Iran threatens Gulf energy as Trump issues 48-hour ultimatum

Iran has warned it will target US infrastructure and energy facilities across the Gulf if its own territory is attacked.

The warning follows a statement from US President Donald Trump who said Washington could "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said critical infrastructure across the region would become "legitimate targets" if Iranian power plants were struck. He warned such actions could lead to "irreversible" damage and keep global oil prices elevated for a prolonged period.

"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," Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

Iran's representative to the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Ali Mousavi, said the waterway remained open except for "Iran's enemies," adding that passage was possible by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran, according to reports.

Trump's latest comments come just a day after he said he was considering "winding down" military operations, even as the US continued deploying additional troops and warships to the region.

At the same time, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are affecting global energy flows. Attacks on commercial vessels and threats of further strikes have led to a sharp drop in tanker traffic through the passage.

The strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, handles around 20 percent of the world's oil trade.

The latest developments indicate the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its fourth week, shows no signs of de-escalating.

Cluster munitions strike central Israel as casualties rise

Fifteen people were injured on Sunday, one of them seriously, when an Iranian ballistic missile dropped cluster munitions in central Israel, paramedics said. It was the Islamic Republic's fourth ballistic missile attack since midnight.

The missile spread bomblets over a wide area in Tel Aviv and nearby cities.

In Jaffa, a projectile struck a residential building, while an impact in Petah Tikva sparked a fire in a residential area, though no serious injuries were reported in those locations.

Sunday's salvos, six in total by 2 p.m., followed two direct hits the previous evening in the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, which injured hundreds and sent dozens to hospital.

As of Sunday morning, five people wounded in the Dimona strike remained hospitalized, including a 12-year-old boy in serious condition who underwent surgery. In Arad, 31 people remained hospitalized, including 18 children.

Netanyahu vows to target IRGC leadership

Nearly 200 people were injured in Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel on Saturday, including 11 seriously. Israeli air defenses failed to intercept at least two ballistic missiles that hit the cities of Dimona and Arad.

Among the seriously injured were a 12-year-old boy in Dimona with shrapnel wounds and a 5-year-old girl in Arad. The strikes followed repeated Iranian attacks targeting the area earlier in the day.

Iranian state media said the missiles were aimed at Israel's nuclear research facility near Dimona, describing the strikes as retaliation for what it said was a US attack on Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment site. Israel denied involvement in that incident.

"If 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," Qalibaf said.

Hamas praised the Iranian strikes on residential areas, calling them a "natural response" to what it described as US and Israeli actions, as well as the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would target senior commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards "personally" as he inspected damage in Arad.

"We're going after the regime. We're going after the IRGC, this criminal gang," Netanyahu said. "We're going after them personally, their leaders, their installations, their economic assets."

Netanyahu said Israel is pursuing two goals: "One is breaking their nuclear and missile programs, and the other is creating conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow this tyranny."

Gulf states intercept Iranian drones and missiles

Across the Gulf, Iranian strikes have targeted US military sites and key energy areas, prompting widespread air defense responses.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted nearly 60 drones, most of them aimed at the country's Eastern Province, where major oil infrastructure is located. The defense ministry also reported three ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh, one of which was intercepted, while the others landed in uninhabited areas.

Riyadh later declared several Iranian diplomats, including the military attaché, persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 24 hours, following a similar move by Qatar earlier in the week.

In Bahrain, authorities said Iranian missiles targeted US bases, while air defenses have intercepted hundreds of projectiles since the start of the conflict.

The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems intercepted four ballistic missiles and 25 drones on March 22 alone. Since the start of the conflict, UAE authorities say they have engaged 345 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,773 drones.

Israel orders bridge demolitions in Lebanon 

Israel's defense minister has ordered the military to destroy all bridges over Lebanon's Litani River and step up the demolition of homes near the border, as fighting with Hezbollah continues.

The Israeli military said an Israeli civilian was killed in his car near the Lebanon border following what it described as a "launch" from Lebanese territory - the first such civilian death in the current conflict. Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bridge strikes were aimed at preventing Hezbollah fighters and weapons from moving south. He added that the military would accelerate the demolition of homes in "frontline villages" to reduce threats to Israeli communities.

Katz said the approach mirrors tactics used in Gaza, where buffer zones were created by clearing buildings near the border.

The move has drawn criticism from international bodies. The UN human rights chief said attacks on civilian infrastructure raise concerns under international law, which generally prohibits such actions.

Earlier this month, Katz warned the Lebanese government it would face infrastructure damage and territorial losses unless Hezbollah was disarmed. The Lebanese government has outlawed Hezbollah military activity and said it wanted to engage in direct talks with Israel.