US Widens Strikes on Iran as Trump Downplays Prospects of Talks

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Or sign-in if you have an account.s3}0r5ukd2etaeehq}s9i1xt_media_dl_1.png Bloomberg (oil refineries and te(Bloomberg) — The US widened the scope of its airstrikes on Iran overnight, as President Donald Trump signaled talks were unlikely in the near-term.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountAmerican forces struck a military site near the north-western city of Tabriz, according to Iranian media, the first time the area is thought to have been hit since hostilities between the warring sides worsened two weeks ago.The Iranian government also activated air defenses early on Wednesday in Tehran, the capital, Iranian media reported, adding that the US struck Abdanan and Chovar in the west, near the border with Iraq.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThose were the 11th straight day of attacks on Iran, which again fired on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.Iran’s interior minister visited Pakistan — the main mediator in the conflict along with Qatar — on Tuesday but there was no sign his meetings had deescalated tensions.The US says it will intensify its bombing campaign until Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop attacking energy tankers and other ships going through the vital waterway. So far, Iran isn’t backing down and has dismissed Trump’s claims it’s seeking a new round of negotiations. The interior ministry in Tehran said an “exchange of messages” with the US is possible although there are currently no negotiations underway, according to Mehr news agency.“They want to desperately meet and until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way we have no interest” in talks, Trump said at the White House on Tuesday.The Iran-backed Houthis, meanwhile, have threatened to open another front in the war, telling shippers they could be targeted if they try to call at Saudi Arabian ports. The Yemen-based group is now ready for maritime attacks from positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, according to an alert from the Joint Maritime Information Center, a global monitoring body for naval security.Oil prices have jumped in the past fortnight and Brent crude traded up 3.8% to above $94.40 a barrel at 8:47 a.m. in London on Wednesday, its highest level on a closing basis in six weeks. Refined fuel prices, including wholesale diesel in Europe, are also surging.Bond markets have reacted, with US 10- and 30-year Treasury yields rising to roughly two-month highs on concern inflationary pressures will prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.Trump says US operations are seriously degrading Iran’s military power, even as the Islamic Republic continues firing on ships in Hormuz. Tehran is also causing extensive harm to US troops and bases. Late Tuesday, the Pentagon said an army sergeant was believed to have been killed last Friday during an attack on an air base in Jordan. The 28-year-old soldier had been announced as missing until then.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Her death is the fourth US fatality over the past week, with two other troops being killed in Jordan, and another dying from an attack on northern Iraq.Iran says the 11 days of US attacks have killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 500.Trump said Tuesday in response to a question that Iran “probably” is trying to influence the midterm elections in November with its attacks in the strait, which have pushed up US gasoline prices. He reiterated more military action is likely and suggested he’d strike Pickaxe Mountain, which the US and Israel suspect is a nuclear site.Iran vowed to respond with a “powerful strike” to any attack on its nuclear facilities or other sensitive infrastructure.“If we left tomorrow, we had a big, we had a big success,” Trump said of Iran. “But we’re not leaving tomorrow.”US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators on Tuesday that the war had cost Washington $37.5 billion so far. In late May, government officials had put that figure at $29 billion, which some experts criticized as an understatement. Hegseth was on Capitol Hill pushing for a $67 billion supplemental defense-spending bill.—With assistance from Raeedah Wahid, Tom Fevrier and Vivien Ngo.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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