Trump mulls ‘winding down’ navy operations as battle enters week 4

Dubai: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday stated assaults in opposition to Iran will “enhance considerably” within the coming week.

The assertion got here hours after US President Donald Trump stated he was contemplating “winding down” navy operations within the Mideast whilst america introduced it was sending extra warships and Marines to the area and Iran threatened to assault vacationer websites worldwide.

The combined US messages got here after one other climb in oil costs plunged the nation’s inventory market, and was adopted by a Trump administration announcement that it’s going to elevate sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships, a transfer aimed toward wrangling hovering gas costs.

The battle, in the meantime, has proven no indicators of abating.

Iran stated its Natanz nuclear facility was hit in an airstrike Saturday however that there was no radiation leakage. Israel stated Iran continued to fireplace missiles at it early Saturday, whereas Saudi Arabia stated it downed 20 drones in simply a few hours within the nation’s jap area, which is residence to main oil installations. The defence ministry stated there have been no accidents or harm.

The demise toll has risen to greater than 1,300 folks in Iran, greater than 1,000 folks in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 US navy members within the area. Hundreds of thousands of individuals in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.

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Israel says assaults on Iran shall be ramped up, battle will proceed

Israeli Protection Minister Israel Katz stated assaults in opposition to Iran will “enhance considerably” within the coming week.

Katz spoke Saturday, hours after US President Donald Trump stated he was contemplating “winding down” navy operations within the Mideast.

“This week, the depth of the assaults that the IDF and the US navy will perform in opposition to the Iranian terrorist regime and in opposition to the infrastructures on which it depends will enhance considerably,” Katz stated in a video assertion.

No reported enhance in radiation ranges at Natanz nuclear facility

The Worldwide Atomic Power Company stated in a social media submit Saturday that Iran has knowledgeable it of the assault on its Natanz nuclear facility.

The IAEA stated it was wanting into the report, including that “no enhance in off-site radiation ranges reported”.

Russia says it stays Iran’s loyal buddy and dependable companion

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a message Saturday congratulating Iranians on the brand new yr pageant Nowruz that he wished them to “overcome these extreme trials with dignity”. The Kremlin press service additionally quoted Putin as sayin that “Moscow stays Tehran’s loyal buddy and dependable companion”.

UAE experiences missile and drone assaults

The United Arab Emirates’ Defence Ministry stated Saturday that it has responded to 3 ballistic missiles and eight drones.

Iran says airstrike targets its Natanz nuclear facility

Iran’s official information company Mizan stated Saturday’s airstrike on the nation’s Natanz nuclear facility didn’t end in any radiation leakage.

Natanz, Iran’s major enrichment website, was hit within the first week of the battle, and a number of other buildings appeared broken, in keeping with satellite tv for pc photographs.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog stated that “no radiological consequence” was anticipated from that earlier strike.

The nuclear facility, situated practically 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, had been focused by Israeli airstrikes within the 12-day battle between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and by america.

Israel says Iranian missile fragments strike a kindergarten

Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani on Saturday posted a video on X exhibiting a broken constructing that he stated was a kindergarten.

He stated it was hit by fragments of an Iranian missile. There are not any experiences of casualties.

Iraq says assault on its intelligence headquarters

In a press release, the Nationwide Intelligence Service described Saturday’s drone strike as a “terrorist assault” and vowed to deliver these accountable to justice.

Earlier Saturday, Gen. Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi Safety Media Cell stated the drone focused Service’s headquarters in Baghdad’s Mansour space.

No group instantly claimed duty for the assault.

South Korea says it’s speaking with Tehran on securing vitality routes

South Korea says it’s additionally in talks with Iran after Iran’s international minister stated Tehran could enable Japanese vessels to go the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea’s International Ministry stated Saturday in a press release it was having “multifaceted” talks with Iran and different associated nations to seek out methods to “shield our residents and safe vitality transport routes”.

Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi instructed the Kyodo information company Friday that Tehran is able to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels by means of the Strait of Hormuz and that negotiations with Tokyo are ongoing.

We don’t have “any dispute” with its neighbours: Iran’s President

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on social media Saturday that the “solely beneficiary of our variations is the Zionist entity,” referring to Israel.

Iran holds funeral companies for intelligence minister

Iran held a funeral service Saturday for Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib within the holy metropolis of Qom, a centre of Shiite Muslim shrines and scholarship, the Islamic Republic’s state-run media reported.

Khatib was killed in an Israeli strike final week. He was one of many high Iranian officers killed within the battle together with the nation’s Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei.

A funeral procession was additionally held Saturday for Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini, who was killed a day earlier in an Israeli strike, in keeping with Iran’s state-run media.

Iran’s state TV and different semiofficial shops aired footage exhibiting funeral prayers they stated had been for Naini.

Sirens sound in Israel

Sirens sounded in Israel Saturday morning because the navy stated it was responding to a missile assault from Iran.

Israel strikes targets in Tehran and Beirut

The Israeli navy stated early Saturday it was hanging targets in Tehran.

The announcement got here shortly after the navy stated it had begun a wave of strikes focusing on Hezbollah positions throughout the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.

Hours earlier, the military renewed evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods in Beirut’s suburbs, prompting some residents to fireplace gunshots to alert households who had returned to flee.

No casualties had been instantly reported.