Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warn civilians to avoid US bases as Trump extends a key deadline, with regional strikes continuing and diplomacy facing major hurdles.
TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned civilians across the Middle East to stay away from areas near US forces on Friday.
The defiant statement came as US President Donald Trump claimed talks to end the month-long war were “going well”.
Trump again extended a deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, pushing it from Friday to April 6.
He insisted the Islamic republic wanted to “make a deal” to avoid the destruction of its energy assets.
Local media confirmed fresh overnight strikes on Iran’s capital, muffled by thunderstorms, as well as the holy city of Qom and Urmia. A top Tehran official said a month of US and Israeli attacks have damaged at least 120 museums and cultural sites nationwide.
The Iranian side indicated no let-up in reprisal attacks against Israel and Gulf targets. Accusing US-Israeli forces of using “human shields”, Iran’s Guards told civilians to “urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you”.
Markets have been upended by Iranian attacks on trade and energy targets. Kuwait said its main commercial port was damaged in a dawn drone attack.
A top Iranian official threatened to attack Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu and the UAE’s Fujairah oil complex if a ground invasion occurs. “Step onto Iranian soil, and $150 becomes the floor for oil,” Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani wrote on X.
Iran’s message on the vital Strait of Hormuz remained defiant. The Guards said the strait was “closed” to vessels travelling to and from enemy ports, claiming they had turned back three ships.
In the latest sign of economic fallout, the Bank of Spain warned the country faced a “significant slowdown” due to the war. UK foreign minister Yvette Cooper called for a “swift” resolution and an end to Iran’s “hostage” hold on the global economy.
German top diplomat Johann Wadephul said a “direct meeting” between Washington and Tehran was expected “very soon” in Pakistan. Iran has reportedly replied to a 15-point US plan and is awaiting a response.
Its demands are said to include war reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The Tasnim news agency said Tehran also called for an end to attacks on its territory and on aligned groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Analysts at the Soufan Center warned the United States cannot “make any guarantees on behalf of Israel”. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to “intensify and expand” strikes on Iran in response to missile attacks.
“They will pay a heavy price, an increasingly heavy one, for this war crime,” Katz said in a video message. The escalation threat came despite opposition leader Yair Lapid warning Israel’s military was “stretched to the limit”.
The Sun Malaysia
