Iranian President insists Tehran will 'confront threats on the battlefield' - as Netanyahu urges Europe to 'join in' US-Israel attacks
The call to Europe from the Israel's Prime Minister followed Mr Trump's threats to "obliterate" power plants if the country doesn't open the Strait soon.
Iran’s president has said Tehran will ‘confront threats on the battlefield’ as Netanyahu urged Europe to 'join' with the US and Israel in ending the Iranian regime.
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Speaking on Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that “threats and terror” against Iran are only making the country more unified against the US.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said Iran will “firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield”.
The Strait of Hormuz “is open to all except those who violate our soil”, he added.
It comes after Donald Trump insisted the US will "obliterate" Iran's power plants if the country doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz "without threat" within 48 hours.
Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants on Saturday over Iran's decision to only allow "non-hostile countries' through the shipping lane.
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels, since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February.
Read more: Hundreds march through London in condemnation of America and Israel's attacks on Iran
Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu urged European leaders to join Israel and the US in the wake of missile attacks at Diego Garcia.
The attacks, which took place on Friday, missed their target - with one ballistic missile failing and the other being intercepted by US defence systems.
"They have the capacity to reach deep into Europe," Netanyahu warned.
"They are putting everyone in their sights," he continued."It's time to see the leaders of the rest of the countries join up."
"I'm happy to see that some of them are moving in that direction, but more is needed."
It comes as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held talks with Donald Trump on Sunday over the war.
"This afternoon, I discussed the situation in Iran, Israel, and Ukraine with US President Donald Trump," he wrote on social media.
"We agreed to remain in close contact. Our exchange will be continued soon," Merz wrote on social media.
Recent hours have seen Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the IDF to "immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for terror activity".
The illusion of erasing Iran from the map shows desperation against the will of a history-making nation. Threats and terror only strengthen our unity. The Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil. We firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield.
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 22, 2026
Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: "If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels, since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February.
Israel has warned that Iran has developed long-range missiles capable of reaching major European cities - claims the Housing Secretary denied on Sunday with Lewis Goodall.
It comes as James Cleverley told LBC that Iran "has got to recognise that its actions have consequences" in relation to Trump's latest threat.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said Tehran had launched a long-range missile for the first time since the start of the war, demonstrating it could now strike cities including London, Paris and Berlin.
"We have been saying it: The Iranian terrorist regime poses a global threat," the IDF said in a statement.
The Israeli military said the missiles could travel around 4,000km, putting dozens of countries across Europe, Asia and Africa within range.
The warning comes after Iran targeted Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands before the Government gave the US permission to strike missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. It is not clear exactly when the two intermediate-range ballistic missiles were fired.
On Sunday, Iran denied targeting the military base on the island, with a senior official telling Al Jazeera that Tehran was not behind the reported missile attempt.
Global fuel prices have soared as a result of the war, with crude oil rising above $100 a barrel - up almost 70% this year and nearly 50% from a year ago.
It comes after 88 people were wounded in an Iranian missile which struck Arad on Saturday, hours after an Iranian ballistic missile evaded Israeli air defences and hit the city of Dimona – close to Israel’s main nuclear site.
Ten people have been left in serious condition, including a five-year-old girl, according to emergency services.
The local fire service added that there was “extensive damage”, with three buildings affected and a blaze engulfing one of them.
Benjamin Netanyahu said it had been a “very difficult evening” for Israel, adding that Tel Aviv was “determined to continue” striking their enemies “on all fronts”.
The attack on Arad came after an Iranian ballistic missile evaded Israeli air defences on Saturday and hit the desert city of Dimona, close to the country’s main nuclear facility.
Following the strikes, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagheri Ghalibaf said on X: “It appears that the time has come to implement the next pre-planned strategies.
"If Israel is unable to intercept missiles in the heavily protected Dimona area, it is, operationally, a sign of entering a new phase of the conflict. Israel’s skies are defenceless."
The strike follows an attack in the nearby city of Dimona hours earlier, where at least 47 people were wounded.
Firefighters said that in “both Dimona and Arad, interceptors were launched that failed to hit the threats, resulting in two direct hits by ballistic missiles with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms”.
The Israeli military said it would investigate the issue related to the air defence system.
Seyed Majid Moosavi, the IRGC’s aerospace force commander, also warned on Saturday that the regime had new “launch systems” that would leave the United States and Israel “dumbfounded”.
In recent months, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Aragchi claimed that the nation's missiles could only strike 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometres).
Trump's comments comes as the United States claimed that Iran's ability to threaten ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz have been "degraded" after an underground facility used to store cruise missiles was bombed earlier this week.