Top Iranian security official warns Trump:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched new attacks Tuesday against Israel and Gulf Arab countries as it maintains pressure on the Middle East in a war launched by Israel and the United States that has sent oil prices soaring and stunned global economies.

Sirens warned of missiles arriving in the futuristic business hub of Dubai, and in Bahrain, authorities said an Iranian strike hit a residential building in the capital, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight other people. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region and Kuwait’s National Guard said it shot down six drones.

Later in the morning, sirens also sounded in Jerusalem, and sounds of explosions were heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s defense systems worked to intercept incoming fire, shortly after the military said it detected an Iranian missile launch.

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“We are definitely not seeking a ceasefire,” Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote in X. “We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson and never thinks about attacking our beloved Iran again.”

Another senior Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, appeared to threaten US President Donald Trump himself, writing in X that “Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those bigger than you could not eliminate Iran. Be careful not to be eliminated yourself.” Iran has been accused of plotting attempts to kill Trump in the past.

Witnesses reported hearing several explosions in Tehran in the afternoon as Israel began a new wave of airstrikes.

Attacks aimed at putting pressure on the US

In addition to firing missiles and drones at Israel and US bases in the region, Iran has also been attacking energy infrastructure and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil trade, which has sent oil prices soaring. The attacks appear aimed at generating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to end their attacks.

Brent crude, the international standard, rose to nearly $120 on Monday before falling, but was still around $90 a barrel on Tuesday, up nearly 24% from when the war began on February 28.

Trump, who had previously said the war could last a month or more, sought to downplay growing fears that it could last even longer, saying it was “going to be a short-term excursion.”

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that attacks on Iran would continue.

“Our goal is to get the Iranian people to throw off the yoke of tyranny, (but) ultimately it is up to them,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with leaders of Israel’s hospitals and health systems. “There is no doubt that with the actions taken so far we are breaking their bones.”

Oil is diverted because the Strait of Hormuz is practically isolated

Iran has effectively prevented oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – the gateway to the Indian Ocean – through which 20% of the world’s oil is transported. Attacks on merchant ships near the strait have killed at least seven sailors, according to the International Maritime Organization.

A bulk carrier was likely attacked in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, with the captain reporting a splash and a loud bang nearby, according to a monitoring center run by the British military.

In a social media post, Trump appeared not to acknowledge that, saying that “if Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, the United States of America will hit it TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have hit it so far.”

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard doubled down, saying in a statement that it “will not allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

Meanwhile, Amin Nasser, chairman and chief executive of Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco, said tankers were being diverted to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, and that its East-West pipeline would reach its full capacity of 7 million barrels per day and be brought to the Red Sea port of Yanbu this week.

“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is blocking considerable volumes of oil from across the region,” he said, adding that a shortage of supplies would likely drive up the price per barrel globally even further, resulting in higher costs for gasoline and jet fuel.

“If this takes a long time, it will have a serious impact on the global economy,” Nasser said.

Iranian women’s soccer team obtains asylum in Australia

The team attracted widespread news coverage in Australia when the players did not sing the Iranian anthem before their first match. The 26 players arrived for the women’s Asian Cup last month, before the war began. They were eliminated over the weekend, raising the possibility of having to return to an attacked country.

Burke, who posted photos on social media of the women smiling and clapping as they signed documents, said all of the team’s players had been offered asylum.

It was unclear if or when the other 21 players would return to Iran.

Five killed in airstrike against Iran-linked militias in Iraq

As the conflict spread across the region, Israel launched multiple attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which responded by firing missiles at Israel.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also launched attacks on US bases in the country since the start of the conflict.

Early Tuesday, one of those militias, the 40th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the city of Kirkuk, was hit with an airstrike that killed at least five militiamen and wounded four, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military reiterated a call for all residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes, saying it planned to “operate vigorously” there against Hezbollah.

Since the war began, at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials.

A total of seven US service members have died.