said earlier in the day.
Iran also targeted the joint U.K.-U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away, suggesting that Tehran has missiles that can go farther than previously acknowledged 鈥� or that it had used its space program for an improvised launch.
The U.S. and Israel have for the war, from that topples Iran鈥檚 leadership to eliminating its and its support for armed proxies. There have been no signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.
The war鈥檚 effects are felt far beyond the Middle East, .
It is not clear how much damage Iran has sustained in the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Feb. 28 鈥� or even who . Supreme Leader Ayatollah has not been seen in public since being named to the role.
Israel had denied responsibility for attack on Natanz
Israel earlier Saturday denied responsibility for the strike on the , nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran. The Iranian judiciary鈥檚 official news agency, Mizan, said there was no leakage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said the bulk of Iran鈥檚 estimated 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility. It said on X it was looking into the strike.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the strike on Natanz, which was also hit in the first week of the war and in the last June. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said such strikes posed a 鈥渞eal risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.鈥�
Iran retaliated hours later.
US can use Diego Garcia base to protect Strait of Hormuz
U.K. officials did not give details of the strike that targeted the Diego Garcia base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain鈥檚 Ministry of Defense described Iran as 鈥渓ashing out across the region.鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear how close the missiles came to the island. Iran previously asserted that it has limited its missile range to below 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).
But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e got a space program, you鈥檝e got a ballistic missile program,鈥� said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.
Israel鈥檚 army chief, however, said Iran had fired 鈥渁 two-stage .鈥� There was no statement from Iran.
Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks but has allowed U.S. bombers to use its bases to attack Iran鈥檚 missile sites. On Friday, the U.K. government said bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Global pressure increases to get shipping back on track
As Iran threatens shipping on the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 other countries including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan in expressing “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage.鈥�
The Trump administration announced it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil that was already loaded on ships as of Friday, but that does not increase oil production, a central factor in . The oil ministry of Iran, which has evaded sanctions for years, replied that it 鈥渆ssentially has no crude oil left in floating storage.鈥�
The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, asserted that Iran鈥檚 ability to attack vessels on the strait had been 鈥渄egraded.” He said 5,000-pound (2,270-kilogram) bombs were dropped earlier in the week on an underground facility along Iran鈥檚 coast used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers.
The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the operations.
Gulf countries reported more attacks. A missile alert sounded Saturday night in Dubai. Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in its east, home to major oil installations.
Iran鈥檚 death toll in the war has surpassed 1,500, the state broadcaster reported, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missiles and four others have died in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with well over a dozen civilians in Gulf nations.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants clash in Lebanon
Israel’s military said it was conducting a 鈥渢argeted ground operation鈥� in southern Lebanon and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with troops in the southern village of Khiam.
have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah’s also have been targeted.
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Lawless reported from London and Lidman from Jerusalem. Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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