'Calm before the storm'; Trump to target Iran's nuclear facilities

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has once again issued a strong warning to Iran. Trump said that the current situation "was only the calm before the storm" and warned that any further provocative actions from Iran would face a severe response. International media reports claim that the United States is planning to restart airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military bases under an operation named "Operation Sledgehammer." Trump's statement that "very bad times are ahead for Iran" has increased concerns across the region.

The latest tensions are mainly linked to Iran's reported move to impose toll charges on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Parliament official Ibrahim Azizi had earlier stated that Iran plans to introduce a professional traffic management system in the Strait to recover economic losses suffered during the war. Under the proposal, ships passing through the route would be charged a fee. However, the United States believes that this move violates international maritime laws.

Iran has also reportedly said that only countries and commercial vessels cooperating with Tehran would be allowed safe passage through the route. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref reiterated that military aircraft or ships belonging to enemy nations would not be allowed to pass through the strait. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a new map showing additional restricted control zones in the strait, a move that further angered Donald Trump.