Iran’s military on Thursday threatened “more destructive” attacks on the US and Israel, firing missiles at Tel Aviv after US President Donald Trump vowed to bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages”. Trump’s remarks in a televised address on Wednesday dimmed hopes of a swift end to the war in the Middle East.
Media reports, meanwhile, said that Iran has reportedly begun collecting tolls from ships seeking safe passage through the Hormuz Strait.
Loud explosions heard in Tehran
A series of loud explosions has rocked the Iranian capital, shaking buildings and sending reverberations across the city, France24 reported.
It was not immediately clear what was targeted, but the blasts were felt in central Tehran, while local media, including the Shargh daily, reported explosions in western and eastern parts of the city.
Iran did not ‘restart enrichment’: IAEA
Iran is not looking to enrich uranium to the levels needed to build an atomic bomb, Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations’ atomic agency said in an interview with AFP.
Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said that US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic’s Bushehr nuclear power plant constitute a “war crime” under international law.
Israel and the United States have long accused Iran of having ambitions to build a nuclear weapon, with Trump claiming that threat as justification for both the 12-day conflict last year and the ongoing war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
But Najafi argued that the justification, which alleged that Tehran was looking to enrich uranium to the purity needed to build an atomic weapon, was a “lie”.
Macron calls military operation to ‘liberate’ Strait of Hormuz ‘unrealistic’
France’s Emmanuel Macron voiced strong criticism of the war waged by the US and Israel on Iran during a visit to South Korea.
Macron said the war does not provide a “lasting solution to the nuclear issue”, referring to Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme.
He also described talk of a military operation to “liberate” the Strait of Hormuz as “unrealistic”.
“Some people defend the idea of freeing the Strait of Hormuz by force via a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States, although it has varied,” Macron told reporters.
“This was never the option we have supported because it is unrealistic,” he added. “It would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the strait to risks from the guardians of the revolution but also ballistic missiles.”
Russia says it’s ready to help resolve Iran conflict
Russia is ready to contribute to resolving the Iran conflict and President Vladimir Putin is continuing to talk with regional leaders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The president is continuing these contacts, and if our services are somehow required, we are, of course, ready to make our contribution to ensuring that the military situation transitions to a peaceful course as soon as possible,” Peskov said.
Peskov was responding to a question about Trump’s Iran war address and his separate comment that he was considering pulling the United States out of NATO.
Russia views NATO as a hostile alliance, Peskov said.
Iran to allow safe passage of Philippine ships through Strait of Hormuz
The Philippines has received an assurance from Iran that it will allow the safe passage of Philippine-flagged vessels, fuel and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, Manila’s foreign ministry said.
The assurance came after Philippine foreign minister Theresa Lazaro spoke with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi.
“During the call, the Iranian Foreign Minister assured the Secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers,” the Philippine foreign ministry said.
Iran’s health ministry says strikes hit century-old Pasteur medical facility
Strikes have hit a century-old medical centre in the Iranian capital, causing extensive damage, according to the country’s health ministry.
“The aggression against Pasteur Institute of Iran – a century-old pillar of global health and member of International Pasteur Network – is a direct assault on international health security,” said health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour in a post on X.
He posted images from the site showing the building heavily damaged, with parts of the facility reduced to rubble.
China calls for ‘immediate’ halt to hostilities after Trump’s Iran threat
China has called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East after Trump threatened heavy strikes on the Islamic Republic in the coming weeks.
“Military means cannot fundamentally solve the problem, and the escalation of conflicts is not in the interests of either side,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, urging “the parties concerned to immediately cease military operations”.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington’s key military objectives in the ongoing conflict with Iran were close to being achieved, claiming Tehran had been severely weakened both economically and militarily.
Addressing the nation from the White House, Trump said the US campaign had significantly damaged Iran’s defence capabilities and warned of further strikes if American objectives were not fully met.
“Iran is decimated. The hard part is done, so it should be easy,” he said while referring to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. He also urged countries dependent on the strategic waterway to take stronger action to secure it.
The US president also issued a stark warning about possible escalation.
“Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.”
Trump said the US military operation had delivered decisive battlefield outcomes within weeks.
“Tonight, Iran’s navy is gone. Their air force is in ruins. Their leaders, most of them terrorists, the regime they led, are now dead.”
He added that Iranian military command structures were continuing to be targeted.
“Their command and control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being decimated as we speak. Their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces. Very few of them left.”
Referring to US military operations, Trump said the campaign had achieved unprecedented results.
“In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield. Victories like few people have ever seen before. Never in the history of warfare has an enemy suffered such clear and devastating large-scale losses in a matter of weeks.”
Trump also defended his decision to authorise strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“They won’t have a nuclear weapon because they’re no longer capable.”
At the same time, he suggested the US could scale down its military presence in the region soon, while retaining the option of targeted operations if required.
“I can’t say exactly but we’ll be out pretty quickly.”
Trump also blamed previous US administrations for failing to act against Iran.
“Essentially, I did what no other president was willing to do. They made mistakes, and I am correcting them.”
energy crisis, particularly if tensions disrupt flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route.