Pakistan announces US-Iran talks 'in coming days'
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the announcement on Sunday.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei later chosen to succeed him. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and expanding its ground operations in the south of the country.
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Key Headlines
- Netanyahu announces expansion of Lebanon 'security zone'
- Lawmakers 'having a lot of conversations about what could happen next' regarding US troops in Iran: Rep. Scalise
- Ghalibaf says Iran is 'waiting' for arrival of US troops
- 3,461 people killed in Iran by US-Israeli strikes, HRANA says
- IDF prioritizing Iranian weapons, nuclear sites, spokesperson says
State Department tells Americans worldwide to 'exercise increased caution'
In a notice on the U.S. State Department official website, the agency is advising Americans worldwide, "and especially in the Middle East," to "exercise increased caution."
"Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate," the statement reads.
The State Department is warning that U.S. diplomatic facilities, including those outside of the Middle East, "have been targeted."
The agency warns that groups in support of Iran "may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world."
Israeli forces preparing to 'deepen the maneuver' in Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it's planning to "deepen" its military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"We are now preparing to deepen the maneuver and strikes according to an orderly plan. We will not stop until the threat is removed from the borders and long-term security is ensured for the residents of the northern region," the IDF said.
"It is a long battle, and we are prepared for it," the IDF added.
Further details about the operation were not provided.
Iran warns of retaliatory strikes if US attacks power plants, state media says
The Iranian military said on Sunday that Tehran would seek to retaliate against U.S. energy sites and infrastructure in the Gulf region if Washington moves to strike Iranian power plants, according to Fars News Agency, a semi-official state news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. would "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t opened within 48 hours
"If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy infrastructure, as well as information technology (IT) and water desalination facilities, belonging to the U.S. and the regime in the region will be targeted pursuant to previous warnings," said Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces, according to Fars.
Trump threatens to 'hit and obliterate' Iranian power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened in 48 hours
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz isn't opened within 48 hours
"If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" Trump said in a post on his social media platform.
The largest power plant in Iran is thought to be the Damavand Combined Cycle Power Plant — which is located in the outskirts of the capital city Tehran.
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz -- a narrow waterway off Iran’s southern coast that normally handles about 20% of global oil consumption -- since the start of the war.
Trump's post came as he floated on Friday that he was considering "winding down" the U.S.'s military campaign, claiming the U.S. was "very close to meeting our objectives."
Trump also said Friday that the U.S. would "help" Gulf states secure and police the Strait of Hormuz "if asked."