(SeaPRwire) – Israel’s defense minister issued a warning of intensified attacks against Iran on Saturday, while Britain denounced Iran for targeting a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean, as the conflict in the Middle East entered its fourth week.
The Iranian strike on the Diego Garcia air base, located approximately 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran, suggests that Tehran possesses missiles with a greater range than previously disclosed.
Additionally, on Saturday, Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was reportedly struck in an airstrike, according to an official Iranian news agency, which also stated that no radiation leakage occurred.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declared in a video statement that the “intensity of the attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran’s ruling theocracy would “increase significantly” in the coming week.
His remarks followed shortly after fragments from an Iranian missile impacted an empty kindergarten near Tel Aviv. Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani shared a video on X depicting the kindergarten building. The school was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Residents reported heavy airstrikes in Iran’s capital overnight and into the morning. These attacks, coupled with threats of further action, indicate that the war involving Iran shows no signs of subsiding.
The U.S. and Israel have presented varying justifications for the war, ranging from hopes of inciting an uprising to overthrow Iran’s leadership to dismantling its nuclear and missile programs. There have been no public indications of such an uprising.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed Japan’s Kyodo news service on Friday that Iran sought “not a ceasefire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war.”
Trump says he’s looking at ‘winding down’ operations
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he was considering “winding down” military operations in the Middle East, a sentiment that appeared to contrast with his administration’s actions to reinforce its military presence in the region and request an additional $200 billion from Congress to fund the war.
The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and approximately 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed the deployment of ships, without specifying their destinations. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operations.
In an effort to address soaring fuel prices, the Trump administration announced it was lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil. This pause in sanctions applies to Iranian oil already loaded onto ships as of Friday and is scheduled to conclude on April 19. The license includes limitations, such as a restriction on sales involving any entities in North Korea or Cuba.
This new measure does not increase the volume of oil production, which is a key factor in the rising prices. Iran has successfully circumvented U.S. sanctions for years, suggesting that a significant portion of its exports already reaches buyers.
Saudi Arabia reported downing 20 drones within a few hours on Saturday in the country’s eastern region, an area that hosts major oil installations. No injuries or damage were reported.
Iran attempts to hit Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean
U.K. officials have not provided specific details regarding the strike that targeted the air base in the Indian Ocean on Friday, which was unsuccessful.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense stated on Saturday that Iran’s “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.”
While Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, it has permitted American bombers to utilize U.K. bases for strikes against Iran’s missile sites.
On Friday, the British government announced that U.S. bombers could also use U.K. bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations aimed at preventing Iran from attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s targeting of the base occurred prior to this U.K. statement.
No leakage reported after attack on Iran nuclear facility
Iran’s official news agency, Mizan, reported no leakage following Saturday’s strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, situated approximately 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran.
The facility, which is Iran’s primary uranium enrichment site, was hit during the first week of the war, and satellite imagery indicated damage to several buildings. The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), had previously stated that “no radiological consequence” was anticipated from that earlier strike. Natanz had also been targeted in the 12-day war in June.
On Saturday, the IAEA announced on X that it had been informed by Iran about the Natanz strike and the absence of any increase in off-site radiation levels. The agency indicated it was investigating the incident.
Iran threatens attacks beyond the Middle East
Iran’s top military spokesperson, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned on Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” globally would not be safe for the country’s adversaries.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei commended the steadfastness of Iranians in the face of war in a written statement broadcast on Iranian television to mark the Persian New Year, or Nowruz. Khamenei has not been seen publicly since assuming the role of supreme leader following Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reportedly wounded him.
Given the limited information emerging from Iran, it remains unclear the extent of damage sustained by its arms, nuclear, or energy facilities from the intense U.S. and Israeli strikes that commenced on February 28, or even who is truly in command of the country.
However, Iran’s actions continue to disrupt oil supplies and drive up food and fuel prices well beyond the Middle East.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants clash in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military reported that its forces conducted a “targeted ground operation” on Saturday with the support of Israeli aircraft, resulting in the deaths of at least four militants.
Hezbollah also issued a statement asserting that its fighters engaged in clashes with Israeli troops in the southern village of Khiam.
According to the Lebanese government, Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have so far resulted in over 1,000 deaths and displaced more than 1 million people.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. In Israel, 15 people have died from Iranian missiles, and four others have perished in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military personnel have been killed.
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