Defiant Iran ramps up attacks after Trump warning

TEHRAN: Iran launched fresh attacks across the Middle East on Monday and threatened “devastating” retaliation, after US President Donald Trump’s expletive-laced warning that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported a barrage of missile and drone strikes early Monday.

The attacks came as Tehran ramped up rhetoric against Trump, with Tehran’s central military command warning of “much more devastating” retaliation if its adversaries hit civilian targets.

The warning came hours after Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure, demanding Tehran bow to his demands for a deal to reopen the Gulf to shipping.

Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy chokepoint, provoking Trump to demand Sunday: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”

In a terse follow-up post, the president apparently set a new deadline for Iran to comply: “Tuesday, 8:00 PM” (0000 GMT Wednesday).

As Christians marked Easter, Trump revived warnings of air strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges, after celebrating the rescue of a wounded airman whose fighter jet went down inside Iran.

Iranian images showed wreckage of several aircraft, but Tehran did not deny US forces rescued the officer, who sheltered in a mountainous area while American special forces and Iranian troops raced to find him.

Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the airman’s rescue that he would give a news conference on Monday.

‘Nothing like it!’

The war, which erupted on February 28 with deadly US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, has engulfed the Middle East and strained the global economy.

Iranian missiles have hit Israeli cities and economic infrastructure in the Gulf, sending world energy prices soaring.

Oil opened higher in early trading in Asia, with US benchmark West Texas Intermediate up 1.86 percent to $113.62 a barrel and Brent above $110.

While Trump told Fox News Iran was “close” to making a deal, security analyst Danny Citrinowicz said, “the prospect of a negotiated agreement with Iran, at least under current conditions, is close to nonexistent.”

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump declared, prompting Tehran to accuse Trump of taking orders from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on social media that “our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands.”

Russia also condemned Trump’s threat.

Moscow said Washington should abandon “the language of ultimatums” and return to negotiations, according to a Russian readout of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s latest call with his Iranian counterpart.

Many residents of Tehran seemed indifferent to Trump’s invective, with young Iranians exercising, flying kites and holding picnics in a large park in the city’s west Sunday.