Arab states seek urgent UN Human Rights Council debate on Iran strikes

Iran warned on Thursday it would step up attacks on energy infrastructure after targeting sites in the Persian Gulf region, including in Qatar, following the strike on its South Pars gas facilities.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure were a “big mistake” and warned any repeat would lead to strikes on “your energy infrastructure and that of your allies until their complete destruction.”

“Iran’s response will be far stronger than the attacks carried out overnight,” the spokesperson said.

The United States could deploy a Marine unit to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, including by seizing Iranian-controlled islands, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing current and former officials.

The Pentagon has sent the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, where it is expected to arrive in just over a week, providing options to counter Iranian threats to shipping in the waterway, the report said.

The strait, which carries about a fifth of global oil flows, has been disrupted by attacks on commercial vessels since the start of the conflict.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that there is a need to find an exit from the war involving Iran and avoid further escalation.

“We need an exit from the Iran war, not an escalation,” Kallas told reporters ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels.

She added that ending the conflict was as important as finding a solution to the war in Ukraine.

Iran is considering charging transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a lawmaker said on Thursday, as officials in Tehran stepped up rhetoric over the strategic waterway after this week’s attacks on energy sites in the Persian Gulf.

Somayeh Rafiei said lawmakers are pursuing a bill under which countries using the strait for shipping, energy transit and food supplies would be required to pay tolls and taxes to Iran, framing it as compensation for providing security along the route.

“In the event that the Strait of Hormuz is used as a secure route for ship traffic, energy transit and food supply, countries will be required to pay tolls and taxes to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rafiei said.

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Lebanon’s foreign minister said the government is moving to end Iranian influence in the country, during an emergency meeting in Riyadh, according to Lebanese media on Thursday.

Youssef Raggi said Iran’s actions pose a threat to states that have pursued de-escalation, warning of the risks of continued escalation.

“The government is proceeding with efforts to free Lebanon from Iranian influence,” he said, adding that authorities would continue taking decisions to protect sovereignty.