Day 23 of war: Trump vows to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants as Tehran strikes Israeli towns near nuclear site

The war in West Asia entered its 23rd day with heavy Iranian missile bombardment in two cities in southern Israel, one of which houses a nuclear facility. Hours after the strikes that left over 150 injured, US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants unless Tehran lifts its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian missiles struck the Israeli city of Dimona, close to one of Israel’s key nuclear facilities, and nearby Arad. The strike in Arad alone injured 84 people, Times of Israel reported Magen David Adom as saying.

The Iranian barrage came hours after the US and Israel struck Tehran’s Natanz nuclear facility for the second time in the ongoing war. Among the severely injured in Dimona was a 12-year-old boy who was hit by shrapnel. A 5-year-old girl was hurt in the following strikes in Arad.

After the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir vowed to continue fighting Israel’s enemies on “all fronts”.

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Trump’s threat

On Sunday, Trump vowed to “obliterate” Iranian nuclear power plants unless Tehran lifts its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours without the White House issuing a threat.

The Strait, which had been serving as a transit for a fifth of global energy supplies, was blocked by Iran after the war began, driving up fuel prices worldwide.

“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Following Trump’s statement, the Iranian military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said that Tehran will retaliate with strikes on “all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region,” Fars news agency reported.

US mulling deployment

Trump’s threat marks a turning point from his statement earlier on Saturday when he said that the US was “winding down” its operation against the Islamic Republic and that Washington was “getting very close” to meeting its military objectives.

Later that day, reports emerged that the White House was mulling plans to seize the nuclear material in Tehran’s possession and that the Pentagon was formulating strategies for a possible deployment of US ground forces into Iran.

Hours before the statement, the US had scaled up its deployment in the Gulf, dispatching a 2,500-strong marine unit and naval assets. On Friday, Axios reported that the Trump administration was considering occupying or blockading Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles 90% of the country’s crude exports.

3 missiles detected in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said that three ballistic missiles were detected around Riyadh. According to its statement, one of the missiles was intercepted while the other two fell in an uninhabited area.

Saudi Arabia, housing US bases and aligned with Washington, has had its energy sector repeatedly targeted in Iranian drone and missile attacks during the ongoing conflict.

Earlier, the Ras Tanura oil refinery, the largest of its kind in West Asia, was targeted, and the US embassy in the country suspended operations following Iranian strikes.

Amid the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh had been routing its fuel to the Red Sea terminal of Yanbu, which also came under attack on Thursday. The terminal can ​pump up to 7 million bpd.

Explosion near bulk carrier off UAE’s coast

An unknown projectile caused an explosion “in close proximity” to a bulk carrier off the central northern coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) early on Sunday.

The body said it received a report of an incident 15NM (nautical miles) north of Sharjah, UAE, adding that all its crew members are reported safe.

The UK is among the 22 countries that expressed readiness to take measures aimed at securing the transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly stated that the UK will not be dragged into the war – statements that drew flak from Trump and the conservatives in the British parliament.

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