Attacks persist on Iran and across the Mideast as Trump threatens escalation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran kept up its attacks connected Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors connected Wednesday arsenic airstrikes pounded Tehran and U.S. President Donald Trump again made contradictory statements astir whether helium was acceptable to upwind down the warfare oregon escalate it.

Trump struck a belligerent code Wednesday successful a Truth Social post, demanding that Iran halt blocking the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway captious to planetary lipid supplies — oregon the U.S. would weaponry the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages.” A time earlier, Trump said the U.S. “will not person thing to bash with” ensuring the information of ships passing done Hormuz; that was an evident backtrack from a erstwhile menace to onslaught Iran's powerfulness grid if it didn't unfastened the strait by April 6.

Trump, who is scheduled to springiness a televised code Wednesday evening, said Tuesday helium could locomotion distant from the warfare successful 2 to 3 weeks erstwhile helium felt assured Iran would not beryllium capable to physique a atomic limb — adjacent if Tehran does not hold to a ceasefire.

But his latest Truth Social station struck a harder enactment arsenic much American troops determination into the portion for a imaginable crushed violative aft weeks of airstrikes targeting Iran.

Trump besides claimed Wednesday that “Iran's New Regime President” wanted a ceasefire. It wasn't wide to whom the U.S. president was referring since Iran inactive has the aforesaid president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump's assertion “false and baseless,” according to a study connected Iranian authorities television.

Speaking earlier to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to support fighting. “You cannot talk to the radical of Iran successful the connection of threats and deadlines,” helium said. “We bash not acceptable immoderate deadline for defending ourselves.”

No signs of Iran relinquishing its grip connected the Strait of Hormuz

Since the warfare began connected Feb. 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could beryllium implicit soon portion besides threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of further U.S. troops are presently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds astir the intent of their deployment.

Just days ago, Trump threatened to onslaught Iran’s Kharg Island lipid export hub. And determination has besides been speculation astir whether the U.S. could determine to nonstop successful subject forces to unafraid Iran’s uranium stockpile — a analyzable and risky operation, fraught with radiation and chemic dangers, according to experts and erstwhile authorities officials.

Adding to the disorder is what relation Israel - which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S. — mightiness play successful immoderate of these scenarios.

Trump has been nether increasing unit to extremity the warfare arsenic lipid prices person skyrocketed, pushing up the outgo of gasoline, nutrient and different goods. The spot terms of Brent crude, the planetary standard, was up much than 40% since the commencement of the war, trading astatine much than $103 a tube connected Wednesday.

It’s unclear wherever diplomatic efforts stand

The U.S. has presented Iran with a 15-point program aimed astatine bringing astir a ceasefire, including a request for the strait to beryllium reopened and for its atomic programme to beryllium rolled back.

Iran insists its atomic programme is peaceful. And successful a study past week by Iranian authorities TV's English-language broadcaster, an anonymous authoritative was quoted arsenic saying Iran had its ain demands to extremity the fighting, including retaining sovereignty implicit the strait.

In the interrogation with Al Jazeera, Araghchi acknowledged receiving nonstop messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that determination were nary nonstop negotiations and said Iran has nary religion that talks with the U.S. could output immoderate results, saying “the spot level is astatine zero.”

He warned against immoderate U.S. effort to motorboat a crushed offensive, saying “we are waiting for them.”

In a woody ostensibly to springiness diplomacy a chance, U.S. officials person fixed “clear assurances” that Araghchi and Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf won't beryllium targeted, according to 3 officials who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they're not authorized to talk publically astir the matter.

Iran hits tanker disconnected Qatar's seashore and attacks different Gulf states

A cruise rocket slammed into an lipid tanker disconnected Qatar’s seashore Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. The unit was evacuated and nary casualties were reported. A Kuwaiti lipid tanker came nether onslaught disconnected Dubai the time before, 1 of much than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.

In the United Arab Emirates, a idiosyncratic was killed erstwhile helium was deed by debris from an intercepted drone successful Fujairah, 1 of the country’s 7 emirates.

In Kuwait, the state-run KUNA quality bureau said a drone deed a substance vessel astatine Kuwait International Airport, sparking a ample fire.

Jordan’s subject said it intercepted a ballistic rocket and 2 drones fired from Iran successful the past 24 hours. No casualties were reported. Two drones were besides intercepted successful Saudi Arabia.

In Israel, sirens sounded to pass of incoming missiles and AP reporters heard large booms successful Tel Aviv arsenic the windows of buildings shook from the reverberations. There were nary contiguous reports of harm oregon casualties.

An airstrike connected Tehran appeared to person deed the erstwhile U.S. Embassy compound, which has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since American diplomats were held hostage determination successful 1979. Witnesses said buildings extracurricular the monolithic compound had their windows blown out.

Israel strikes Lebanon

In Lebanon, astatine slightest 5 radical were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected a Beirut neighborhood.

Israel invaded confederate Lebanon aft the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant radical began launching missiles into bluish Israel days aft the outbreak of the war. Many Lebanese fearfulness different prolonged subject occupation.

More than 1,200 radical person been killed successful Lebanon and much than 1 cardinal displaced, according to authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers person besides died there.

In Iran, authorities accidental much than 1,900 radical person been killed, portion 19 person been reported dormant successful Israel. More than 2 twelve radical person died successful Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, portion 13 U.S. work members person been killed.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto successful Miami, Farnoush Amiri successful New York and Samy Magdy successful Cairo contributed to this report.

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