Leaders in Iran, Israel and the United States vowed to press on as the Middle East war neared the two-week mark, with missile exchanges, mounting civilian deaths and fears of a prolonged shock to global energy supplies pushing oil to $100 a barrel.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first remarks — read by a television presenter — pledging to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and urging neighboring countries to close U.S. bases or risk being targeted. “I assure everyone that we will not neglect avenging the blood of your martyrs,” he said. Hours later, Iran’s foreign ministry signaled a conditional opening, saying ships could pass if they coordinated with Iran’s navy, underscoring uncertainty over the choke point that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his first news conference since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, taking questions via video link. He said Israel was creating “optimal conditions for toppling the regime” in Tehran, while stopping short of predicting its collapse. The Israel Defense Forces said its air force struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran in the past day — including ballistic missile launchers, air defenses and weapons production sites — under Operation Roar of the Lion.
Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israel overnight, challenging U.S. and Israeli assertions that much of Iran’s long-range arsenal had been neutralized. Medics in northern Israel said 58 people were taken to hospitals, most with minor injuries from glass shards. In Dubai, debris from a successful interception caused minor façade damage to a central building, officials said, with no injuries reported. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two drones in the east.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said on social media the United States was “totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran,” touting “unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.” He also claimed, “They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them.”
Fears of one of the most severe energy disruptions in decades sent oil up about 9% to $100 a barrel, weighing on equities. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest three-day percentage drop in a month and Asian shares fell. Seeking to ease disruptions, the United States issued a 30-day license allowing countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea. “The temporary increase in oil prices is a short-term and temporary disruption that will result in a massive benefit to our nation and economy in the long-term,” Bessent said in a statement, echoing earlier comments from Trump.
At home, Trump drew fire from Democrats for appearing to welcome higher oil prices and for a lack of clarity on civilian casualties. Lawmakers demanded answers after a strike on a girls’ school in Minab killed at least 175 people. A preliminary U.S. military review attributed the incident to a targeting error tied to outdated coordinates; Trump has repeatedly denied U.S. responsibility. The administration has not provided a public estimate of the war’s cost or duration, or plans for Iran after the fighting. The death toll has surpassed 2,000 people, most in Iran.
Regional fighting intensified. Nearly 700 people have died in Lebanon, where Israel has targeted central Beirut and ordered evacuations across parts of the south in an offensive against Hezbollah. In Iraq, U.S. Central Command said it was conducting rescue operations after a refueling aircraft went down in an incident involving another aircraft that was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the downing. French President Emmanuel Macron said one French soldier was killed and several were wounded in an attack in northern Iraq, hours after an Italian base in the area was targeted. Two tankers were set ablaze in Basra earlier this week after suspected Iranian explosive-laden boats struck them, and other ships have been hit in the Gulf near Hormuz.
Inside Iran, residents reported a heavier security presence. “Security forces are everywhere, more than before. People are afraid to come out, but supermarkets are open,” said Majan, a 35-year-old teacher in Tehran. The United States and Israel have urged Iranians to rise up. While some Iranians openly celebrated the previous supreme leader’s death after security forces killed thousands of protesters in January, there has been no sign of organized dissent as the country comes under attack.
Tehran’s message is that it aims to impose a prolonged economic shock to force Washington to back off. An Iranian military spokesperson warned the world should prepare for $200 oil. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called that unlikely but did not rule it out, saying the focus remains on military operations.
For now, the status of the Strait of Hormuz — alternately threatened shut and nominally open under Iranian control — has become the flashpoint linking the battlefield to the global economy, with no clear path to de-escalation as the war approaches its second week.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
