Iran’s new supreme leader is injured but ‘safe’; Three ships hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz
Smoke rises from the Thai bulk carrier ‘Mayuree Naree’ near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. Photo: AFP
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN:
President Donald Trump signaled again Wednesday that there could be a quick end to the U.S. war with Iran, saying there is little left in the country for U.S. forces to attack, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set the conditions Wednesday for what he said was the war “ignited by the Zionist regime and the United States” as the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
There is “virtually nothing left to attack” and the war will be over “soon,” Trump said in an interview with Axios. “Any time I want this to end, it will end.”
Trump has repeatedly given conflicting messages about the timing and goals of the war, but on Monday he also said the end could come “soon.”
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Three ships have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk companies said Wednesday, raising to at least 14 the number of ships hit in the region since the conflict with Iran began.
The Thai-flagged dry bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was hit by “two projectiles of unknown origin” while sailing through the Strait on Wednesday, causing a fire and damaging the engine room, the ship’s operator, Thailand-listed Precious Shipping, said in a statement.
The US Navy has rejected almost daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war with Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump has said the United States is prepared to provide naval escorts when necessary.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Japanese-flagged container ship ONE Majesty suffered minor damage from an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, two maritime security firms said.
A third vessel, a bulk carrier, was also hit by an unknown projectile about 50 miles northwest of Dubai, maritime security companies said.
The shell had damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, maritime risk management company Vanguard said, adding that the ship’s crew were safe. Owner Star Bulk Carriers said the ship was hit in the hold area while anchored. There were no injuries to the crew or any listing.
Iran’s new supreme leader injured
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but “safe and sound,” the president’s son said Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment over the weekend.
“I heard the news that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I asked some friends who had connections,” Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, wrote in a post on his Telegram channel. “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,” added the president’s son Masoud Pezeshkian.
Mojtaba Khamenei, until now a low-profile but powerful figure behind the scenes, was named Iran’s number one following the assassination of his father Ali Khamenei in an airstrike at the start of the US-Israel war against the Islamic Republic.
But questions had grown about his whereabouts and physical condition after his appointment by the clerical body of the Assembly of Experts, and the new supreme leader had yet to be seen, much less spoken, in public.
In a report on Wednesday, the New York Times citing three unnamed Iranian officials said that Khamenei “had suffered injuries, including to his legs, but was alert and sheltered in a highly secure location with limited communication.”
Damaged sites
At least 17 U.S. military, diplomatic and air defense sites across the Middle East have been damaged by Iranian drone and missile attacks since the start of the conflict in the region, according to a New York Times analysis published Wednesday.
The report says Iran responded to the US and Israeli attacks by attacking US facilities across the region, attacking embassies, killing US soldiers and damaging military bases and air defense infrastructure.
The New York Times identified at least 17 damaged US sites, several of which have been attacked more than once since the conflict began, based on high-resolution commercial satellite images, verified videos on social media, and statements by US officials and Iranian state media.
Up to 150 US soldiers have been wounded in the 10-day war with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
The number of victims had not been previously reported. Before Reuters’ release of the figure, the Pentagon had only revealed that eight US personnel had been seriously injured.
In a statement after Reuters published its report, the Pentagon put the number at about 140 wounded and said the vast majority of them were minors.
“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 US service members have been injured during 10 days of sustained strikes,” said chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
He said 108 of the wounded servicemen had already returned to duty.
Parnell said the eight seriously injured service members were receiving the highest level of medical care.
(With contributions from News Desk)
