In his first official message since succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 56-year-old cleric stated on state television that the strait should remain closed to apply pressure on Iran's adversaries and demanded the shutdown of all U.S. military bases in the region, according to Reuters.
Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, declaring that the country will experience "death, fire, and fury" if it persists in obstructing the Strait of Hormuz. This strategic maritime passage is critical for global oil transportation, with approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply traversing through it.
I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran's actions. Its temporary leadership council agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iran originated from their territory. Trump dismissed this as surrender while saying Iran would be hit very hard on Saturday and warned the U.S. could widen attacks to areas and groups not previously designated targets.
Implementation of the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah was more plausible today than in previous years because the decision reflects unusually broad national backing, including from within the Shia political sphere. Amal's vote in favour signals that support for consolidating arms under state authority is no longer framed purely as a sectarian or anti-resistance demand, but increasingly as a state-stabilisation necessity especially amid economic collapse and regional escalation.
Over the course of the last seven hours, we witnessed initially Israeli and U.S. strikes in Iran, which, as we understand it, are very much still ongoing. And that was quickly followed by Iranian retaliation. Within two hours of Israel announcing that it was carrying out strikes in Iraq, Iran fired its first volley of ballistic missiles towards Israel, sending millions of people in this country rushing to bomb shelters.
