Here are the latest events related to the war in the Middle East on Saturday, entering its 6th week since the American-Israeli attack on Iran launched on February 28.
– Trump gives Iran 48 hours to conclude an agreement before “unleashing hell on them”
Donald Trump gave Iran “48 hours” on Saturday to “conclude an agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz”, otherwise the United States would “unleash hell on them”.
On the 36th day of the war triggered by an Israeli-American offensive against Iran, the country’s authorities and the American army continued their search to find an American aviator missing after the crash of a combat plane the day before in the southwest of the country.
– Washington announces the arrest of relatives of former Iranian general Soleimani
The US State Department announced on Saturday that the niece and grandniece of the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020 by a drone strike ordered by Donald Trump, had been arrested in the United States.
– Russia evacuates 198 employees from the Iranian Bushehr plant hit by a strike
Russia began on Saturday the evacuation of an additional 198 employees from the Bushehr plant in Iran, after a new strike on Saturday, “firmly” condemned by Moscow, which demanded the immediate cessation of strikes “on Iranian nuclear installations”.
This American-Israeli strike hit the area of the Bushehr nuclear plant in southern Iran, killing a security agent but without damaging the installations, reported an Iranian state media.
– The Middle East war has “led to a geostrategic impasse,” says Turkish President Erdogan
The war in the Middle East has “led to a geostrategic impasse,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday during a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
– Indonesia calls the explosion that injured three peacekeepers “unacceptable”
Jakarta called the explosion in Lebanon that injured three Indonesian peacekeepers on Friday “unacceptable,” as the bodies of three other Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Lebanon a few days earlier arrived back in their country on Saturday.
– Thirty universities hit in Iran by Israeli-American strikes since the start of the war
More than 30 universities have been targeted in Iran since the start of the war with the United States and Israel at the end of February, Iran’s Minister of Sciences said on Saturday.
– Georgia Meloni discusses the energy crisis with the Emir of Qatar
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, visiting Doha, met on Saturday with the Emir of Qatar to discuss the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East.
– Zelensky in Istanbul to discuss security in the Middle East and Ukraine with Erdogan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Istanbul on Saturday for discussions with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which are expected to address security in the Middle East and Ukraine.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that the discussions would not only be about “interceptors (drones).” “It will be about security cooperation in general,” he added.
– Iran says it targeted an Israeli-linked ship in the Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that they had targeted an Israeli-linked ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a drone attack, causing it to catch fire.
– Fire at an oil complex in Iraq after drone strikes
A fire broke out after two drones struck the Bourjesia oil complex in southern Iraq, where foreign companies operate, a security source told AFP.
– Explosion outside a pro-Israeli Christian association in the Netherlands
An explosion occurred outside the premises of a pro-Israeli Christian association in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, late Friday, with police stating there were slight damages but no casualties.
– Shrapnel intercepts in Bahrain lead to four injuries, damages in Dubai
Shrapnel intercepts resulted in four injuries in Bahrain, while two buildings were damaged in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, including the office of the American company Oracle, local authorities said.
– Two members of a banned opposition group executed in Iran
Iranian authorities executed two men convicted of belonging to a banned opposition group and engaging in destabilizing actions to overthrow the government, the judiciary announced.
These executions are the latest targeting the People’s Mojahedin Organization (MEK), with four other members hanged earlier this week.
