Iran: Mines the entire Persian Gulf if the US invades

TT

Updated 12.53 | Published 02.44

           

            

          An Iranian missile over central Israel early Monday.

          1 / 2Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/TT

Donald Trump extends the deadline he has given Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This comes after both sides warned of bombing power plants and other energy facilities.

At the same time, Iran threatens to mine the Persian Gulf if the US targets the country's islands and coastline.

All attacks on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure are postponed for five days, the US president writes on Truth Social. According to Trump, the extended deadline is a result of two days of talks with Iran to reach a "complete" solution to the war.

Shortly before the announcement, Iran threatened to mine the entire Persian Gulf. Attacks on Iran's islands and coast will result in "all access roads and lines of communication in the Persian Gulf and coastal areas being mined with various types of naval mines, including drift mines that can be deployed from the coasts," reads a statement from Iran's Defense Council, which is reported by state-run media.

The move came after reports of an imminent US military operation to seize the island of Kharg, which is Iran's main hub for oil exports, in order to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical for oil traffic.

Warns with a list

Trump threatened on Saturday with attacks on Iranian power plants if the strait is not reopened within two days - a deadline that would have expired around 1 a.m. Tuesday, Swedish time. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded on Monday by threatening to attack energy facilities in "all areas that supply American bases with electricity."

The state news agency Fars also published a list of possible targets for attack, including desalination plants in the region and the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.

Explosions were heard in several places in Tehran overnight. Israel says it has launched a new “large-scale attack” on the Iranian capital.

Attacks in the region

The war is in its fourth week and reports of civilian casualties continue from Iran, including on Monday a child who was reportedly killed in an attack on a residential building in Khorramabad. According to Iran’s Health Ministry, the total death toll is around 1,500, more than 200 of them children.

Iranian counterattacks are also continuing. During the night, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reported incoming missiles from Iran. One person was reportedly injured when a missile was shot down in Abu Dhabi.

Iranian missiles have also been fired at Israel, but no injuries have been reported.