War in the Middle East: the latest developments

Here are the latest events related to the war in the Middle East, on its 28th day on Friday:

– Explosions in Tehran About ten explosions rocked Tehran from Friday night to Saturday around 01:00 (21:30 GMT), according to an AFP journalist, who reported very intense detonations. Saudi Arabia announced that it intercepted a missile targeting the Riyadh region, while Iran continues its attacks on its Gulf neighbors in retaliation for American-Israeli strikes.

– Trump threatens to no longer support NATO Donald Trump criticized NATO for not providing support to secure the Strait of Hormuz and threatened not to help the alliance if it needs assistance in the future. He expressed disappointment during a business forum in Miami, stating that the US spends billions annually to protect NATO, but due to their actions, he questioned their loyalty.

– Washington “hopes” for upcoming meetings with Iran US envoy Steve Witkoff expressed hope on Friday for meetings between Iran and Washington in the coming week to end the war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that while Iran showed interest in a diplomatic solution, they did not respond to the peace plan transmitted through Pakistan.

– Houthis issue a warning Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Tehran, stated on Friday that they would join the war if attacks against Iran continue, if other countries join the American-Israeli offensive, or if strikes are carried out from the Red Sea.

– Iranian missile strikes towards Israel The Israeli army reported Friday night that Iran fired missiles towards Israeli territory, with sirens sounding in Jerusalem. Israeli Defense Minister Israël Katz warned of escalating strikes on Iran to stop missile attacks.

– Iran promises to pay a “heavy price” after strikes on strategic sites Iran vows to retaliate “heavily” against Israeli actions, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The General Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, called for military restraint in Iran to avoid any accidents following the attacks.

– US anticipates nearing the end of operations in Iran When the US is done with the Iranians in the coming weeks, they will be weaker than ever before in recent history, stated Marco Rubio. He believed that the US could achieve its objectives without sending troops on the ground, suggesting that weapons intended for Ukraine could be redirected to the Iran conflict.

– G7 urges an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Middle East Foreign ministers from the G7 countries, meeting near Paris, called for an immediate cessation of attacks on populations and civilian infrastructure in the Middle East.

– G7 demands the restoration of navigation freedom in the Strait of Hormuz The G7 ministers reaffirmed the absolute need to permanently restore free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards forced three container ships to turn back in this strategic maritime route, telling vessels bound for or from “enemy” ports.

– Over 300 US soldiers injured More than 300 US soldiers have been injured, mostly lightly, since the start of the conflict with Iran, as announced by the army. Additionally, 13 soldiers have died.

– Israeli strikes without warning on southern Beirut suburbs Israeli aircraft carried out another series of strikes, including on the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah reported fighting at the Lebanon-Israel border.

– Oil prices continue to rise steadily Oil prices have surged for the second consecutive session, with concerns about the prolonged war in the Middle East without tangible diplomatic progress. The Brent crude for May delivery ended up by 4.22% at $112.57, while the US West Texas Intermediate rose by 5.46% to $99.64.