Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for a potential new military campaign against Iran, while a burning oil tanker sits in the Strait of Hormuz following a reported mine collision, according to tg24.sky.it.
The directive follows reports from tg24.sky.it regarding rising maritime tensions in the vital trade corridor. The Iranian Navy said that an oil tanker caught fire after striking marine mines east of the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Domani.
Separately, the British agency Ukmto reported an oil tanker struck by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Oman, while Iran’s Ghalibaf announced an agreement with Oman concerning maritime routes in Hormuz, according to tg24.sky.it and RaiNews.
Il Fatto Quotidiano and Domani reported details of a furious phone call between US President Donald Trump and outgoing Benjamin Netanyahu, described by an Israeli source speaking to Ynet as an “hellish shouting match.” Netanyahu pushed for the resumption of military operations against Tehran, though his office described the conversation as normal to Il Fatto Quotidiano.
US Treasury Scott Bessent was forced to relocate from his Washington residence to a military base following death threats attributed to Iran, according to Domani and The New York Times.
Bessent has been the face of the economic pressure campaign waged by Washington against Tehran during the conflict against Iran that began on Feb. 28 by the US and Israel, an offensive that resulted in the killing of senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has intensified efforts to target US personnel, though officials said that Iran’s capacity for large-scale overseas attacks remains limited, as reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano.
In the Gaza Strip, where military operations have continued despite the ceasefire cited by Domani, five Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, according to hospital authorities. Unicef estimates that 950,000 displaced persons are currently living in areas at risk of flooding due to heavy rains.
Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, spoke regarding the situation, according to Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi paramilitary group, said that it “will defend the blessed Islamic Republic and will not allow it to face its enemies alone” regardless of international and domestic pressures.
In political developments at the Knesset, the Likud attacked the Change Bloc in a statement, accusing them of collaborating with Arab parties after a plenary vote. “The parties of Eisenkot, Liberman and Bennett voted today together with Tibi and Abbas in the Knesset plenary,” Likud said.
