With stock markets reeling and economic fallout from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran's chokehold on the strait, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is usually shipped.
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran’s tight grip.
With time running out on a deadline set by Trump for Iran to open the strait, after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s energy plants, he pushed his self-imposed deadline back to April 6 on Thursday, saying that talks on ending the conflict were going “very well.” Iran, however, maintains it is not engaged in any negotiations.
Air raid sirens sounded in Israel as the military said it was working to intercept Iranian missiles in what has been a daily occurrence. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran “will pay heavy, increasing prices for this war crime.”
“Despite the warnings, the firing continues," Katz said. "And therefore attacks in Iran will escalate and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli citizens.”
Israel’s military said its attack on Friday targeted sites “in the heart of Tehran” used by Iran to produce ballistic missiles and other weapons. It also hit missile launchers and storage sites in western Iran.
Smoke rose over Beirut after a pre-dawn strike, and Lebanon's Health Ministry later reported two people were killed.
Iran, meantime, kept firing missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors, with sirens warning of attacks in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said it shot down both missiles and drones targeting the capital, Riyadh.
Kuwait said both its Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City and the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port to the north, which is under construction as part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, had sustained “material damage” in attacks.
It appeared to be one of the first times a Chinese-affiliated project in the Gulf Arab states came under assault in the war. Throughout the conflict, China has continued to purchase Iranian crude.
