TEHRAN: An Iranian official has warned that Tehran will “set fire” to any ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil and gas transit route, as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.
The warning came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “the hardest hits” on Iran are “yet to come,” declining to provide further details about US tactical operations, BBC reported.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he decided to launch military action against Iran as it represented the “last, best chance” to stop its regime. Speaking at the White House for the first time since the strikes, he said the United States is continuing “large-scale combat operations,” adding that more than 1,250 targets have already been hit.
The United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Since then, Israeli forces have launched additional attacks on Tehran.
Israel has also conducted multiple strikes in Lebanon targeting what it described as Hezbollah positions, warning that operations will continue until the threat is fully “removed.”
Lebanon’s health authorities said at least 52 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, while hundreds of residents in Beirut have been forced to seek shelter amid the bombardment.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain’s decision not to join the US-Israeli strikes was “deliberate,” stating that his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
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