The war in the Middle East reached its 17th day this Monday (16), with no signs of abating. During the night and in the morning, explosions were recorded in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, following attacks by Israel. The country also launched a round of bombings against Tehran, the capital of Iran.
Iran once again targeted Arab countries in the Persian Gulf. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai was forced to temporarily close its local airport after an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near the terminal.
Saudi Arabia said it had shot down 35 drones launched by Iran, and Qatar said it had intercepted a missile and drone attack. Israel also claimed to be under attack by Iranian forces.
Additionally, an explosion was heard near the US Embassy in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and a drone strike caused a fire at an oil and gas field in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, stating that these factories would be attacked “in the coming hours”. The statement also asked residents of the surrounding areas to leave the area.
War numbers
- The number of displaced people in Lebanon reaches 1 million, according to the country’s authorities;
- Trump said the US struck 7,000 targets in Iran.
Talks to end the war
A report from the American website Axios points out that a direct communication channel between the United States envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, . Officially, Trump once again said that the war will end soon.
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Araghchi, however, stated that his last contact with Witkoff happened before the US began attacking the country. He said Iran had not requested a ceasefire and advocated any end to the war with Israel and the US.
Trump talks about leadership of Iran and Israel
United States President Donald Trump continues to talk about the conflict. This Monday, he stated that he believes that the Iranian government wants to make a deal, but said that it is not clear who, in fact, speaks for the regime: “We don’t know its leaders.”
Regarding Iranian leadership, Trump further stated. Last week, the American president said he believed he was alive, but injured.
Trump also defended his ally, saying that Israel would never attack Iran using nuclear weapons. He was asked about the topic after one of his advisors, David Sacks, raised this possibility during an interview.
Strait of Hormuz
This Monday, Trump also addressed the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, which is being blocked by Iran, preventing the passage of essential products, especially oil.
On Sunday, the president stated that he was organizing an escort for vessels, but said he could not reveal what they were.
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The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has been one of the most active voices on the issue and .
Trump involved NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in the discussion, warning that if Washington does not receive help in efforts in the Gulf.
The threat comes after European countries resisted calls for support to free the strait. The American had asked the United Kingdom, China, France, Japan, South Korea and other countries to send ships to the blocked route.
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Despite Macron’s more favorable tone — France is a member of NATO — the head of the alliance, Mark Rutte, has repeatedly supported US and Israeli military actions, but said the organization would not get directly involved.
In turn, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, declared that only “enemies and those who support their aggression” are prohibited from passing through the site.
A ministry spokesman added that countries that are not part of the war can travel through the strait with coordination and permission from the Iranian Armed Forces.
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