- US President Donald Trump says he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran because Tehran has not “received enough pain yet” and that he is near a decision to resume major military operations.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that “mindless aggression” will only see Trump pay a “heavier price” for a deal to end the war.
- Iranian media report that explosions, missile strikes, and air defense activity have been recorded across several cities, including Khondab, Khorramabad, Konarak, Jask, and Tehran.
- The UK says its armed forces stand ready to defend the country from any potential attacks, following a warning from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over US bombers using UK bases.
Japan highlights economic cost of ongoing conflict
In an annual white paper released today, the Japanese government warned that ‘close attention’ was needed on the extent to which the Middle East conflict could hurt the country’s economy.
The report found that Japanese companies are passing on rising costs from the conflict at a faster pace than back in 2022, when the war in Ukraine pushed up fuel costs.
Japan has been hit by ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The country relies heavily on fuel imports from the Middle East and has been forced to dip into its reserves to avert an energy crisis.
