In the latest news related to the war in the Middle East on Saturday, now entering its sixth week since the American-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28th:
– Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reach an agreement before “unleashing hell on them” Donald Trump gave Iran a “48-hour” deadline on Saturday to “reach an agreement or reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” warning that the United States would “unleash hell on them” otherwise.
– Washington announces detaining relatives of former Iranian general Soleimani The US State Department announced on Saturday the detention in the United States of the niece and granddaughter of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a 2020 drone strike ordered by Donald Trump.
– Russia evacuates 198 employees from the Iranian Bushehr nuclear plant hit by a strike Russia began evacuating an additional 198 employees from the Bushehr plant in Iran on Saturday, after a new strike condemned by Moscow. The strike hit the area of the Bushehr nuclear plant, killing a security guard but causing no damage to the facilities.
– Middle East war leads to “strategic deadlock,” says Turkish President Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Saturday that the war in the Middle East has led to a “strategic deadlock” during a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
– Indonesia condemns explosion injuring three peacekeepers Indonesia termed the explosion injuring three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon as “unacceptable,” as the bodies of three other Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Lebanon returned to their country on Saturday.
– Over 30 universities targeted in Iran by US-Israeli strikes since the start of the war Iran’s Science Minister announced on Saturday that more than 30 universities in Iran have been targeted by US and Israeli strikes since the war started.
– Georgia Meloni discusses energy crisis with Qatar’s Amir Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met with Qatar’s Amir on Saturday 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 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on security issues in the Middle East and Ukraine.
– Iran says it targeted an Israeli-linked ship in the Strait of Hormuz Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed on Saturday to have targeted an Israeli-linked ship with a drone attack in the Strait of Hormuz.
– Fire at oil complex in Iraq after drone strikes An inferno broke out after two drones struck the Bourjesia oil complex in southern Iraq, where foreign companies operate, according to a security source.
– Explosion at pro-Israel Christian association in the Netherlands An explosion occurred outside the premises of a pro-Israel Christian association in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, late Friday, causing minor damage but no casualties.
– Projectile fragments injure four in Bahrain, damage in Dubai Projectile fragments injured four people in Bahrain, while two buildings were damaged in Dubai, UAE, including a building of the American company Oracle, local authorities reported.
– Two members of banned opposition group executed in Iran Iranian authorities executed two men convicted of belonging to a banned opposition group and engaging in destabilizing activities to overthrow the government.
– Iran fires missiles at Israel Iran fired a barrage of missiles towards Israel, prompting the Israeli army to mobilize defense systems to intercept them. The Israeli army later reported impacts in the central part of the country.
