Middle East Crisis Iran War

Iranian President: “US Threats Breathe Desperation”

The US threat to attack Iran’s energy facilities breathes desperation, writes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on X.

“Threats and terror only strengthen our unity. The Strait of Hormuz is open to anyone who does not violate our territory.”

Iran will give armed responses to such threats, the president adds.

On Sunday night, Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. If it does not, the US will “destroy” the country’s power plants, he writes.

Iran, in turn, threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz completely and attack critical infrastructure such as power plants and desalination plants in surrounding Gulf states.

Iran steps up cyberwarfare – pumps out AI material

The Iranian regime has stepped up the information war against the US on social media as part of its asymmetric warfare, reports The Guardian.

Large amounts of memes and posts with allusions to Trump and the war's unpopularity in the US are being pumped out on platforms such as Instagram, X and Bluesky.

In addition, AI-generated clips and images have been created with fake attacks on US warships and Israeli buildings, as well as fake Israeli soldiers crying for fear of Iranian revenge.

– Iran has been preparing for this conflict for 50 years, and this is part of the preparations. They understand the media ecosystem, says media researcher Darren Linvill at Clemson University in the US.

Injury toll rises in Israel after Iranian attack

At least 200 people have been injured in southern Israel after attacks carried out by Iran and the terrorist organization Hezbollah on Saturday. Among them are several children who are reported to be in critical condition.

The majority were injured in the attacks on the cities of Arad and Dimona, where several buildings were completely destroyed. On Saturday, there were reports that a total of 100 people were injured, but on Sunday the number was written up, reports The Guardian.

At the same time, at least 15 people were also injured in Tel Aviv on Sunday after attacks with cluster munitions.

Israel's air defenses failed to shoot down many of Iran's projectiles on Saturday and the incident is being investigated, Israeli media reports.