AGENCIES

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned civilians across the Middle East yesterday to stay away from areas near US forces, in a mark of defiance after President Donald Trump claimed talks to end the month-long war were “going well”.

Accusing US-Israeli forces of resorting to “human shields”, Iran’s Guards told civilians to “urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you” -- as Iran’s military threatened to target hotels housing US soldiers across the region.

“When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American,” armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told Iran’s state television.

The warning came after Trump again extended a deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy assets, pushing it from yesterday to April 6.

In announcing a new reprieve over the Hormuz blockade, which threatens lasting damage on the global economy, Trump insisted the Islamic republic wanted to “make a deal”.

But the Iranian side, which has made it clear it wants to end fighting on its own terms, said it has not requested the 10-day pause on strikes on its energy plants and indicated no let-up in reprisal attacks against Israel and targets across the Gulf.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is looking to send up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give Trump more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Department of Defense officials with knowledge of the planning.

If attacked with ground troops, Iran has signalled it would use its Houthi allies in Yemen to target shipping in the Red Sea, which would open up a new front in a war of spiralling economic, political and military repercussions.

US-Israeli airstrikes yesterday damaged two major steel plants and two nuclear-related facilities in Iran, but there has been no release of radioactive material, Iranian state media says.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday that Tehran would exact a “HEAVY price for Israeli crimes” after attacks on two of the country’s largest steel factories and nuclear sites.

“Israel has hit 2 of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites, among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US,” said Araghchi in a social media post.

The US military has fired over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war on Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials and prompted internal discussions about how to make more available, the Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A month of US and Israeli attacks have damaged at least 120 museums and cultural and historic sites nationwide, a top Tehran official said, A

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