After the negotiations, Trump brought an extremely important update directly from the battlefield: according to him, the US military has already managed to destroy almost all the designated military targets. However, the question of who will replace the current leadership of the Islamic Republic is still open. “The future leadership of Iran will be decided only after we complete the strikes,” the head of the White House emphasized.
The American president also tried to calm the global markets, which are being crushed by the looming energy crisis. He promised that immediately after the end of the operations in Iran, he expects a significant drop in oil prices. They rocketed after the de facto closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through which almost a fifth of the world’s black gold consumption normally flows.
Land invasion of Lebanon and shelling of Israel
The conflict escalated today on the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel has announced the start of a multi-day ground offensive into southern Lebanon with the aim of ousting the Hezbollah movement. The army has already called approximately 100,000 soldiers to the border. The Lebanese state army, on the other hand, is withdrawing from its border positions.
At the same time, the Israeli air force is carrying out simultaneous strikes on Beirut, where it eliminated a high-ranking commander of the Iranian Quds Force, who was helping the local militias. At the same time, Israel issued an order for the mass evacuation of the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to shell Israel. Tel Aviv and central Israel came under fire from Iranian missiles, civilians had to seek refuge in shelters and underground parking lots.
Oil as a weapon
In an effort to stop the attacks, Iran is resorting to blackmailing the world economy. Iranian General Ebrahim Jabbari has declared that Tehran will “burn every ship” in the Strait of Hormuz and destroy the surrounding oil infrastructure if the offensive is not stopped. A total blockade could drive oil prices above $200 a barrel.
Iranian drones and missiles are already attacking across the Persian Gulf. A fire broke out in the oil zone of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates after the impact of the debris of the drone. The country has already intercepted more than 170 missiles. In Oman, drones targeted the port of Duqm, where they hit a fuel tank. Explosions and intercepted ballistic missiles are reported in Doha, Qatar. Iran also reportedly tried to hit Hamad International Airport. And in Saudi Arabia, explosions were reported right in the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh.
While oil prices on the stock exchanges are rising sharply and Chinese refineries are shutting down operations, a warning came precisely from Beijing. China has reportedly issued a stern warning to Iran not to attack Qatar and jeopardize key supplies of liquefied natural gas on which it depends.
Growing casualties
The US has confirmed that the number of dead US soldiers in Operation Great Wrath has risen to six. According to data from the Iranian Red Crescent, at least 787 people have already died in the country as a result of allied strikes.
And tensions are growing in Europe as well. The UK is sending the anti-aircraft destroyer HMS Dragon and helicopters to protect its Akrotiri base in Cyprus. France promises to supply Cyprus with anti-drone systems and declares readiness to defend its partners in the Middle East. Conversely, Spain refused to allow the Americans to use its military bases for attacks against Iran.
In response to the security risk, the US ordered the immediate withdrawal of staff from its embassies in Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan.
Return of the Slovaks from the center of the war
The war also paralyzed tens of thousands of vacationers. The Slovak government managed to transport the first citizens home tonight. Shortly after midnight, a charter flight from Oman landed in Bratislava, and in the early evening, a Spartan military special vehicle and a government Airbus arrived, evacuating more than a hundred Slovaks and three Czechs from Israel and Jordan.
Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák confirmed that logistics are extremely difficult for closed airspace (which Pakistan has already closed). The squadron of the Ministry of the Interior therefore operates from Cyprus. According to the Minister of the Interior, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, the pressure on the diplomacy department is huge, but ten more repatriation flights are scheduled until Sunday.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Marek Eštok, confirmed that flights are ready not only to Jordan, but also to Oman.
