Donald Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform again this evening to threaten Iran if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!

Iran struck two communities near Israel’s main nuclear research site late Saturday, leaving several people seriously injured, hours after its own Natanz main nuclear enrichment site was hit, as the war spun into a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week.

It marked the first time in the war that Israel’s nuclear research centre had been targeted.

The Israeli military said its defences were not able to intercept missiles that hit the southern cities of Dimona and Arad. Dozens of people were injured, emergency services said.

‘The war is not close to ending,’ said Israel’s army chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Iran’s health ministry said more than 1,500 people have been killed there so far, the state broadcaster reported.

Earlier, Iran targeted the joint U.K.-U.S. Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean about 2,500 miles away, suggesting that Tehran has missiles that can go farther than previously acknowledged – or that it had used its space program for an improvised launch.

Pictured: A damaged room at an impact site after Iranian missile barrages struck residential buildings in Arad, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in southern Israel

Pictured: An Israeli soldier prepares stretcjers at the impact site after Iranian missile barrages struck residential buildings in Arad

Footage shows the moment an Iranian missile struck the city of Dimona in southern Israel this evening.

The city is located about 8 miles south-east of the Negev Research Centre, an Israeli nuclear installation.

The US-UK joint military base was reportedly targeted by Iranian missile strikes on Friday evening, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

Multiple US officials confirmed to the outlet that neither missile hit the base. Two sources said one of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was intercepted by the US.

Diego Garcia is located on a remote island in British waters and houses US bombers, nuclear submarines and missile destroyers.

The base is around 4,000 kilometers from Iran. The strikes undermine Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s previous comments that Tehran limited ballistic missile range to only 2,0000 kilometers.

It comes after UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer yesterday gave the US permission to use the base for ‘collective self-defence’.

Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iranian power assets, which would likely include natural gas plants.

The Wall Street Journal identified the Damavand combined cycle power plant as a potential US target.

Natural gas accounts for 80 percent of Iran’s power generation, according to the International Energy Agency.

Iran was the second-largest electricity power producer in the region, behind Saudi Arabia.

Iranian struck the cities of Arad and Dimona on Saturday after Israeli defense systems failed to intercept at least two missiles, wounding about 100 people.

Pictured below are damaged buildings in Arad after the strikes.

The Houthis, a Yemeni militant group allied with Iran, have yet to join the war in the Middle East, but a high-ranking member warned that they could be taking action soon.

‘Our finger is on the trigger,’ a senior official of the group, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, said earlier this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

‘Yemen joining the conflict is only a matter of time.’

The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s capital over a decade ago during a civil war. They launched drone and missile attacks during the war in Gaza, which halted traffic through the Red Sea.

The Houthis control significant coastline along the sea and the Gulf of Aden, meaning crucial waterways could be impacted if they decide to join the war.

The United Arab Emirates responded to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Sunday morning local time.

The country’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the attacks, adding that sounds were heard in scattered areas across the UAE.

The MOD intercepted ballistic missiles and used fighter jets to take down Iranian drones.

The UAE has not said whether there were any reported injuries from the recent attacks.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Sunday local time that one of two Japanese nationals previously detained in Iran has been released.

The individual had not been identified, but Motegi said they were detained in 2025 while speaking on Fuji Television, as reported by the Associated Press.

Motegi said he demanded the release to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

There is still a second Japanese national detained in Iran. Their identities have not been released by officials, but the Committee to Protect Journalists previously said a reporter with Japan’s public broadcaster was arrested in January.

Motegi said the individual released this week was detained in 2025. They boarded a flight in Azerbaijan scheduled to arrive in Japan on Sunday.

Motegi is pictured below at the ASEAN Plus Three Summit in October.

The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced on social media that a state helicopter experienced a technical malfunction while on routine duty and crashed in regional waters.

A search operation is underway for crew members and passengers, according to the ministry.

Iran’s military has responded to Donald Trump’s earlier threat that the US would ‘obliterate’ power plants in the Islamic republic if the Strait of Hormuz is not swiftly reopened.

‘Following previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is violated by the enemy, all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted,’ the Iranian military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by Fars news agency.

Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the vital route in the Gulf to shipping traffic after it was effectively closed in response to the Middle East war.

The President posted the message on his Truth Social platform at 23:44pm on 21 March. That means Iran has until 23.44pm on 23 March (3.14am in Tehran on 22 March) to open the Strait.