President Trump said on Monday that he might postpone a planned trip to China this month, citing the war on Iran as his reason to remain in the United States, while residents of Tehran and other Iranian cities contended with intense Israeli and U.S. airstrikes.
Mr. Trump, in remarks at the White House, also disparaged United States allies who declined his weekend calls send warships to help escort merchant vessels in and out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route that Iran has largely blockaded. On Monday, he framed that request as a loyalty test he had expected many allies to fail, saying the United States did not “need anybody.”
Some countries have rejected Mr. Trump’s request for international contributions to the escort effort, including Germany, Japan, Italy and Australia, while others have appeared noncommittal, including France, South Korea and Britain. The United States seems to have been unprepared for the need to protect merchant ships and giant oil tankers from attack during the war. Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, in a video update on Monday, did not offer details on how the United States would reopen the strait.
Iran: U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted an electricity distribution center that supplies a large section of Tehran’s eastern neighborhoods, according to Iranian media reports and Iran’s Red Crescent Society. The attack knocked out power for several hours, according to residents and media reports. Airstrikes in Tehran and in other parts of the country continued into the night. Mojtaba Khamenei issued his second statement as Iran’s new supreme leader, saying he would retain the officials appointed by his father, who was killed on Feb. 28, the opening day of the war.
Lebanon: Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that its forces had launched a “ground maneuver” in southern Lebanon, compounding fears that a broader invasion might be coming. More than a million people in Lebanon have now fled their homes since fighting between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel reignited this month, according to the Lebanese ministry of health, which said that 886 people had been killed, including 36 on Monday. The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain released a statement saying they were “gravely concerned” about the escalating conflict, warning that any Israeli ground offensive “would have devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Persian Gulf: The authorities in Abu Dhabi said a drone attack had started a fire in Shah Field, an oil and gas field belonging to the government energy company. Operations were suspended pending an assessment but there were no injuries and the fire was brought under control, it said.
Israel: The Israeli police said multiple sites in Jerusalem’s Old City were hit by interceptor and missile fragments, following what Israel said was a missile barrage from Iran. Fragments fell in the vicinity of the Aqsa Mosque compound and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, as well as in the Jewish Quarter, the police said. The Israeli military was prepared for at least three more weeks of military operations or more if necessary, Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters.
Oil prices: Oil markets fell on Monday, with international crude oil futures falling to $100.21 per barrel, down 2.8 percent for the day, but still up nearly 40 percent since the war began. WTI futures, the domestic oil benchmark, fell to $93.50 per barrel on Monday, down 5.3 percent for the day, but still up 40 percent since the war began.
Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.
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