Iran responded Sunday with threats of its own, a day after President Trump warned the United States will "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran fails to fully open the Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours. Meanwhile, Iranian missiles struck two cities near Israel's main nuclear research center, injuring dozens and shattering apartment buildings. The developments signaled the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, threatened to escalate again, per the AP.
Trump said on Saturday that he would give Iran 48 hours to open the vital Strait of Hormuz or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy "various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" He may have meant the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's biggest, which was already hit last week, or Damavand, a natural gas plant near Tehran, Iran's capital.
In turn, Iran warned early Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt attacks on US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets—specifically information technology and desalination facilities—in the region, according to a statement citing an Iranian military spokesperson carried by state media and semiofficial outlets. Israel's military said it was not able to intercept missiles that hit Dimona and Arad on Saturday, the largest cities near the Negev Desert nuclear center. It was the first time Iranian missiles penetrated Israel's air defense systems in the area.