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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a post on social media that several Iranian vessels, including 16 minelayers, were destroyed near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM also posted a video of the destruction of the vessels.
The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has also written about the efforts to mine the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on "Social Truth", he said that ten mine-laying ships were destroyed.
"I am pleased to announce that within the last few hours we have struck and completely destroyed ten inactive minelaying boats or vessels, and there will be more!" Trump wrote.
He has also said he will destroy any ship that attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz.
"In addition, we are using the same technology and missile capability that they used against drug traffickers to eliminate any boat or ship that attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz. We will deal with them quickly and forcefully. BEWARE!" Trump wrote.
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Trump issues new warning on Iran
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump has said the consequences "will be on a level never seen before" if Iran has laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, in a post on Truth Social, he added that the US "has no reports that this has happened."
"If Iran has placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, although we have no reports that they have, we demand that they be removed immediately! If for any reason mines are placed and they are not removed immediately, the military consequences for Iran will be on a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what they may have placed, that would be a giant step in the right direction!" Trump wrote.
Oil prices around the world have risen in recent days due to concerns over the passage of oil through this important sea route.
US intelligence sources believe Iran is preparing to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to information provided by CBS, Iran is using small boats carrying two to three mines each for this purpose.
Russia says attacks damaged its consulate in Iran
Photo: Associated Press
Russia says its consulate in Isfahan, Iran, suffered damage over the weekend as a result of attacks on the local governor's office located nearby.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the incident as a "flagrant violation" of international law, but did not accuse any country of it.
"The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, directly or indirectly affecting the interests of an ever-increasing number of states and their civilians," she said.
There were no casualties or serious injuries, she added.
The US and Israel have intensified attacks on Iran this week, while official Tehran continues to strike vital infrastructure in the region.
Ukraine sends drone experts to three Middle Eastern countries
Ukraine has sent air defense teams to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to help them fight Iranian airstrikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
Gulf states have deployed large quantities of air defense missiles to shoot down Iranian attack drones, and have sought Ukrainian expertise in shooting them down. Kiev shoots down Russian drones every night using a variety of weapons, including smaller, cheaper drones or signal-jamming devices.
"Regarding the situation in the Middle East, we have sent our teams: three professional and well-equipped teams," Zelensky told reporters. He did not give details about the teams, but said they should all be in place this week.
His communications adviser also said that Ukrainian specialists have already been deployed to a US military base in Jordan, without providing further details.
Zelensky has stated that the presence of Ukrainian pilots is essential for the effectiveness of interceptor drone operations.
"Even those countries that were quietly buying interceptors, I think they realized that without our military, our operators and our software... without all of this, interceptors simply don't work," Zelensky said.
Since the US and Israel began airstrikes on Iran on February 28, Ukraine has been trying to leverage its long experience in intercepting Shahed attack drones used by Russia.
Official Kiev says that Russia, which now produces these drones itself, has launched more than 57,000 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine so far.
Reuters reported last week that the US and Qatar are looking to buy interceptor drones from Ukraine as a much cheaper alternative to Shahed drone-shooting missiles.
When asked what Ukraine would receive in return for sending special teams, Zelensky said that Ukraine wants air defense missiles above all.
Kiev has complained for months about critical shortages of these munitions, particularly the American MIM-104 Patriot systems, which are Ukraine's only effective means of intercepting ballistic missiles.
US urges Israel to stop attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure
Photo: Associated Press
The United States has asked Israel to stop attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Washington has sent the message to a high political level and to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, Eyal Zamir, Axios reported, citing an Israeli official.
The Trump administration has cited three reasons, including a goal to cooperate with Iran's oil sector after the war, according to the report.
Other reasons included fears that such attacks would harm the Iranian public and trigger massive Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf states, Axios reported.
About 140 US soldiers injured during war with Iran
Photo: Associated Press
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that about 140 American service members have been injured so far in the war against Iran.
Eight of them are "seriously injured" and are still receiving medical care, the Pentagon announced, while the vast majority, 108 - have returned to duty.
Seven American service members have been killed since the conflict broke out on February 28.
A high number of victims have been recorded among Iranians, which according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, has reached over 1,000.
Lebanon seeks talks with Israel to end fighting
Photo: Associated Press
Lebanon's president has called for direct negotiations with Israel as part of a proposal to end the escalating conflict with Hezbollah, while also sharply criticizing the Iran-backed group for dragging the country into a wider regional war.
A spokesman for the president, Joseph Aoun, told the BBC that Lebanon is ready to negotiate, but not while Israeli attacks continue.
Speaking during a virtual meeting with senior European Union officials on Monday, Aoun outlined what he described as a path towards "permanent agreements for security and stability on our borders."
Israeli officials have shown few signs of being willing to support negotiations, and the government has not yet commented.
According to the Lebanese president's four-point plan, a "complete ceasefire" would coincide with the disarmament of Hezbollah, as well as international assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces to help them regain control of "areas of tension."
"And simultaneously, Lebanon and Israel will begin direct negotiations under international sponsorship, to implement the above-mentioned plan," the statement said.
Aoun has said the war has had a devastating impact on Lebanon, with more than 700,000 people displaced, including 200,000 children, and hundreds killed by Israeli attacks over the past nine days, according to the United Nations.
"Some of them are on the streets. They have no shelter or even the most basic necessities of life," he added.
The president has also made an unusually direct criticism of Hezbollah, accusing the Shiite militia and political movement of acting against Lebanon's national interests.
Referring to Hezbollah as an "armed faction," Aoun has said that it "gives no weight to the interests of Lebanon or the lives of its people," and that it wants "the collapse of the Lebanese state under aggression and chaos."
Hegseth says today will be the "most intense" day of US attacks
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday from the Pentagon that "today will be the most intense day of attacks on Iran."
His statement came shortly after he said that "in the last 24 hours, we have seen Iran launch the lowest number of missiles since the attacks began."
Responding to questions from reporters in the room about Iran's rarer attacks, Hegseth replied that this does not mean that Iranian forces will not be able to launch missiles, but the figures reflect the "efficiency" of the United States' attacks.
He was also asked about reports that Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been injured.
Hegseth said Khamenei "would be wise" to listen to Donald Trump's message not to pursue the path of nuclear weapons, although he could not comment on whether he has been harmed.
Iran launches attacks on Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates
Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are reporting new missile attacks from Iran towards their territories.
The Israeli military says that defense systems are in place to intercept them and that a warning message has been sent to people in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Defense says its air defenses are “currently responding to missile and drone threats coming from Iran.” It urged people in surrounding areas to “respect security and defense guidelines.”
Meanwhile, Qatar's Defense Ministry says its armed forces have foiled a missile attack targeting the country.
Erdogan-Iran: Violations of Turkish airspace cannot be justified
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Iran that violations of Turkish airspace "cannot be justified" and said attacks on countries in the region help no one.
In a phone call with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, he said Turkey is trying to pave the way for diplomacy to help end the war.
"Despite our sincere warnings, extremely wrong and provocative steps continue to be taken that will endanger Turkey's friendship," Erdogan said at a cabinet meeting held on Monday night.
The comments come after NATO air defenses shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that had entered Turkish airspace on Monday.
Turkey has the second largest army in NATO and shares a long border with Iran, which has been stable for 500 years.
No other NATO country has the same depth of contact with what is left of the regime inside Iran. Erdogan is positioning himself, as he has done in Ukraine, Gaza and on several other fronts, as a mediator.
Iran says it is not seeking a ceasefire, Netanyahu vows attacks will not stop
The speaker of Iran's parliament on Tuesday rejected any claims that Tehran is seeking a ceasefire in the war.
"We are definitely not asking for a ceasefire, we believe that the aggressor should be dealt a crushing blow." "strong enough to learn a lesson so that it never thinks of attacking Iran again," Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote in X.
He wrote that Israel sees its existence in the continuation of the "war-negotiations-ceasefire" cycle, but according to him, this cycle will be broken.
"The Zionist regime sees its shameful existence in continuing the cycle of 'war-negotiations-ceasefire and then war again' to consolidate its dominance. We will break this cycle."
On the other hand, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that Israel will continue to strike Iran.
"Our goal is to get the Iranian people to get rid of tyranny, ultimately it depends on them," Netanyahu said during a meeting with the heads of Israel's hospitals and healthcare system.
"But there is no doubt that with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones," he said.
Israel orders emergency evacuation from southern Lebanon
Israel has ordered the emergency evacuation of southern Lebanon as it continues to pound the area with airstrikes.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avichay Adraee says Israel is acting "forcefully" against Hezbollah south of the Litani River due to the group's activities in the region.
"We expect you to evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Litani River immediately," he writes in X.
On Monday, the IDF said it carried out a series of strikes in Lebanon against targets of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), a financial association affiliated with Hezbollah.
The Lebanese health ministry said yesterday that 486 people have been killed since Israel began its offensive earlier this month.