United States President Donald Trump has threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours — a dramatic escalation barely a day after he talked about "winding down" the war.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the US would destroy "various power plants, starting with the biggest one first".

In response, Iran warned early on Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt counterattacks on US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was quoted as saying by the country's semiofficial Tasnim News Agency that all infrastructure related to "energy, information technology and desalination" belonging to the US and Israel will be targeted in such a scenario.

The developments signal that the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, is moving in a dangerous new direction.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, is a critical passage for one-fifth of the world's oil flow. Attacks on commercial ships and threats of further strikes have stopped nearly all tankers from carrying oil, gas and other goods through the strait, leading to cuts in output by some of the world's largest oil producers and affecting fuel and food prices in several parts of the world.

Ali Mousavi, Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization, said that ships, except those of the "enemies", could cross the Strait of Hormuz with prior coordination with Iranian authorities for security and safety arrangements, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday, citing Iran's semiofficial Mehr News Agency.

He emphasized that international maritime commitments should include respect for Iran's territorial integrity and sovereign rights, adding that Tehran is ready to cooperate with the IMO and relevant countries to enhance maritime safety and protect seafarers.

"Diplomacy remains Iran's priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression, as well as mutual trust and confidence, are more important," Mousavi said, adding that US-Israeli attacks on Iran were at the "root of the current situation" in the Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.

Over the weekend, the US and Israel continued their strikes in Iran, targeting Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Natanz, including the nuclear facility in Natanz.

Pirhossein Kolivand, president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said the US and Israel have targeted more than 80,000 civilian locations, including schools and medical centers, since the conflict started, resulting in significant casualties.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reiterated his call "for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident".

The United Nations-backed agency reported on Saturday that Iran's Natanz facility for nuclear enrichment has been bombed, but no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported. It noted that the bombing was the fourth targeted attack on nuclear facilities in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli offensive.

On Saturday, nearly 200 people were injured in Iranian strikes in the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad as Israeli air defense systems failed to intercept at least two ballistic missiles, The Times of Israel reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a social media post that he has instructed the director-general of his office to provide necessary assistance together with all government ministries.

"I offer my support to the emergency and rescue forces currently operating on the ground, and I call upon everyone to follow Home Front Command instructions. We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts," Netanyahu, who visited the targeted sites, was quoted as saying.

Israel has banned large gatherings and closed schools in the south following the attacks.

The IAEA said in a post that it is aware of reports of an incident in the city of Dimona involving a missile impact and has not received any indication of damage to the Negev nuclear research center. "Information from regional states indicates that no abnormal radiation levels have been detected," it said.

Meanwhile, in a sign of increasing diplomatic strain, Saudi Arabia has moved to declare Iran's military officials and three other embassy staff as "personae non gratae" and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours, according to a statement from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published by Saudi Press Agency.

The statement said that the continued targeting by Iran of the kingdom's sovereignty, economic interests, diplomatic premises, civilian assets and civilians "constitutes a flagrant violation of all relevant international conventions, the principles of good neighborliness and respect for states' sovereignty, the Beijing Agreement, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817".

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com

TEHRAN - Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a statement on Sunday warning that power plants in countries hosting US bases would be considered legitimate targets if the United States attacks Iran's power facilities.

The statement came in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump threatening to target Iran's power infrastructure, according to Iranian state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

The Strait of Hormuz has not been fully closed and remains under Iran's "smart control," with non-harmful transit continuing under specific regulations to ensure national security and interests, the statement said.

If US threats are carried out, Iran would immediately adopt several punitive measures, including the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz until damaged Iranian facilities are rebuilt, it said.

Other measures would include large-scale strikes on Israel's power, energy and communications infrastructure, attacks on regional companies with US capital ties, and targeting power facilities in countries hosting US military bases.

The statement stressed that Iran would take "all necessary measures" to defend its national interests and would continue operations against US and allied economic and energy infrastructure in the region.

Surging fertilizer prices are raising concerns over food security across Asia as the same geopolitical shock rattling energy markets is squeezing supplies of crop nutrients.

The Middle East is a major fertilizer exporter, accounting for about 30 percent of the global fertilizer trade, as liquefied natural gas is a feedstock for making fertilizer.

Seaborne fertilizer travels through the Strait of Hormuz, but the critical waterway remains effectively closed as the United States-Israel attacks on Iran entered their fourth week.

The volatility in energy prices has spilled over into fertilizer prices. The Middle East granular urea was trading at $665 per metric ton on Friday, or nearly 40 percent more compared with $485 a ton late last month.

Urea, a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, is widely used in planting rice and wheat. The two food crops are staples across the Asia-Pacific.

"As fertilizer becomes more expensive, farmers may use less of it, which can lower crop yields," said Marie Annette Galvez-Dacul, executive director of the Center for Food and Agri Business at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Manila.

"This can lead to higher food prices and make food less affordable, even if supply is still available," she said.

In the Philippines, the world's biggest rice importer, the government assured that rice supply is stable thanks to existing stocks.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr said at a briefing on Thursday that the country has sufficient supply of agricultural products for at least the next 90 days. The state-owned National Food Authority has about 400,000 tons of rice in its warehouses, he added.

Elyssa Kaur Ludher, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said key rice exporters in India, Vietnam and Thailand are dependent on imported fertilizers from the Gulf countries. If rice production in these countries decreases, it will also limit the supply of tradable rice, she said.

Rice is a thinly traded commodity, with only 10 percent of global production traded internationally.

"In the past, such shortages have triggered food-item export bans," Ludher said. "It is hoped that (exporting) countries will not resort to that as it destabilizes markets and further pushes up prices."

A rice export ban will also exacerbate global food insecurity, she added.

Unlike fuel prices, which immediately shoot up in line with global oil prices, the effect of fertilizer on food prices is delayed, she said.

'Medium-term risk'

The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines said higher fertilizer prices are the "bigger medium-term risk" for the global rice trade. In India alone, at least three local fertilizer manufacturing plants have cut down production because of the limited supply of liquefied natural gas, the institute said.

Paul Teng, a visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said it is fortunate that most of the current rice crop in Southeast Asia has already been planted and fertilizers were bought well before the conflict erupted.

"But if the choke point persists, then it is likely that both supply and prices of rice will be affected for Southeast Asian farmers," Teng said. He expects higher prices to push farmers into reducing fertilizer usage, which will translate to lower output not only of rice but also other crops, including vegetables, palm oil and cacao.

prime@chinadailyapac.com

Iran's parliament speaker says energy and oil infrastructure across region would be "irreversibly" destroyed if Iran's energy facilities attacked.

TEHRAN -- An Iranian international affairs expert said on Saturday that Iran attacked the nuclear site in the southern Israeli city of Dimona earlier in the day in response to an Israeli strike on Iran's Natanz atomic facility.

Morteza Simiari made the remarks in a live interview with state-run IRIB TV while elaborating on Iran's retaliatory missile attack on the Israeli city.

He noted that the attack was carried out less than 24 hours after Israel "insanely" struck the Natanz facility in the central province of Isfahan.

Simiari said that Iran's new "eye for an eye" strategy entails delivering reciprocal responses, but with greater intensity, to any military actions taken by Israel. According to Israeli medical officials, more than 30 people were injured in Iran's missile strike on Dimona.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no indication of damage to Israel's nuclear research center - Negev following a missile attack on Dimona.

"Information from regional states indicates that no abnormal radiation levels have been detected," the IAEA said on social media on Saturday evening.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, has been closely monitoring the situation and stressed that "maximum military restraint should be observed, in particular in the vicinity of nuclear facilities."

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

TEHRAN -- Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned on Sunday that it would strike "all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region" if its energy infrastructure was attacked, according to Fars News Agency.

US President Donald Trump vowed earlier to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened within 48 hours.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said in a brief statement that Israeli forces were currently conducting strikes early Sunday on "Iranian terror regime targets" in central Tehran.

The Iranian capital is currently under the most intense attacks, according to local media.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the country fails to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" He wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north, through which around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply passed, has become a key flashpoint in the war.

In response, Iran's primary military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned on Sunday that it would strike US and Israeli "energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure" in the region if its energy infrastructure was attacked, according to Fars News Agency.

Trump's ultimatum against Iran signaled an escalation one day after he said Washington was considering "winding down" military efforts in the region.

"We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East" with respect to Iran, he said Friday on social media. Meanwhile, Trump refused to reach a ceasefire with Tehran.

His warning also came as the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran entered the fourth week, which has disrupted global shipping and sent oil prices soaring.

Oil prices have surged by about 50 percent since the United States and Israel launched their attacks on Feb. 28, bringing increasing pressure on Washington. The White House worries that the surge in oil prices will hurt US businesses and consumers ahead of the November midterm elections, when Republicans hope to retain control of Congress.

The US Treasury Department on Friday issued a general license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea for 30 days to address the supply shortage amid shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran has not closed the waterway, but has imposed restrictions on vessels belonging to countries involved in anti-Iran attacks.

Araghchi said Iran is ready to ensure safe passage for other states' vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Tehran.

JERUSALEM -- Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said in a statement that at least 64 people were injured on Saturday night in the southern Israeli city of Arad by a missile fired from Iran.

According to the MDA, seven people were seriously injured, 15 moderately injured, and the rest lightly injured.

It added that searches continue at the scene to find more injured people.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that it was a direct missile hit at a residential building, causing many casualties and extensive destruction.

It added that emergency services have declared a "mass casualty incident," and army and MDA helicopters were rushed to the scene.

According to the channel, the Israeli air force has launched an investigation to examine why the missile was not intercepted by the air defense system.

Earlier in the evening, a missile fired from Iran injured 47 people in the southern city of Dimona, including a 10-year-old boy in serious condition, according to the MDA.

The developments came amid heightened tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that it struck a strategic research and development facility in Tehran, allegedly used by Iran to develop nuclear weapons components.

The IDF said as part of the recent waves of strikes completed in Tehran, the Israeli air force, guided by intelligence, targeted the facility, part of Malek-Ashtar University of Technology in Tehran.

It claimed that the site was used by Iran's military industries and ballistic missile array to develop nuclear weapon components and weapons.

It said the university was subordinate to the Iranian defense ministry, and is sanctioned internationally "due to its activities and efforts over the years to advance the Iranian nuclear program and to develop ballistic missiles."

The development came amid heightened tensions following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb 28, to which Iran and its regional allies responded with attacks on Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

TOKYO - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is seeking "not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war," according to Kyodo News.

In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi described the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as "an illegal, unprovoked act of aggression," calling on the international community to take a stand against the attacks.

The foreign minister noted that while several countries are attempting to mediate an end to the conflict, Iran has rejected calls for a temporary truce, insisting that any resolution must include guarantees against future attacks as well as compensation for the damage inflicted during the conflict.

Araghchi added that while diplomatic efforts are ongoing, the United States has yet to demonstrate its readiness for a genuine resolution.

The report also noted that Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing.

TEHRAN - The United States and Israel carried out an attack on the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility in Iran on Saturday morning, according to Iran's local media.

No radioactive leaks have been reported, and residents near the site were not at risk.

TEHRAN - Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the US-British Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal and the CNN reported on Friday that Iran had fired ballistic missiles at the base on the island of Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands, but they did not hit the base.

Britain agreed on Friday to allow the United States to use the Diego Garcia base to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British media.

The decision came after US President Donald Trump said he was "very disappointed" in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for blocking US forces from using the military base to carry out strikes on Iran.

NEW YORK -- The US Treasury Department on Friday issued a general license temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea for 30 days to address the supply shortage amid shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The general license, issued by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, authorized the delivery and sales of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin loaded on vessels as of Friday.

Transactions for safe docking and anchoring of relevant vessels, preservation of health or safety of crew members, emergency repairs or environmental protection as well as various services were also allowed.

Notably, transactions authorized by this general license include the importation into the United States of crude oil and petroleum products of Iranian origin.

"This temporary, short-term authorization is strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an X post on Friday.

Iran will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated and the United States will continue to maintain maximum pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system, said Bessent.

Washington has already eased sanctions on Russian and Venezuelan oil in addition to the coordinated release of emergency oil reserves under the umbrella of the International Energy Agency.

The ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has lasted three weeks, severely disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as oil shipments through the strait have fallen to less than 10 percent of pre-conflict levels.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said Friday that its air force, acting on intelligence, killed Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson and head of public relations for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in an overnight strike in Tehran.

In a statement, the military said that Naini had served as the IRGC's "main propagandist" for the past two years, accusing him of "disseminating the regime's terrorist propaganda to its proxies across the Middle East to influence and advance attacks against Israel on multiple fronts."

Iranian state media confirmed Naini's death. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said that he had served as IRGC spokesman since 2024 and "was martyred" in strikes it attributed to the United States and Israel.

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on Thursday that Iran has lost its uranium enrichment and missile production capabilities.

Netanyahu said that these were two of the three goals of the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, and that the third goal, toppling the regime, now depends on the Iranian people.

"Revolutions do not happen from the air, and there are many ground options that I will not disclose," he said.

Regarding Israel's strike on an Iranian natural gas field in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, Netanyahu confirmed earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump that Israel had not informed the United States before the attack.

"President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we're holding it," Netanyahu said.

He also said that the United States and Israel together had destroyed Iran's entire naval fleet in the Caspian Sea.

As for the duration of the ongoing war, Netanyahu said it would last "as long as necessary," adding that it would end "much faster than people think."

During the press conference, Iran launched missiles towards Israel, setting off air raid sirens across the country's north. Israel's emergency service reported no casualties.

Netanyahu's remarks came amid heightened tensions after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Iran and its regional allies against Israeli and US interests across the Middle East.

WASHINGTON - If Iran attacks Qatar again, the US military "will massively blow up the entirety" of the South Pars gas field in Iran, US President Donald Trump warned in a post on his Truth Social on Wednesday.

Trump's remarks came after Iran hit Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, after Israel launched an attack on Wednesday against Iran's South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf that it shares with Doha.

"The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen," Trump said.

"NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack" Qatar again, Trump said.

If Iran attacks Qatar again, "the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before," he added.

Opposition is growing in Japan to a United States request for Tokyo to dispatch naval vessels to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The issue has placed Japan in a dilemma, with politicians and academics questioning whether Tokyo should support Washington. They argue that Japan should not simply follow US policy but instead assess its alliance with Washington within the framework of international law — reflecting the long-standing tension between Japan's alliance obligations and the pacifist principles embedded in its constitution.

The debate intensified after US President Donald Trump called on five countries, including Japan, to send naval vessels to escort ships through the strategic waterway.

The situation has put Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a delicate position ahead of a scheduled meeting with Trump on Thursday.

Speaking at a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Wednesday, Takaichi said Japan currently has no plans to dispatch Self-Defense Force vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Nikkei.

Since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, Takaichi has avoided commenting directly on the legality of the US military operation, while criticizing Iran for its attacks on civilian facilities in Gulf countries.

Former prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said on a Fuji Television program on Sunday that the central question is whether the US strikes on Iran comply with international law. Without resolving that issue, he said, it would be difficult to determine what actions Japan could legitimately take.

Atsushi Koketsu, a professor at Yamaguchi University, told China Daily that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran clearly violated international law and the United Nations Charter. He noted that the Japanese government had so far refrained from criticizing the US actions and predicted that Tokyo was unlikely to do so during the meeting.

Regrettable silence

Koketsu said Japan's silence is regrettable for a country that describes itself as a peaceful nation and urged its leaders to maintain the country's long-standing diplomatic stance of upholding international law and international order. Fully aligning with US positions could undermine Japan's image as a peaceful nation, he warned.

Japanese media reports indicated that Tokyo faces a significant legal dilemma if it considers sending Self-Defense Forces vessels to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Nikkei Asia, any such move would hinge on two factors: whether the US military action against Iran complies with international law, and whether the situation qualifies as a "situation threatening Japan's survival" under its security legislation.

During deliberations on the 2015 security laws, the Japanese government stated that it would not support the use of force that violates international law.

Regarding how the situation in the Strait of Hormuz relates to the legal concept of a "situation threatening Japan's survival", Kiyomi Tsujimoto, an upper house member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said on X that she had submitted written questions to the government earlier this month. The government planned to approve its response at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

An editorial published by the Tokyo Shimbun on Wednesday said that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran violated international law, adding that Japan should not become involved in the military conflict or yield to such demands.

Beyond legal and alliance considerations, energy security has emerged as a more immediate concern for Japan. Koketsu said the Middle East remains a crucial energy source for Japan and that Tokyo has long maintained relatively stable relations with countries in the region through diplomacy. If Japan were to follow US policy too closely or take part in military operations, it could damage relations with Iran and other regional countries, ultimately undermining Japan's long-term energy security, he warned.

Given Japan's alliance with the US and its long-standing friendly relations with Iran, Koketsu said Japan could have played a mediating role between the two countries. However, the government has shown little willingness to pursue such diplomatic efforts.

"If Japan simply follows US policy, it will find it difficult to gain trust and respect in the international community," he said.

According to a poll released by the Asahi Shimbun on Sunday, 82 percent of respondents said they did not support the US strikes on Iran, while only 9 percent expressed support.

houjunjie@chinadaily.com.cn

UAE suspends operations at major Habshan offshore gas facility after interception of missiles -- media office.

14 killed, 50 injured in US-Israeli airstrike on a justice department building in southwestern Iran -- Tasnim