Iran War: Bahrain Says Tehran Hit A Desalination Plant; Israel Reports 2 Of Its Soldiers Killed

DUBAI — The Iran war’s targets widened dangerously into civilian infrastructure Sunday arsenic Bahrain accused Iran of striking 1 of nan desalination plants that are important for Persian Gulf nations’ drinking water.

As Israeli-struck lipid depots smoldered successful Tehran aft a late-night strike, prompting biology warnings for citizens, Iran’s president vowed to grow attacks connected U.S. targets crossed nan region connected nan ninth time of nan war.

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu person vowed to property up pinch nan coordinated campaign, which has rippled crossed nan region and appears to person nary extremity successful sight.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, successful his latest threat, backtracked from conciliatory comments a time earlier successful which he apologized for attacks connected gulf neighbors’ soil. Iranian hard-liners had swiftly contradicted him, saying warfare strategy wouldn’t change.

In Lebanon, intensifying Israeli strikes pushed nan decease toll higher arsenic hundreds of thousands were displaced and Israel targeted nan Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

In Israel, nan subject said 2 soldiers were killed successful fighting successful confederate Lebanon — nan first Israeli subject fatalities since nan commencement of nan warfare past weekend. Three group were besides injured successful Israel successful a Sunday day strike.

The war, which Israel and nan United States launched pinch airstrikes connected Feb. 28, has truthful acold killed astatine slightest 1,230 group successful Iran, astatine slightest 397 successful Lebanon and astatine slightest 11 successful Israel, according to officials. Six U.S. troops person besides been killed.

The conflict has rattled world markets, disrupted aerial recreation and near Iran’s activity weakened by respective 1000 Israeli and American airstrikes.

Iran’s president toughens tone

In video comments Sunday, Pezeshkian said Iran’s subject consequence would only strengthen.

“When we are attacked, we person nary prime but to respond. The much unit they enforce connected us, nan stronger our consequence will people be,” Pezeshkian said. “Our Iran, our country, will not front easy successful nan look of bullying, oppression aliases aggression — and it ne'er has.”

The remarks came a time aft Pezeshkian said Iran regretted location concerns caused by Iranian strikes and urged neighboring states not to return portion successful U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran. While aggregate gulf states reported intercepting much incoming missiles and drones from Iran, Pezeshkian said nan state wasn’t looking to conflict them and accused nan U.S. of trying to pit countries against 1 another.

Iranian hard-liners quickly contradicted those remarks. Judiciary main Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote connected X: “The surface science of immoderate countries successful nan region — some overtly and covertly — is successful nan hands of nan enemy, and those points are utilized against our state successful acts of aggression. Intense attacks connected these targets will continue.”

Mohseni-Ejei and Pezeshkian are portion of a three-member activity assembly that has overseen Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed successful a onslaught astatine nan outset of nan war.

Pezeshkian’s remarks Sunday reinforced pledges that Iran would not surrender contempt U.S. and Israeli threats, pinch Trump and Netanyahu saying their purpose remains nan replacement of Iran’s leaders.

“We’re not looking to settle,” Trump told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One. “They’d for illustration to settle.”

Desalination and lipid accommodation attacked

The gulf nations of Bahrain, Kuwait and nan United Arab Emirates reported further Iranian missiles launched toward them connected Sunday, including respective that deed caller categories of civilian infrastructure.

The United Arab Emirates said that Iran launched much than 100 missiles and drones successful caller barrages. Only 4 drones fell astatine unnamed locations, nan country’s Defense Ministry said.

Bahrain accused Iran of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets and damaging 1 of its desalination plants, though its energy and h2o authority said supplies remained online. Home to nan U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, Bahrain has been among nan countries targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Attacks person deed hotels, ports and residential towers and killed astatine slightest 1 person.

The desalination works onslaught came aft Iran said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant. Abbas Araghchi, nan country’s overseas minister, said nan onslaught connected Qeshm Island successful nan Strait of Hormuz had trim into nan h2o proviso to 30 villages. He warned that successful doing so, “the U.S. group this precedent, not Iran.”

Desalination plants proviso h2o to millions of residents successful nan region, raising caller fears of risks successful aggregate parched godforsaken nations.

Iran besides said Sunday that overnight strikes from Israel deed 4 lipid retention tankers and a petroleum transportation terminal, sidesplitting 4 people. Witnesses successful Tehran said nan fume was truthful heavy from a occurrence that engulfed nan northbound Tehran lipid depot that it felt arsenic if nan sun had not risen.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said Sunday that astir 10,000 civilian structures crossed nan state had been damaged, including homes, schools and aesculapian facilities. It warned Tehran residents to return precautions against toxic aerial contamination and nan consequence of acerb rainfall aft Israeli strikes group fires to lipid depots successful nan area.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, nan speaker of Iran’s parliament, said nan war’s effect connected nan lipid manufacture would proceed to spiral, informing it could soon go harder to nutrient and waste oil. Some location producers, including successful Iraq, person already curbed output amid dangers successful nan Strait of Hormuz.

Iran maintains capable fuel, Veys Karami, managing head of nan National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Co., told Iran’s state-run news agency. Israel’s subject said nan targeted lipid depots were being utilized by Iran’s military.

More strikes deed Lebanon

Israel renewed its battle early Sunday connected parts of Lebanon, wherever wellness officials reported astatine slightest 394 group person been killed successful nan conflict betwixt Israel and Hezbollah.

Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Sunday that 83 children and 82 women were among those killed. The Israeli subject has ordered ample swaths of nan state to evacuate, and Lebanese officials reported much than 400,000 person been displaced during an violative that Israel’s subject says is aimed astatine stamping retired Iran-supported forces there.

In Beirut, sheltering families crammed into schools, slept successful cars aliases successful unfastened areas adjacent nan Mediterranean Sea, wherever immoderate burned firewood to support lukewarm while awaiting basal supplies. The authorities says it would soon unfastened a ample sports stadium to shelter thousands more.

Israel’s renewed violative began past week aft Hezbollah launched rockets toward bluish Israel during nan opening days of nan war. The consequent strikes person been nan astir aggravated since a November 2024 ceasefire.

Israel withdrew from astir of confederate Lebanon astatine that clip but continued near-daily strikes, chiefly successful confederate Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah had been trying to rebuild its positions there. Hezbollah said past week that aft much than a twelvemonth of abiding by a ceasefire arsenic Israel’s strikes continued connected Lebanon, its patience has ended, leaving it pinch nary action but to fight.

Gambrell, Metz and Chehayeb constitute for nan Associated Press and reported from Dubai; Ramallah, West Bank; and Beirut, respectively. AP journalists Melanie Lidman successful Tel Aviv; Samy Magdy successful Cairo and Aamer Madhani successful Doral, Fla.; contributed to this report.