US President Donald Trump has warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, threatening to destroy the country’s power plants if it fails to comply.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that if Iran does not fully and unconditionally open the waterway within the given timeframe, the United States will launch attacks on multiple Iranian power facilities, beginning with the largest.
Meanwhile, US Central Command stated that its clear military objective is to neutralise Iran’s capability to project force against American citizens and neighbouring countries.
Iran has also issued a strong response. Major General Seyed Majid Mousavi, chief of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that Iran has established missile dominance over Israeli airspace and warned that upcoming attacks would shock US and Israeli commanders.
He indicated that new missile technologies would be used, stating that the skies over southern Israel could remain illuminated for hours.
Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the failure to intercept missiles in high-security areas such as Dimona shows that Israeli airspace is vulnerable, adding that the conflict has entered a new phase.
On the other side, the Israeli Air Force confirmed that a ballistic missile struck the southern city of Arad and has begun an investigation into the failure of its defence system. According to Israeli media, two attempts to intercept the missile were unsuccessful.