Dubai: US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.”
Trump said the US is negotiating with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in an interview with the New York Post published Monday.
The former Revolutionary Guard commander was previously floated as Washington’s negotiating partner, but has denied Iran is talking to the US and said Pakistan-facilitated discussions were merely a cover for American troop deployments.
Meanwhile, Israel has invaded southern Lebanon to push out Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, who have fired rockets and drones across the border, in a campaign that Israeli officials suggest could become a prolonged occupation. Three UN peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon in less than 24 hours, but it’s unclear who was responsible.
US stocks edged higher in shaky trading Monday as oil prices keep climbing because of uncertainty about when the war could end.
Here is the latest:
Drone hits a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, causing a fire, Dubai Media Office says
Authorities are working to control the fire, the Dubai Media Office said. All 24 crew members are safe, and no injuries have been reported, the office said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, reported the strike, saying the vessel was 31 nautical miles (57 kilometers) northwest of Dubai.
It said an unknown projectile struck their tanker on the starboard side, causing a fire on the vessel. No environmental impact has been reported, the centre said.
Israel says it is reviewing reports of UN peacekeepers killed in Lebanon
The Israeli army said early Tuesday it is aware of reports regarding two instances in which United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeepers were killed.
The army said and is reviewing them to determine whether the deaths resulted from Hezbollah activity or Israeli fire, noting that “these incidents occurred in an active combat area.”
The statement comes after UNIFIL said three peacekeepers have been killed in southern Lebanon within 24 hours in two separate instances.
An explosion of “unknown origin” on Monday destroyed a vehicle near the village of Bani Hayyan, killing two peacekeepers and wounding two others, including one with severe injuries. Earlier, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed after a base was hit by a projectile.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry says it downed 3 ballistic missiles
The ministry said the missiles were launched toward its capital, Riyadh.
4 wounded after interception debris causes fire in Dubai
Emergency teams responded early Tuesday to a fire in an abandoned house in Al Badaa, a residential area in Dubai, after debris fell following an air defense interception, injuring four people, the Dubai Media Office said.
In Bahrain, authorities said warning sirens were sounded.
Gulf allies privately make the case to Trump to keep fighting until Iran is decisively defeated
Gulf allies of the United States are arguing that Tehran hasn’t been weakened enough by the monthlong US-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have conveyed in private conversations that they do not want the military operation to end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or there’s a dramatic shift in Iranian behaviour, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
While regional leaders are broadly supportive now of the US efforts, one Gulf diplomat described some division, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading the calls for increasing military pressure on Tehran.
The UAE has emerged as perhaps the most hawkish of the Gulf countries and is pushing hard for Trump to order a ground invasion, the diplomat said.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by P N Sree Harsha | 
