Trump on Saturday threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if it did not within 48 hours end its partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway into the Gulf through which one-fifth of the world's oil flows. Iran's military command responded defiantly, saying that if Trump goes ahead, it would strike Israel's "power plants, energy and information and communications technology infrastructure" -- along with power plants in regional countries hosting US bases and companies with American shareholders. "If the United States' threats regarding Iran's power plants are carried out... the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed, and it will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt," a process that could take years, the operational command warned. - Lebanon fears Israeli ground invasion -Trump has offered varying timelines and objectives for the war, saying Friday he was considering "winding down" the operation, a day before his threat to power plants, which would mark a significant escalation. - Iran takes toll in Israel -Israel has prided itself on air defences, and Trump and Netanyahu both claim to have knocked out key Iranian military sites.
