호르무즈·홍해 긴장 고조…후티 반군 "사우디 유조선 피격" / 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV)

[Anchor] The hard-on standoff between the United States and Iran continues. U.S. President Trump warned that he would unleash massive bombing on Iran, which is holding the sea lanes hostage. We will connect with the International Desk to find out more details. Reporter Jang Hyo-in. [Reporter] Yes, on the 22nd (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump stated that for every ship Iran attacks while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, he would destroy one bridge or power plant in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and other locations. At the same time, he expressed confidence that Iran would soon be ready to negotiate. [Donald Trump / U.S. President] "Iran has taken a tremendous hit and wants to negotiate. But I do not think they are ready to negotiate. Every time they negotiate, they try to change their terms and cause all sorts of problems. They are not ready yet, but they will be soon." Iran maintains the position that it will not let go of the strait's leash. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Council, stated, "In regions where we cannot sell oil, no one else will be able to sell oil." The Iranian military also warned, "If the threat is carried out, not a single drop of crude oil will be allowed to be exported, and all oil and gas facilities in the region will be targets." Pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers that violated the Red Sea blockade and forced approximately 10 other vessels to turn back. If this claim is true, it would be the first attack on ships since the blockade was declared. On this day, Brent crude rose 3.36% from the previous session to $94.07 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 2.95% to $86.83. With upward pressure on oil prices expected to continue due to supply uncertainty amidst a head-on clash, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly signaled to Asian allies that they should send naval assets to the Strait of Hormuz. [Marco Rubio / U.S. Secretary of State] "We will continue to protect ships. I think other nations should join this effort. It is not mandatory, but they are being more affected than we are." [Anchor] There is another warning of a U.S. bombing. There are reports that the U.S. plans to strike Iran's underground nuclear facility, known as 'Pickaxe Mountain,' within a few days, correct? [Reporter] Yes, this was reported by the Israeli public broadcaster Khan on the 22nd local time. It states that the U.S. has notified Israel that it plans to use bombers to strike 'Pickaxe Mountain,' where Iran's underground nuclear facility is presumed to be located, within a few days. Mount Pickaxe is located near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, but Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai countered that no nuclear activity is taking place in the area, calling it "nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression and destruction." Just as the U.S. military bombed the Isfahan nuclear facility last June, it is expected to drop bunker busters carried by state-of-the-art B-2 stealth bombers this time as well. However, there are counterarguments that bunker buster strikes would not be effective because the underground facility is located too deep and the bedrock is solid, and that deploying ground forces, including special forces, to attack the facility also carries significant risks. Amidst this, President Trump attended the repatriation ceremony for the remains of fallen U.S. soldiers to express his condolences and claimed that anti-war sentiment within the United States is not strong. [Donald Trump / U.S. President] "Americans do not want high gasoline prices; they do not oppose war itself. No one wants Iran to have nuclear weapons." ** The Iranian military claimed that on this day, it struck a U.S. military base in Jordan, destroying multiple drones and helicopters and causing U.S. casualties. Explosions occurred across Iran as U.S. airstrikes continued for the 12th day, and Iran has tallied 53 deaths so far. This has been Jang Hyo-in from the International Desk at Yonhap News TV. [Video Editing: Kim Do-i] ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV's documentary channel 'Docu-Digging'    / @docu-digging   ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV YouTube Channel    / @yonhapnewstv23   ▣ The beginning of Korean news: Yonhap News TV http://www.yonhapnewstv.co.kr/