Iran says it cannot take part in World Cup due to security concerns

A senior Iranian naval commander said vessels must obtain permission from Iran before passing through the Strait of Hormuz after several ships were hit near the waterway.

Alireza Tangsiri, head of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said ships that ignored warnings and attempted to transit the strait had run into trouble.

He cited the vessels Expres Rome and Mayuree Naree, saying they had tried to pass despite warnings and were caught in incidents.

Maritime security agencies said three ships were hit by unknown projectiles on Wednesday, bringing the number of vessels struck in the area since the war began to at least 14.

The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was hit by two projectiles, causing a fire and damage to the engine room, its operator Precious Shipping said. Twenty crew members were evacuated in Oman while three were reported missing.

Two other ships also sustained damage: the Japan-flagged container ship ONE Majesty, operated by Ocean Network Express, and the bulk carrier Star Gwyneth, owned by Star Bulk Carriers. Crews on those vessels were reported safe.

Israel’s defense minister said the US-Israeli campaign against Iran will continue without a time limit until its objectives are achieved.

“The operation will continue without any time limit, as long as required, until we accomplish all objectives and achieve victory in the campaign,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said during a meeting with military leaders.

Katz said Israel and the United States were carrying out operations against Iranian leadership figures and forces including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij, according to a video released by his office.

The US Department of Justice is investigating Iran’s use of the crypto exchange Binance to evade US sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The probe focuses on money that moved through the platform to a network that funds Iran-backed groups, including Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Authorities have contacted people with knowledge of the transactions as they gather evidence, the report said.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been injured but is “safe and sound,” the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday, offering one of the few official explanations for his absence from public view since being appointed last week.

Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser, wrote on Telegram that he had asked contacts about reports of Khamenei’s injury and was told he was safe.

"I heard news that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound," he said.

The United States has struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran since the start of its campaign, including more than 60 ships, the commander of US Central Command said on Wednesday.

Adm. Brad Cooper said strike waves were carried out nearly every hour from different directions.

“To date, we have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, including more than 60 ships, using a variety of precision weapon systems,” Cooper said.

He said US forces had also destroyed the last of Iran’s Soleimani-class warships and recently struck a large ballistic missile manufacturing facility.

Cooper said Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks had “dropped drastically” since the first 24 hours of the campaign.