Despite sharp increases in oil prices, the USA and Israel are intensifying their attacks on Iran. Discussions about easing sanctions on Russian oil are ongoing.
After further serious attacks by the USA and Israel, US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “complete destruction” and “certain death” for targets and groups of people that have so far been allegedly spared. Iran is being “beaten to hell,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, i.e. massively and severely beaten. Trump announced that Iran would be hit “very hard” this Saturday.
“Due to Iran’s poor behavior, areas and groups of people not previously targeted are under serious scrutiny for complete destruction and certain death,” Trump wrote. The post on his platform followed statements by Iranian President Massoud Peseschkian, who this morning set conditions for an end to his own air strikes on neighboring countries.
Trump: Iran the “loser” in the region
In a video message, Peseschkian said that Iran would not fire missiles or attack neighboring countries as long as there were no attacks on Iran from their territory. The previous attacks on neighboring countries were “the result of the chaotic situation following the deaths of several high-ranking commanders.”
But its conditions also mean that no more attacks on Iran can be carried out from US military bases in the region. Just a few hours after the statement, several Gulf states reported that they had again blocked missiles and drones. Trump wrote that the apology was only made because of the “relentless attacks” from the US and Israel.
The US President wrote that Iran actually wanted to take over the entire region, without providing any concrete evidence of this. But now the country is the “loser” of the region and will be for many decades “until they surrender or, even more likely, collapse completely.” The surrounding countries thanked him, Trump wrote.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards said following Peseschkian’s speech, according to Tasnim news agency, that they respected the interests and national sovereignty of neighboring countries in accordance with the president’s instructions. However, all US and Israeli military bases and interests at sea, on land and in the air in the region would continue to be viewed as key targets. Hardliners in the country accused Peseschkian of showing weakness, hurting national pride and harming the country.
Iranian attacks on US bases in the region
According to the Tasnim news agency, Iran’s naval units said they had used drones to attack US bases in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had hit, among other things, a communications center and radar systems at the US base in the Emirates.
In the morning, Iranian state media reported severe damage across the country. Two hospitals in the Khuzestan province in the southwest of the country are said to have been affected. According to the state broadcasting agency Irib, the Mehrabad domestic airport in western Tehran was also the target of attacks. Media reports show fires and major damage. Military installations in Tehran as well as in central, western and northwestern Iran were also attacked. There is currently no independent confirmation of this.
The Israeli army said it destroyed 16 Quds Force aircraft in Mehrabad. The foreign unit of the Revolutionary Guards used the planes to transport weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. An unnamed number of fighter jets were also destroyed on the ground. In addition, an underground storage facility for ballistic missiles and a military university of the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran were also attacked.
In return, Iran continued its attacks on Israel on Saturday night and throughout the day. Initially, nothing was known about impacts or major damage caused by debris or about possible victims.
Israeli mission in Lebanon
In Lebanon, in addition to the air strikes, the Israeli army surprisingly also carried out a nighttime operation with military helicopters. Special troops tried that night to find details about Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad, who was shot down over southern Lebanon in 1986 and captured by the Shiite Amal militia, the army said. Heavy fighting left at least 26 dead, including three Lebanese army soldiers, Lebanese media said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon that the country would pay the “full price” if the Hezbollah militia continued to threaten Israel. The government in Beirut has not fulfilled its commitment under the November 2024 ceasefire agreement to disarm the Iran-backed group, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Israel: Around 420,000 Lebanese have fled so far
In the afternoon there was another air alert in northern Israel due to rocket attacks from Lebanon, Israeli media reported. Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman called on all residents of Lebanon south of the Litani River to immediately move north in a post on Platform X in Arabic.
According to an estimate by the Israeli military, around 420,000 people within Lebanon have fled to other areas because of the attacks. According to Lebanese security circles, there are still around 100,000 people south of the Litani.
Concern about the oil market
According to information from the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal”, the large oil storage facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now filling up so quickly that the two countries are likely to reach their capacity limits in less than three weeks. Meanwhile, Kuwait has already begun to reduce its oil production due to a lack of storage capacity. If production falls significantly, oil prices are likely to rise further.
Bessent: Sanctions on Russian oil could be relaxed
Oil prices are rising due to supply problems. On Friday afternoon, North Sea Brent crude oil for delivery in May traded above $90 per barrel (159 liters) for the first time since April 2024. Before the war, the price in February was around $70.
In order to ensure more supply, US Treasury Secretary Bessent raised the possibility of further easing sanctions on Russian oil. “We could exempt more Russian oil shipments from sanctions,” he told Fox Business. “We will continue to regularly announce measures to provide relief to the market during this conflict.” Previously, the US on Thursday allowed Indian refineries to buy Russian oil already loaded on tankers for a limited period.
Moscow’s role in Iran’s counterattacks
The US government initially did not deny US media reports that Russia was providing Iran with location information and movement data for American troops, ships and aircraft. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth told CBS News that the USA was watching everything.
“It appears to be a fairly comprehensive measure,” the Washington Post quoted one of the people as saying. According to CNN, most of the information shared is images taken using Moscow’s modern satellites.
Russia is not officially intervening in the conflict. It entered into a “strategic partnership” with Iran last year, which also includes military and armaments cooperation. However, the treaty contains no obligation to intervene if one of the countries is attacked.
The White House expects the war to last four to six weeks, US President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. In the war with Iran that has been ongoing since last Saturday, the US government has once again changed its assessment of the expected duration of the war. The US military says it has attacked more than 3,000 targets in Iran so far. Added to this are Israel’s attacks.
Trump: US defense companies want to increase production
According to President Donald Trump, US defense companies have agreed to increase the production of weapons. After a meeting with representatives of major US defense companies, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that they had pledged to quadruple the production of sophisticated weapons. However, it remained unclear exactly which weapons he was referring to and by when and how the increase in production should be implemented in practice.
According to Trump, the expansion of production began three months ago. Manufacturing of many of these weapons has already begun, he wrote. The US President emphasized that certain ammunition, such as that used in Iran, was available in practically unlimited quantities. At the same time, however, he stated that orders were also being increased for this. The defense companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing, among others, took part in the meeting with him.
Fears from the opposition
US government officials have recently emphasized several times that the US has no shortage of ammunition. In doing so, they countered the fears of some Democrats who had recently expressed concern about the large amount of ammunition that the USA is using in the war against Iran.
Even before the war in Iran began, demand for armaments had increased massively, primarily due to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. US-made weapons and ammunition were also used massively in the Gaza war and in the previous attacks on Iran last year. Many defense companies have very full order books – and customers have to be patient.
France moves helicopter carriers to the Middle East
In addition to its aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle”, France is also moving a helicopter carrier to the Mediterranean. The General Staff said this was intended to reinforce the military forces already sent from Paris. “An amphibious helicopter carrier will be deployed in the Mediterranean to complement French forces in the context of the Middle East crisis,” a spokeswoman said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Rawanchi warned on France24 that if countries “join the US and Israel in aggression against Iran, they will definitely also be a legitimate target for Iranian retaliation.” Tehran has already informed “the Europeans and everyone else” that they should be careful not to get drawn into the war, said Tacht-Rawantschi.
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV (dpa-AFX)
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