Iran has no intention of negotiating with the United States and can continue the war for “as long as we want,” Mohammad Mokhber, a senior aide to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told state TV on Wednesday.
The country’s judiciary chief meanwhile warned anyone aiding Iran’s enemies would “be dealt with decisively and severely,” after the United States and Israel called on Iranians to rise up against the Islamic republic’s authorities.
With global energy prices already on the rise over the expanding war, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it has “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial chokepoint into the Gulf.
Israel, on the other hand, launched fresh strikes on Iran and Lebanon, where state media reported a residential building was hit as governments scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded in the Middle East.
Washington encouraged all Americans to leave the region if they can find commercial flights, even though air travel has been severely disrupted, while governments including Britain and France sent in chartered flights to get citizens out.
President Donald Trump said the US had “knocked out” Iran’s navy, along with its air force and radar systems, and that the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the waterway through which one-fifth of global seaborne oil passes.
The US military said it has hit nearly 2,000 targets since first launching deadly strikes with Israel on Iran on Saturday that killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two cruise missiles, while drones struck near the US consulate in Dubai, starting a fire, and against the US military base at Al-Udeid in Qatar.
Kuwait’s health ministry said an 11-year-old girl was killed after being hit by falling shrapnel following waves of Iranian attacks across the Gulf.
The Gulf has borne the brunt of much of Tehran’s response since the US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran over the weekend with at least 13 people killed in the region in the fallout.
Among them are four US soldiers who have been killed in Kuwait, with the US embassy there targeted by drones while its energy infrastructure has also been hit in recent days.
“Resuscitation was performed in the ambulance while the girl was being transported to the hospital, and attempts continued for nearly half an hour upon arrival at Al-Amiri Hospital. However, she passed away due to her injuries,” said the ministry in a statement posted on X.
Sri Lanka said an Iranian navy frigate with 180 crew sank just outside the island’s territorial waters after an explosion.
The Sri Lankan foreign minister said 32 “critically wounded” sailors had been rescued from the warship, the IRIS Dena, after it issued a distress call at dawn.
