Israel launches strikes on ‘heart of Tehran’ as Trump delays Strait of Hormuz deadline
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Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran early Friday ahead of a scheduled meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure, while Iran and the United States appeared at a diplomatic standoff, laying the groundwork for possible escalation as the first month of the Middle East war draws to a close.
Israel’s airstrikes on Friday at targets “in the center of Tehran” targeted facilities used by Iran to produce missiles and other weapons, the Israeli military said. It also hit missile launchers and storage facilities in western Iran.
Smoke also billowed over Beirut, although Israel did not immediately report that it had hit the Lebanese capital.
Meanwhile, Israeli air raid sirens sound as the military says it is working to intercept Iranian missiles. Iran has been firing missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors, with posts warning of attacks in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Kuwait said its port of Shuwaikh in Kuwait City suffered “material damage” during the attack but no one was injured.
The US has been pressing Iran to start negotiations on a 15-point ceasefire proposal, but at the same time it has ordered thousands of troops to the region, perhaps in preparation for a military effort to wrest the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s tight grip.
While again demanding Iran to sign an agreement to end the war, US President Donald Trump has ordered a temporary suspension of US strikes against Iranian energy facilities after previously threatening to destroy them if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened to shipping.
After Wall Street’s worst day since the start of the war, Asian stocks in particular fell on Friday amid growing doubts about the possibility of a slowdown. Oil prices rose again, Brent crude, the international standard, at $107 US a barrel in morning trading, more than 45 percent since Israel and the US attacked Iran in Feb. 28 to start a war.
The US is sending more troops to the region
Iran’s seizure of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has caused growing concern about the global energy crisis, and appears to be part of a strategy to make the US back down by destabilizing the global economy. The Gulf Arab bloc said on Thursday that Iran is now imposing tolls on ships to ensure safe passage through the waters.
Trump’s ambassador Steve Witkoff said Washington had submitted a 15-point “action list” to Iran to end the ceasefire, using Pakistan as a mediator. The list includes restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran rejected the US offer and put forward its own five-point proposal, including the restoration and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
As communication efforts continued, a group of American ships approached the region with about 2,500 Waters. Also, at least 1,000 82nd Airborne paratroopers – trained to land in hostile terrain to protect key terrain and airfields – have been ordered to the region.
As attacks on Iran and Israel continue, the UN Security Council has scheduled closed-door consultations on Iran on Friday in New York, according to two UN officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting is not public.
They added that Russia has requested a meeting regarding the US-Israeli attack on civilian infrastructure in the country, and that the United States, which holds the presidency of the Security Council, has organized it.
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said aid workers in Iran had reported to him that “countless houses, hospitals and schools were damaged or destroyed,” and that almost all of Tehran had been damaged.
“Citizens are paying the highest price for this war – it must end,” he said in a statement.
“If this war continues, we risk a much wider humanitarian crisis,” he added. “Millions could be forced to flee across borders, putting more pressure on an already overcrowded area.”
Front burner37:17In Iran, there are echoes of the Iraq war
The US-Israeli war with Iran, Operation Epic Fury, is almost a month old and the shadow of another war hangs over this one: Operation Iraqi Freedom, George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. Today on Front Burner, a documentary about the war in Iraq and its similarities and differences to what is happening now. Also included are interviews with three veteran journalists: Jane Arraf, Jonathan Landay, and Jeremy Bowen. For Front Burner documentation, please visit: []
Death is rising
Since the start of the war, more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, according to the Ministry of Health.
18 people were killed in Israel, and at least three Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon. About 13 American soldiers were killed. Four people were also killed in the West Bank and 20 in the Gulf Arab states.
Authorities say more than 1,100 people have died in Lebanon. In Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias have joined the war, 80 members of the security forces have been killed.
