Iran leader calls for Hormuz closure as oil price spikes

US President Donald Trump, during a Women’s History Month event at the White House with first lady Melania Trump, sounded optimistic when discussing the war with Iran.

“The situation with Iran is moving along very rapidly. It’s doing very well, our military is unsurpassed,” Trumpsaid. 

“They really are a nation of terror and hate, and they’re paying a big price right now,” the president said.

Trump’s optimism comes as Iranian officials have vowed not to surrender in the war launched by the US and Israel.

Security fears surrounding the safety of ships in the Strait of Hormuz have caused oil prices to spike, sparking a global energy crisis and rising fuel prices for consumers. Iran also continues to wage counterattacks on US interests, Israel and the Arab Gulf states as the war continues, meaning some Iranian military capabilities still remain intact.  

Palestinians worry that the global focus on Iran will allow Israeli settlers to intensify their attacks in the occupied West Bank. In the village of Qaryut, DW met a mother whose two sons were killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first press conference since the beginning of the war, said “we are crushing Iran and Hezbollah.”

Netanyahu said Iran is “no longer the same” after the nearly two weeks of the US-Israeli military operation. He said there have been crushing blows to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. and the Basij paramilitary. 

He said Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian nuclear scientists. Netanyahu also said he speaks with US President Donald Trump daily and openly as the war continues. 

Netanyahu said the war is intended to help Iranians “bring down the regime,” in a reference to Iran’s Shia Islamist ruling government.

“But at the end of the day, it depends on you. It is in your hands,” Netanyahu said in a message pointed at the Iranian people. 

Netanyahu suggeted that new Iranian Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameneiand Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem could be the next targets. 

“I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organization… I don’t give an exact message here about what we are planning or what we are going to do,” Netanyahu said. 

Netanyahu called on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite paramilitary and political organization which Israel considers a terrorist organization. 

“I told the Lebanese government a few days ago: you are playing with fire if you continue allowing Hezbollah to operate, in violation of your commitment to disarm it,” Netanyahu said. “The time has come for you to do so. Now if you do not do so, it is clear that we will do so.”    

The war in the Middle East is proving devastating for the environment. The UN warns the attacks risk severe environmental damage, from air and water contamination to major oil spills. 

The Israeli military said it has launched a new wave of attacks on targets in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

“The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran,” the military said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.   

As the war continues, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone. 

Modi expressed “deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure” in the call with Pezeshkian. 

“The safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India’s top priorities,” the statement from Modi added. “Reiterated India’s commitment to peace and stability and urged for dialogue and diplomacy.”   

India is heavily dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for its energy needs, and media reports from Reuters and other outlets suggest that Iran may allow Indian-flagged tankers to transit the strait. 

Although India and Iran still have cordial dialogue, the relationship between the two countries is complicated. 

Iran has previously criticized the Modi government’s decision in 2019 to revoke Muslim-majority Kashmir’s autonomy. India, meanwhiie, has close ties with Israel, with Modi praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month on a visit to Jerusalem just days before the US-Israeli operation began. 

The Israeli military said it has attacked checkpoints used by the Iranian Basij paramilitary force in Tehran. 

“Over the past day, the Israeli Air Force, acting on (military) intelligence, has targeted the Basij roadblocks and operatives,” the Israeli army said. 

The Basij are a part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. which is staffed by volunteers who vehemently back the regime. The Basij have operated checkpoints to monitor the civilian population so they don’t organize an anti-government uprising. 

Top Iranian security chief Ali Larijani said Iran will not surrender to the US.

“Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets,” Larijani posted on X. “We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation.”   

Larijani comes from a prominent family with ties to the regime and is seen as a pragmatist who has been involved with international negotiations. He has railed against the US and Israel for starting its ongoing military operation against the Iranian regime. 

French energy firm Totalenergies said 15% of its total gas and oil output has been shutdown amid the US-Israel war with Iran. 

“Production has been shut down or is in the process of shutting down in Qatar, Iraq and UAE, representing approximately 15% of our total output,” the company said. This output consists of about 10% of Totalenergies upstream cash flow. 

However, the French company said the rise in oil prices has offset the losses in output incurred as a result of the war. 

Gerrnany’s flag carrier, Lufthansa, has postponed its resumption of flights to Dubai until at least March 28. 

Lufthansa had originally suspended flights to and from Dubai until March 15. 

Dubai, a major financial hub and vacation spot in the Middle East, has been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones in retaliation for the US-Israeli military operationagainst Iran. 

Dubai lies in the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE is home to a center used for US air combat, making it a target for Iran. In addition, the UAE has normalized its ties with Israel in August 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, making it one of the most Israel-friendly countries in the Gulf region.    

US Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, said 6,000 targets have been struck by the US military since the start of the Iran war, which the Pentagon calls “Operation Epic Fury.” 

CENTCOM said 90 Iranian vessels were damaged or destroyed in the operation, including more than 60 ships and over 30 minelayers. 

The US military has used bombers, fighter jets, attack aircraft and destroyers, among other capabilities, in its attacks.  

CENTCOM said it has targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters buildings and intelliigence sites, defense systems and missile facilities, along with other sites.  

The Israeli military on Thursday evening said it had begun a “wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure across Beirut.”

Footage from Reuters and AFP news agencies showed a large explosion in the center of the Lebanese capital. AFP reported missiles hitting a building in the central neighborhood of Bashoura. The Israeli military had issued a warning beforehand that it would be targeting a building there.

Israel has carried out several strikes on Beirut targeting Tehran-backed Hezbollah since the war with Iran was launched nearly two weeks ago.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli military called on residents in a large swathe south of the Zahrani river of southern Lebanon to evacuate, warning of upcoming military operations.

Hezbollah has fired rockets and drones at Israel since the war with Iran was launched on February 28. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a recent statement that if the Lebanese government cannot prevent Hezbollah attacks, Israel “will take the territory and do it ourselves.”

According to Lebanese government figures, more than 600 people have been killed and over 800,000 displaced in Lebanon since the latest escalation began.

In the ongoing US – Israeli War on Iran, several UNESCO world heritage sites have come under attack, some dating back to the 14th century. 

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said military escorts for oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz would have to wait until Iran’s military capabilities are more degraded.

“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now. We’re simply not ready,” Wright told US broadcaster CNBC. “All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.”

Wright said he was skeptical of comments made yesterday by an Iranian official that oil would reach $200 a barrel if the conflict continued.

“I would say unlikely, but we are focused on the military operation and solving a ​problem,” Wright said, adding that it was “quite likely” US military escorts could be seen in the Strait of Hormuz by the end of the month.

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public statement on Thursday since being named head of the Islamic Republic after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.

Iran’s supreme leader said attacks on Iran’s Gulf neighbors would continue and called for keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, and choking off global oil supply, as leverage.

Khamenei did not appear on camera, and his statement was read on state television by a news anchor.

Israeli intelligence has assessed Khamenei was wounded in the attack that killed his father and other family members, which was widely reported on Wednesday amid speculation about why he had not yet appeared in public or issued a statement. 

Khamenei also vowed “vengeance” for those killed in the 13-day war launched by the US and Israel, including a strike on a girls school that killed at least 165 people.