Residents clear rubble from their homes destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war in Ghandouriyeh village, southern Lebanon. (Photo: AP)The US military carried out an eleventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran, hitting targets in the south and west of the country. President Donald Trump said Iran was “desperate” for talks and threatened to strike a suspected new Iranian nuclear site “very heavily”. The exchange has widened well beyond Iran and the US: a desalination plant and power stations caught fire in Kuwait after fresh Iranian strikes, while Bahrain and Jordan also came under attack. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two tankers that “took an unsafe route” through the Strait of Hormuz caught fire. Yemen’s Houthi rebels declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, adding further strain to global energy supplies, while two tankers carrying Saudi crude reversed course in the Red Sea on Tuesday after Houthi threats.
What’s the latest on the nuclear threat?
Trump said the US would likely soon strike the area of Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified underground site believed to be tied to Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran said any attack on its nuclear facilities would count as an expansion of the war. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress the war has cost $37.5 billion so far, though AP reported experts believe the real bill is likely far higher, as he and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine sought more funding from lawmakers.
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Five latest developments:
- US Central Command said it struck Iranian “military targets” late Tuesday, marking the 11th straight night of attacks.
- Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan said they intercepted aerial attacks on Tuesday.
- Two Saudi crude tankers reversed course in the Red Sea after Houthi threats.
- Trump said the Houthis had not yet closed the Bab el-Mandeb strait but warned the US would act if they did.
- Oil prices climbed over 2%, with Brent crude above $91 a barrel.
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