BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Iran’s parliament has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, though the final decision lies with the country’s Supreme National Security Council. The announcement came shortly after the United States carried out airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, reportedly destroying infrastructure at the targeted sites.

As tensions between Iran and Israel continue to escalate — including strikes on critical energy infrastructure — the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz has shifted from a hypothetical scenario to a very real geopolitical risk. Global energy markets and financial institutions are watching closely, aware that even a brief closure of the strait could trigger a worldwide energy shock.

The Strait of Hormuz: a critical artery of global energy flows

The Strait of Hormuz is a 33-kilometer-wide waterway between Oman and Iran, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply is transported. Deep and wide enough for the world’s largest oil tankers, it is considered one of the most vital chokepoints for global energy transit. If shut down, few viable alternatives exist.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), an average of 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the strait in 2024—about 20% of global oil liquids consumption. That level has remained steady through the first quarter of 2025.

Between 2022 and 2024, crude oil and condensate shipments via Hormuz declined by 1.6 million barrels per day, a drop only partially offset by a 0.5 million barrel increase in refined products. The decrease was largely due to OPEC+ production cuts (beginning November 2022) and disruptions at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting Saudi Arabia to divert flows through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea.

In 2024 and early 2025, more than a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and about 20% of oil liquids consumption moved through the strait. Roughly 20% of global LNG trade—mostly from Qatar—also transits Hormuz.

Volume of Oil and Gas Transported Through the Strait of Hormuz, 2020–Q1 2025

(in million barrels/day unless noted otherwise)

Metric 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Q1 2025 Total oil shipments through Hormuz 19.1 19.4 21.4 21.4 20.3 20.1 └ Crude oil & condensate 14.3 14.4 16.0 15.5 14.3 14.2 └ Refined products 4.8 5.0 5.5 5.8 5.9 5.9 Global seaborne oil trade 71.4 72.6 74.3 76.0 75.5 75.7 Global oil & liquid hydrocarbon use 91.0 96.6 99.5 101.8 102.7 102.1 LNG flows through Hormuz (bcf/day) 10.7 10.7 11.0 10.5 10.3 11.5

In 2024, 84% of the oil and 83% of LNG passing through Hormuz went to Asia. China, India, Japan, and South Korea alone accounted for 69% of all crude and condensate volumes.

Are there alternative routes?

Saudi Arabia and the UAE operate pipelines that can partially bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with a combined capacity of 2.6 million barrels per day.

Saudi Aramco runs the East-West pipeline, capable of handling 5 million barrels per day (expanded to 7 million in 2019). It was used more intensively in 2024 due to issues at Bab el-Mandeb.

The UAE manages a 1.8 million bpd pipeline connecting its oilfields to the port of Fujairah. Thanks to refinery upgrades in 2024, more heavy crude is processed locally, while lighter grades are exported through the pipeline—raising its utilization.

Iran launched the Goreh–Jask pipeline in 2021, reaching the Gulf of Oman. Its capacity is around 300,000 bpd, but by mid-2024 exports had dropped to 70,000 bpd, and by September shipments had halted.

Why a Hormuz closure would be disastrous

Chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz are critical to global energy security. Even temporary blockages cause shipment delays and spike freight rates, leading to surging energy prices. Most chokepoints have alternative routes—but not Hormuz. A majority of oil from the Persian Gulf cannot be rerouted easily. Hormuz is the only deepwater route large enough to handle the world’s biggest crude carriers.

Blocking it would unleash a chain reaction the global economy is not prepared for. The lack of alternatives makes this route indispensable. According to Dutch ING, closing the strait could push oil prices above $120 per barrel—a level the world has not seen in years. OPEC+ spare capacity wouldn’t help much, as most of it is located in the same region.

Countries would be forced to dip into strategic reserves, but this would offer only a short-term buffer.

Oil is a strategic commodity tied to about 95% of all global goods production. A price surge would drive up inflation, hitting raw materials, food production, and manufacturing across the board.

A closure would trigger a global oil shock, fuel inflation, and plunge vulnerable economies into crisis. Central banks would face tough choices on interest rates. Insurance costs would soar, disrupting supply chains worldwide.

The impact wouldn’t be limited to oil. Qatar has already instructed LNG tankers to wait outside the strait amid the rising threat level. Qatar, the world’s third-largest LNG exporter, accounts for about 20% of global supply—all of it passing through Hormuz. While the market is currently balanced, any disruption would spark shortages and intensify competition between Asia and Europe.

Energy-deficient Asian countries would be hit hardest. A maritime blockade would freeze energy flows and slow economic growth from Asia to Europe. China gets nearly half its imported oil through Hormuz. India, Japan, and South Korea would also face serious disruptions and would have to tap into emergency reserves. Global shipping costs would spike, as tankers would be forced to reroute around Africa.

If Iran were to close the strait, it would suffer significant economic and military consequences. No country can wage war without foreign reserves, and a blockade would quickly drain them—making the move difficult to sustain.

Iran produces around 4.8 million barrels per day, exporting approximately 2.6 million. Despite U.S. sanctions, its crude and condensate exports have remained steady at 1.7 million bpd in 2025, mostly to China. Iran also exports about 800,000 bpd of refined products such as fuel oil, LPG, and naphtha.

Following Israel’s strike on the giant South Pars gas field, Iran suspended part of its gas production. The field has a capacity of 2 billion cubic meters of gas per day and produces 75,000 barrels of condensate. In response, Israel shut down over 60% of its own gas output—including the Leviathan field—due to security concerns.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), even a short-lived closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have serious consequences for the global oil and gas markets. The strait handles up to 25% of world oil flows and nearly all of OPEC+ spare capacity.

Fitch Ratings warns that in a worst-case scenario—such as a full-scale regional conflict or a prolonged Hormuz shutdown—oil prices could remain elevated well beyond current forecasts. In such a case, the long-term damage to regional credit profiles could outweigh any fiscal windfall from higher oil revenues.

The Strait of Hormuz is a cornerstone of the global energy system. Its closure, even temporarily, would severely disrupt oil and gas flows, push up prices, fuel inflation, and potentially trigger a global economic crisis. While there are workarounds, they fall far short of replacing lost volumes. The global economy—especially in Asia and Europe—would be left highly exposed. Iran’s final decision will hinge not just on military strategy, but on economic calculus. Yet the mere threat already highlights how fragile the architecture of global energy truly is.

Israel-Iran conflict: US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday morning (Indian time) that American forces successfully struck three Iranian nuclear sites. The targets — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — have long been central to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The operation was carried out by B-2 bombers, according to CNN, with all American aircraft safely leaving Iranian airspace after the strikes.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “A full payload of bombs was dropped on Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American warriors. There is no other military like this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”

The strikes come as tensions in the region enter their second week. Trump earlier gave Iran a two-week deadline to negotiate a nuclear deal with the US.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the country had evacuated personnel from the three nuclear sites in advance. The three nuclear sites the US says it struck “some time ago.” According to the broadcaster, Iran had relocated its nuclear stockpiles from those sites to secure locations.

What we know about Iran’s key nuclear sites

Natanz: Located 250 kilometers south of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s largest uranium enrichment center. The facility houses six above-ground buildings and three underground halls capable of containing up to 50,000 centrifuges, which enrich uranium for potential weapons use.

Fordow: Situated deep inside mountains near Qom, Fordow is considered one of Iran’s most fortified nuclear sites. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% at Fordow — well above civilian requirements — making it a significant target.

Isfahan: Home to Iran’s largest nuclear research complex, Isfahan houses a fuel production plant, research reactors, and other critical facilities. Established with Chinese support in 1984, the site is key to Iran’s nuclear program.

Why is Iran under attack? Iran is under attack primarily because Israel aims to halt Tehran’s nuclear program, which it views as an existential threat. Since June 13, 2025, Israel has launched airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, including uranium enrichment facilities and centrifuge production plants near Tehran and Isfahan. These strikes have killed hundreds, including civilians and military personnel, and damaged key infrastructure.

Israel’s goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, which it believes would destabilise the Middle East and threaten Israeli security. In retaliation, Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, escalating the conflict. The war also involves targeted killings of senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders linked to arms transfers to proxy groups. Diplomatic efforts have so far failed, and Iran’s leadership warns that any US intervention would be extremely dangerous, underscoring the high stakes of this ongoing conflict.

What IAEA said? The IAEA, which initially flagged Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, told Sky News that despite Iran enriching uranium up to 60%, the agency cannot confirm any systematic effort by Iran to produce a nuclear weapon. However, Iran’s failure to meet its safeguards obligations, as noted in a recent IAEA report, combined with Israel’s Operation Rising Lion strikes, has heightened serious international concerns.

Live Updates

The Iranian Parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil choke point, after the United States bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, according to Iranian state media on Sunday.

While the Parliament has voted in favor of closing the strait, the final decision rests with the country’s Supreme National Security Council, according to state media.

Closing the strait, located between Iran and Oman, could have serious implications for both the global and U.S. economy.

President Trump on Saturday night announced that the U.S. had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, engaging U.S. forces in a war that Israel launched two weeks ago.

In a brief address on Saturday night, the president warned of continued U.S. attacks on Iran if “peace does not come quickly.”

U.S. bombs targeted three nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, which is located inside a mountain. Six bunker buster bombs were reportedly dropped on Fordow, while more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched at the other two sites.

The administration has argued the strikes were a monumental success, but it is currently unclear how much the sites were damaged or how long the attack has set back Iran’s nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the U.S. “decided to blow up diplomacy” to end fighting with Israel by joining strikes against the country late Saturday night. Araghchi further warned of “everlasting consequences.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.

“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”

Israel-Iran conflict live updates: The United States struck Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan on Saturday. Trump hailed the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a ‘spectacular success’ and urged Tehran to ‘make peace.’ read more

The Israeli military has confirmed that its air force has launched a series of airstrikes on western Iran, marking its first direct strikes since the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted “military sites in western Iran,” including missile launchers poised to fire at Israeli territory and Iranian armed forces personnel.

“It is already clear that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security,” the Russian foreign ministry added in a statement.

Russia has “strongly condemned” the United States’ bombings of nuclear sites in Iran, calling the attacks “irresponsible” and a “gross violation of international law”.

“China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible,” the ministry said in a statement.

China’s foreign ministry on Sunday issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns” US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, adding that they “escalate tensions in the Middle East”.

Macron, who spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and the leader of Oman earlier Sunday, “intends to continue his contacts with European partners and leaders in the region in the coming hours”, the presidency added.

French President Emmanuel Macron plans to convene a meeting of the country’s defence council Sunday following US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the presidency said.

“Fortunately, we did not have any martyrs in last night’s events of the US aggression against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” he said according to state television.

The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, said there were no fatalities in the US strikes Sunday on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

READ MORE: France calls for diplomatic solution following US attacks on Iran

“France has taken note with concern of the strikes carried out last night by the United States of America against three sites of Iran’s nuclear programme,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X on Sunday.

Together with European partners, France has advocated a diplomatic solution in a bid to end the conflict between Israel and Iran.

France expressed concern Sunday over US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and urged “restraint” as President Emmanuel Macron planned to convene a meeting of the defence council.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine are set to hold an on-camera press briefing at the Pentagon in a couple of minutes.

In what could be interpreted as a subtle and veiled acknowledgement of sorts of the physical damage sustained by its nuclear enrichment facilities, Iran stated that its nuclear know-how cannot be destroyed. The regime has maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful.

Shargh newspaper reported the blast, while the Fars news agency said two locations in the city were attacked by Israel. Iranian news agencies also reported strikes in Yazd province. The UN’s nuclear watchdog warned the day before that striking the Bushehr plant would trigger a “a very high release of radioactivity”.

Iranian media reported that a “massive explosion was heard” Sunday in Bushehr province, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, hours after the US bombed nuclear sites across the country.

He said that all of these tactics helped the US drop the bombs without tipping off Iran’s fighter jets or its air missile systems.

He added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s most powerful nuclear site, AP reported.

Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said Sunday that despite a surprise attack overnight on Iranian nuclear sites, America “does not seek war.” Hegseth said it was important to note that US strikes did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people, a veiled effort to indicate to Iran that they don’t want retaliation on American targets in the region.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that months of preparation and planning were put in for readiness for strikes like those carried out in Iran. The statement must be viewed in the context that in March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, testified to a Congressional Committee that t Iran is “not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khameinei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003”.

Dan Caine said that fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft were used in strikes on Iran. Presently, the two primary fifth generation fighter aircraft US operates are the F-35 and F-22 Raptor. His statement suggests either or both of these platforms were used in the strikes on Iran.

What have the Americans accomplished with their nighttime strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran? 1. Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage.

The Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev said in a tweet that “A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.”

Of the five permanent members of the UNSC, China and Russia have already condemned the attack. France has expressed concern over the escalation, while UK and the US itself (alongside France) have put the onus on Iran to come to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

The government of Iran has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over what they call ‘unprovoked’ attacks by the United States on the country’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

“As part of the wave of strikes, fighter jets targeted for the first time the ‘Imam Hussein’ strategic missile headquarters in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored,” the IDF said.

The Israeli Air Force on Sunday said that it had dropped around 60 munitions with 30 fighter jets in a wave of attacks that simultaneously hit missile and drone sites in Isfahan, Bushehr, Ahvaz, and Yazd.

Pakistan’s condemnation came a day after Pakistan backed US President Donald Trump as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The US on early Sunday morning attacked Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites with the aim of destroying the country’s nuclear programme. US President Trump warned of additional strikes if Iran retaliates.

Pakistan on Sunday condemned the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling them a violation of international law and warning of the risk of further escalation of violence in the region.

“Revenge, revenge!” protesters shouted with their fists raised, as the president was seen making his way through the crowd gathered in a square in central Tehran, AFP reported.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian took part in a protest in Tehran on Sunday denouncing US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to images broadcast on state TV.

“Ukraine is convinced that Iran’s nuclear programme must be stopped so that it never again poses a threat to the countries of the Middle East or any other state,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said, according to an AFP report.

Ukraine said Sunday that US and Israeli strikes on Iran were justified to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, praising the military intervention as a “clear signal”.

Hours after the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Iran launched more than 40 missiles toward Israel on Sunday, wounding 23 people and destroying apartment buildings and homes in three cities, AP reported.

READ MORE: Pentagon says US not seeking war with Iran after strikes on nuclear sites

Vance also said that the US is not at war with Iran, but Iran’s nuclear program.

“I don’t want to get into sensitive intelligence here, but we know that we set the Iranian nuclear program back substantially last night, whether it’s years or beyond,” he told ABC.

Rubio accused Iran of entering into “fake negotiations” ahead of the strikes in a bid to “play” US President Donald Trump.

“I think the world today is safer and more stable than it was 24 hours ago,” he told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” program, warning the Middle Eastern nation that it risked further reprisals if it insisted on maintaining a “secret” nuclear program.

The US air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities made the world more secure, Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted Sunday, rejecting fears that the action could ignite a wider conflict.

The latest military figures indicate that 24 people have died in Israel since it initiated attacks against Iran on June 13, with another 1,272 injured, including 14 seriously.

However, some projectiles managed to penetrate defenses Sunday morning, striking coastal Tel Aviv, Haifa in the north, and Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv.

Israeli air defenses have largely protected the nation’s towns and cities, intercepting hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones that might otherwise have caused significant damage.

Israel claims it has destroyed more than half of Iran’s missile launchers in an attempt to halt daily missile barrages from Iran.

Previous statements from the Israeli military said it had struck locations in western Iran and destroyed two aging Iranian F-5 fighter jets dating from the 1960s or 1970s at Dezful airport, located in western Iran.

“We are continuing and are determined to achieve the objectives of the operation: eliminating the existential threat to the state of Israel, damaging Iran’s nuclear programme and destroying its missile systems,” Defrin said.

Earlier Sunday, Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin pledged there would be no pause in Israel’s offensive against Iran despite overnight US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which President Donald Trump described as having been “obliterated.”

Isfahan hosts a uranium conversion facility that was separately targeted overnight by more than two dozen missiles launched from a US submarine in the Middle East.

The Israeli military also confirmed strikes on missile launchers in Iran’s southwestern Bushehr province, where Iranian media reported a “massive explosion” on Sunday. Additional strikes were reported in Ahvaz in the southwest and in central Isfahan.

“Approximately 30 IAF (air force) fighter jets struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran,” the military statement said, including “the ‘Imam Hussein’ Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored.”

The Israeli military said Sunday its fighter jets struck “dozens” of targets across Iran, including a long-range missile site in Yazd, located in central Iran, marking the first attack in that region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei took to social media platform X to accuse the US “colluding with a war criminal and genocidal warmonger to wage an unjust war of aggression against our beloved nation.”

The decision to close the strait is not yet final and it was not officially reported that parliament had in fact adopted a bill to that effect, AP reported.

Iran has long used the threat of closing the Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, as a way to ward off Western pressure which is now at its peak after the overnight U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council must make the final decision on whether to close the Strait of Hormuz following US bombing raids, Iran’s Press TV said on Sunday, after parliament was reported to have backed the measure.

The Iranian president on Sunday said that the US ‘must receive response to their aggression’.

“The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” Pezeshkian told the French leader, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that the United States must “receive a response” to attacks on nuclear sites in the Islamic republic during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Just a day before the U.S. struck, top diplomats from the three countries and the European Union met Iran’s foreign minister in an attempt to find a diplomatic way to end the conflict with Israel and ease tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The three leaders stressed that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security,” and affirmed support for Israel’s security, but stopped short of endorsing the American strikes.

In a joint statement after holding talks Sunday, they said: “We will continue our joint diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions and ensure the conflict does not intensify and spread further.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Iran’s leaders to enter negotiations and “not to take any further action that could destabilize the region.”

Kaine said he would force a floor vote in the Senate this week on a resolution that would require a vote ahead of military action against Iran. “This is the U.S. jumping into a war of choice at Donald Trump’s urging, without any compelling national security interests for the United States to act in this way, particularly without a debate and vote in Congress,” he added.

“The United States should not be in an offensive war against Iran without a vote of Congress,” Kaine said. “The Constitution is completely clear on it. And I am so disappointed that the president has acted so prematurely.“

It was not immediately clear whether the blasts were the result of incoming Israeli strikes or Iranian air defence fire.

Blasts were heard Sunday in the Iranian capital of Tehran, an AFP journalist said, as fighting between the two foes continued for the tenth day.

Others were injured in the attack, it added. The Fars news agency had earlier said Israeli strikes targeted two military sites in Yazd.

“Following the aggression of the barbaric Zionist regime and its mercenaries against two military centres in Yazd city, seven Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel and two conscripts were martyred,” the Tasnim news agency reported, quoting an IRGC statement.

At least nine members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed Sunday in Israeli attacks on central Iran, local media reported, as fighting between the two foes continued.

“We call upon Iran to engage in negotiations leading to an agreement that addresses all concerns associated with its nuclear program,” the leaders added in a joint statement.

The leaders of France, Germany and Britain on Sunday called on Iran “not to take any further action that could destabilise the region” in response to US strikes on its nuclear sites.

He added that the “political and operational initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!”

“Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, game isn’t over, enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, political will remain,” said Ali Shamkhani in a post on X.

An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that the country still had its stockpile of enriched uranium despite attacks by the United States on key nuclear sites.

It said only negotiations could resolve the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington.

“The developments happening can take the regional conflict to a global level. We do not want this catastrophic scenario to be realised,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey, which shares a 560 km (348 miles) border with Iran, has condemned Israel’s attacks as “state terrorism” and a violation of international law. It has urged parties to halt hostilities and offered to facilitate nuclear talks.

U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have raised the risk of the regional conflict spreading globally, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

This Week in Explainers: What did the US target in Iran? And how?

It called for “Arab and Islamic countries and the free peoples of the world” to stand with Iran.

“The blatant deceit and deception practiced by US President Donald Trump, driven by illusions of control and arrogance … confirms that the United States of America, along with the tyrants of arrogance, is a threat to the security and stability of the Islamic Republic,” the statement said. ”… This proves to the entire world that America is the official sponsor of terrorism and does not recognize international conventions, humanitarian laws, pledges, or obligations.”

The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran in a statement Sunday but did not threaten to join in Tehran’s retaliation.

Tehran has so far not followed through on its threats of retaliation against the United States – either by targeting U.S. bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies – but that may not hold.

An advisory from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned of a “heightened threat environment in the United States.” Law enforcement in major U.S. cities stepped up patrols and deployed additional resources to religious, cultural and diplomatic sites.

It fired another volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and flattened buildings in Tel Aviv. The U.S. State Department ordered employees’ family members to leave Lebanon and advised citizens elsewhere in the region to keep a low profile or restrict travel.

With the damage visible from space after 30,000-pound U.S. bunker-buster bombs crashed into the mountain above Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, Tehran vowed to defend itself at all costs.

The world braced on Sunday for Iran’s response after the U.S. attacked key Iranian nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

“Those who are shot are often out of reach of ambulances,” said Jonathan Whittall, OCHA’s Head of Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, adding that some are still missing and presumed dead in militarized zones near U.S.-Israeli distribution points.

A trickle of aid goes to the U.N. and humanitarian groups. Israeli troops open fire in the direction of crowds crossing military zones to get to the aid, they say. So far, 450 people have been killed while trying to access aid, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Israel began allowing food into Gaza this past month after cutting it off completely for 10 weeks. Most of the supplies go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed private contractor, which operates four food distribution points inside Israeli military zones.

The U.N.’s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs said Sunday that it is witnessing “a chilling pattern of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds gathering to get food” in Gaza.

“As of today, more than 65,000 Israelis have returned home by sea, air, and land,” out of the 100,000 to 150,000 people who were abroad when the Israeli offensive began, said Transport Minister Miri Regev.

More than 65,000 Israelis stranded abroad due to the closure of its airspace triggered by the start of the war with Iran have returned to Israel, the country’s transport minister said Sunday.

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Israel and Iran’s air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks.

Iran has launched a fresh wave of attacks against Israel, with missiles targeting the southern city of Beersheba, where a hospital was struck yesterday. The air strikes reportedly hit a tech park in the city and fires were reported near a Microsoft office.

Meanwhile, Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side.

British, German and French foreign ministers will meet their Iranian counterpart Abbas Argachi in Geneva for nuclear talks, in a first diplomatic sit-down between Europe and Iran as Trump weighs US involvement.

Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, and sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials.

“Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it’s up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

The role of the United States remained uncertain. Lammy also met Trump’s special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, on Thursday in Washington, and said they had discussed a possible deal.

With inputs from Reuters

Here’s what Trump said in his address as broadcasted live by Fox News and transcribed by Sky News:

“A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.

“Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise.

“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.

“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.

“Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.

“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.

“For 40 years Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their speciality.

“We lost over a thousand people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate.

“In particular, so many were killed by their general, Qassem Soleimani.

“I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen.

“It will not continue.

“I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.

“I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.

“Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that so.

“I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Rosen Kane, spectacular general and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.

“With all of that being said, this cannot continue.

“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.

“Remember, there are many targets left.

“Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal.

“But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.

“There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight. Not even close. There’s never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.

“Tomorrow, General Kaine, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8am at the Pentagon.

“I want to just thank everybody and in particular, God, I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and God bless America.

“Thank you very much. Thank you.”