Closing summary
We’re about to shut this live page but are continuing our round-the-clock coverage of the Middle East crisis – it’s now 7.30am in Tehran, midnight in Washington DC and 7am in Jerusalem. Here’s a recap of the day’s key developments, and you can also see our latest full report. Thanks for joining us.
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Donald Trump said he was cancelling more airstrikes on Iran because it had approved an agreement with the US that would be signed “soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe”. The strait of Hormuz would open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement”, Trump said. “The whole Middle East is happy.”
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Iran’s foreign ministry later said Tehran had not made a final decision on an agreement, state-run media reported, and that it would not compromise on its “red lines”. A large part of the text had been finalised, a spokesperson said, but the US had repeatedly changed its positions during the talks.
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Trump said the agreement’s “final points” had been “approved by all parties involved”, naming the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and others.
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Israel, however, said it was “not a party to” what prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described as an emerging memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. It said the final agreement would include the removal of Iran’s enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region – measures that have proved to be red lines for Iran in the past.
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Oil prices plunged to two-month lows on hopes of a deal and the reopening of the strait of Hormuz, with US West Texas Intermediate crude futures falling 1.9% to $86.08 a barrel, on top of a 2.6% drop overnight, and Brent dropping 1.5% to $89.08 a barrel, having fallen nearly 3% overnight. Asian stocks joined a global rally, with South Korea’s Kospi surging 7.4% and Japan’s Nikkei up 2.7%.
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The new agreement reportedly provides a timeline for demining the Hormuz strait – during which the US naval blockade would continue – and discusses mechanisms for further nuclear talks and the release of frozen Iranian assets but does not contain concrete agreements about how that will take place.
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Trump said earlier in the day the US would seize Iran’s Kharg island “in the not too distant future”, but later said the seizure would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.
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Iran forces prevented a tanker from transiting the Hormuz strait without coordination, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
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US forces later shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones as Tehran appeared to attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the strait, an unnamed US official told Reuters, adding: “Traffic flow through the strait continues.”
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In Lebanon, a strike wounded 10 staff at a hospital in the city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told Agence France-Presse, as Israeli raids continued in the country’s south.
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The Indian government voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
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The World Bank revised its global growth assessment down amid the Iran war to a level not seen since the Covid pandemic, warning of its expanding economic impacts on countries worldwide, especially developing nations.
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Turning now to Iran’s Kharg Island, it is crucial the regime’s oil exports but targeting it carries major risks.
Donald Trump threatened earlier in the day to seize the island in the northern Gulf but later said he wouldn’t “if we sign this agreement” with Tehran.
Kharg is home to a terminal through which Iran exports most of its oil and has emerged as a focus of the war on Iran.
Strikes on oil infrastructure on the island – or a ground invasion – would severely curb Iran’s oil exports, a key source of revenue for the Islamic republic. An assault would also mark a major escalation that could provoke even heavier retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab infrastructure and further drive up oil prices, as the Associated Press reports.
Trump said strikes in mid-March “obliterated” Kharg’s military assets but did not target the island’s oil infrastructure. He warned that if Iran continued disrupting traffic through the strait of Hormuz, he would reconsider the decision to spare energy targets on the island.
Then on Thursday, Trump said on social media that the US would “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the Kharg Island terminal, in the “not too distant future”.
Trump later said he called off new military strikes on Iran – just hours after saying the US would hit Iran “very hard tonight” – claiming the Iranian leadership had approved a peace agreeement.
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The Israeli military says it has intercepted a drone in a southern Lebanon area where its troops are operating.
It posted on Telegram that it had earlier sounded sirens amid the “hostile aircraft infiltration” in the area of Metula.
Amid the continuing fighting in Lebanon despite a nominal truce, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed at least 3,666 people there since early March while Iran-backed Hezbollah has killed at least 30 Israeli soldiers in the south and three Israeli civilians.
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US forces down two Iranian drones - report
US forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones as Tehran appeared to attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the strait of Hormuz, a US official has told Reuters.
“Traffic flow through the strait continues,” the official said on Thursday night Washington DC time, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The latest apparent clash between the two countries comes as Donald Trump has claimed they are on the cusp of securing a peace agreement.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said large parts of the agreement text under negotiation with the US has been finalised but Iran will not compromise on its red lines.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was not a party to the memorandum of understanding with Iran, but the PM “expressed his appreciation” for Donald Trump’s commitment that the final deal would include the removal of enriched material, limits on missile production, and the cessation of support for proxies in the region – measures that have proved to be red lines for Iran in the past.
A diplomat briefed on the talks said the deal had largely been agreed to several weeks ago but there was still a “50% chance” that it would collapse – “there are a lot of potential spoilers”.
There’s more in our updated full report here:
Updated
Oil prices plunge to two-month lows
The price of oil has dived to two-month lows amid the fresh optimism for a peace deal in the Iran war.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 1.9% to $86.08 a barrel, on top of a 2.6% drop overnight, while Brent dropped 1.5% at $89.08 a barrel, having fallen nearly 3% overnight.
Asian stocks also joined the rally – as just mentioned – with Japan’s Nikkei share average jumping 4.06% as of 0025 GMT on Friday, Reuters reports.
Donald Trump’s announcement that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend – hours after threatening more strikes on Iran – follow repeated bouts of optimism from the US president that have failed to produce an agreement.
Still, “this does look perhaps a bit more tangible than we have had”, said Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at the National Australia Bank.
If we hear something from Iran that sounds positive, the odds [of a peace deal] are clearly going to flip quite dramatically.”
Fuel prices have risen sharply worldwide since the war on Iran began in late February and oil supplies have been choked off in the strait of Hormuz.
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Japan’s Nikkei share index has reportedly jumped more than 3% and South Korea’s Kospi nearly 7% after Donald Trump’s claim to be on the cusp of a peace deal with Iran.
Before Donald Trump’s announcement of an imminent peace deal drove a drop in oil prices and a rally in stocks, the World Bank issued a downbeat assessment of global economic growth in light of the continuing war.
The bank revised down its growth forecast to a level not seen since the Covid pandemic, and warned of the conflict’s expanding economic impacts on countries worldwide.
The forecast is for 2.5% this year, down from 2.9% in 2025.
World Bank officials have said the global energy shock from the war will hit low-income and developing countries worse than advanced economies.
Updated
More now on the apparent confrontation in the strait of Hormuz: Iranian media reported sounds of explosions near Bandar Abbas, but state news agency Irna later said no explosions had been reported in the southern port city and that any sounds could have been related to military activity in maritime areas.
Iranian state media also said the country’s forces had prevented a tanker from transiting the strait of Hormuz without coordination.
Iran’s top joint military command on Thursday announced the closure of the strait, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that attempted passage would be shot at, Reuters is reporting.
Iranian media also said explosion sounds were heard off the coast of Sirik, east of Bandar Abbas.
A military source told state media the sounds heard near Sirik were linked to Iranian forces confronting an oil tanker attempting to pass through the Hormuz strait.
The tanker later complied with the ban on transit after receiving warnings from the Revolutionary Guard navy, the source said.
Updated
Blasts heard as Iran confronts tanker trying to transit Hormuz strait - report
Iranian state media are reporting that explosion heard in the south of the country a short while ago were related to a confrontation with a “violating vessel” attempting to pass through the strait of Hormuz.
Citing the Revolutionary Guard, state media said the vessel was an oil tanker and was forced to comply with a “traffic prohibition law” in the strait after a warning from the Guards.
Iranian officials said earlier that a tanker was stopped from entering the strait, claiming it did not have “coordination” to pass.
In Donald Trump’s announcement that an agreement with Iran was imminent and could be signed “maybe over the weekend in Europe”, he said the Hormuz strait would open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement”.
“The whole Middle East is happy,” Trump said
Updated
As Donald Trump has declared a deal with Iran is set to be signed “very soon”, Iran’s Tasnim news agency is saying he has announced that a deal is imminent 38 times over the previous two months – though one didn’t eventuate.
“Until Iran announces the matter of a potential understanding, any news from Trump on this subject should be regarded the same as his previous messaging,” the semi-official agency said, cited by AFP.
As mentioned, Iran said it had not reached a final decision on a deal with Washington after Trump announced a “great settlement” to end the war.
“So far, Iran has not reached a final conclusion on the agreement,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, after Trump said he expected a deal to be signed in Europe in the coming days.
Iran stops tanker from entering strait of Hormuz – report
Iranian media is saying the country’s forces have not allowed a “violating tanker” to enter the strait of Hormuz without coordinating with Tehran.
The report from the Fars news agency – closely linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – came shortly after the sound of explosions were reportedly heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Hours earlier Donald Trump claimed a “great settlement” has been reached with Iran, while Tehran later said a final decision on an agreement had not yet been made.
Updated
Today so far
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Donald Trump announced that he was cancelling the third day of airstrikes and bombings that he had earlier said would happen because “discussions” with Iran “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved”. This agreement will be signed “soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe” according to Trump, who said “(d)iscussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved”, which includes “the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others”.
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Israel, however, said it was “not a party to” what the prime minister’s office described as an emerging memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken to Trump, Netanyahu’s office said, and the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region.
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Though Trump said that Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the agreement, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry told the state-run IRNA that Iran has not yet made a final decision. Iran will not compromise on its “red lines” in negotiations and any reports regarding the signing of the agreement was speculative as nothing has been finalised, Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday. He added that a large part of the text had been finalised but the US repeatedly changed its positions during the talks.
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The strait of Hormuz will open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement” reached with Iran, Trump said. “The whole Middle East is happy,” Trump said.
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Trump had earlier posted on social media that the US would seize Iran’s Kharg island “some point in the not too distant future”, but he later said a military operation to take Kharg would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.
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The price of oil had risen after Trump threatened a ‘very hard’ attack on Iran – but it fell hours later after he announced he was canceling the strikes. Brent futures fell $3.37, or 3.6%, to $89.73 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $3.20, or 3.6%, to $86.83 a barrel, according to the Associated Press.
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A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told AFP, as Israeli raids continue in the country’s south. All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.
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UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that all parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement that fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. In a post on X, Guterres added that there must be a comprehensive ceasefire and said he fully supports a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese government.
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The Kuwaiti armed forces said it has responded to 24 Iranian drones in its airspace in the past two days. “The Iranian aggression resulted in limited material damage without any human casualties,” the army said in a statement on social media.
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The US has confirmed that it carried out a strike on Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel M/T Jalveer, which according to Central Command (Centcom) was violating the blockade. Centcom alleged that the ship was attempting to transport Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman.
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The Indian government has voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz. The three men who died were named as Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer, Aditya Sharma, a deck cadet, and Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter. Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s shipping and ports minister, called it a “profound loss to our maritime family”.
Here is video of Donald Trump talking about the “great settlement” that the US reached with Iran:
Iran: No final decision has been made in US agreement
A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry told the state-run IRNA that Iran has not yet made a final decision on an agreement with the US, Reuters reports.
Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday that Iran will not compromise on its “red lines” in negotiations.
Though Donald Trump told reporters that an agreement signing could take place as early as the weekend and will likely be in Europe, Baghaei said any reports regarding the signing of the agreement was speculative as nothing has been finalised.
A large part of the text had been finalised, Baghaei said, but the US repeatedly changed its positions during the talks.
Israel is 'not a party' to US memorandum of understanding with Iran, Israeli prime minister's office says
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with Donald Trump about the “emerging” memorandum of understanding with Iran, the Israeli prime minister’s office posted on X on Thursday.
While Israel “is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region”, the statement reads.
US will no longer seize Kharg island, Trump says
Earlier today, Donald Trump posted on social media that the US would take Iran’s Kharg island “some point in the not too distant future”.
But after announcing that he was canceling tonight’s strikes because of the “great settlement” reached with Iran, he said a military operation to take Kharg would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.
“They weren’t so thrilled when they heard that that’s what I wanted done,” he said, without specifiying who he meant by “they”.
Trump says Iranian supreme leader has approved deal
When asked, Donald Trump maintained that he was confident that “it’ll be soon, maybe this weekend” that the Iran agreement will be signed.
He said it was his understanding that the Iranian supreme leader –
Mojtaba Khamenei, who became supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike at the end of February – has approved the deal.
When asked again why he was so convinced that a deal has been reached this time – he has made this claim dozens of times over the past few weeks – he said it was because “they’ve taken a pounding”.
“They’ve taken a pounding like very few people can take and they want to make a deal a lot more than I do,” Trump said.
He again said the agreement was “a great deal for the United States and for the Middle East” and ultimately, Iran will “in no way, shape or form have a nuclear weapon”.
Iran agreement will be signed 'maybe over the weekend in Europe', Trump says
Donald Trump said he will likely not attend the signing of the Iran agreement, which he said will be signed “soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe”.
However, vice president JD Vance “will be there”, Trump said.
Updated
Strait of Hormuz will open 'as soon as we sign', Trump says
Donald Trump said the strait of Hormuz will open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement” reached with Iran.
“The whole Middle East is happy,” Trump said.
Trump: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon
Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the deal reached with Iran holds with the point he has refused to budge on – the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which is the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this,” Trump said.
Trump added that he “just spoke” to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to the leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, and that he will be speaking to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of Turkey.
Updated
Trump: US has made a 'great settlement' in war with Iran that should be finalised in few days
Donald Trump is speaking to the press at a proclamation signing in the Oval Office. One of his first comments was that he had “just had a big day”.
“We just made a great settlement in the war with Iran and we’re going to be subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done in the next few days,” Trump said.
He said the signing will likely take place in Europe.
Any agreement related to Iran and its nuclear program will be “presented to Congress for review and approval”, said US senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of Donald Trump.
“I hope we have in fact reached a diplomatic solution to end the Iranian conflict that will meet President Trump’s red lines and be fundamentally different from the JCPOA,” Graham posted on X. “As in the past, any agreement reached with Iran related to their nuclear program will be presented to Congress for review and approval. I look forward to that process.”
The Indian government has voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft had fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the MT Settebello as it sailed through the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday.
The US said its forces had carried out “precision strikes” against the ship, which was sailing under the flag of the Pacific island of Palau, after its crew repeatedly failed to comply with instructions.
The US alleged the ship was violating its military blockade of Iranian ports, which it began enforcing in April in an effort to cut off revenue and increase pressure on Tehran as peace talks have continued to falter.
For the full story, click here:
While the White House has sought a peace agreement with Iran and it would mark a major achievement for this administration, Trump has claimed dozens of times to be close to an agreement and has previously said the Iranian leadership had agreed peace terms that they in fact had not.
You can read the full news story here:
US stock markets are also reacting positively to Trump’s statement calling off his threat to bomb Iran this evening.
The S+P 500 jumped 1.3%, coming off a back-to-back drop that had yanked it back to where it was in early May.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 802 points, or 1.6%, as of 2 pm ET, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.8% higher.
Stocks leaped immediately after Trump said on his social media network that “discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved” and that the time and place of a signing will “be announced shortly.”
Iran says it has not yet agreed, reports say
Iran has not yet agreed to any document or memorandum of understanding with the United States, Iran’s Fars news agency reports, citing an informed source close to Iran’s negotiating team.
This appears to contradict Donald Trump’s statement that “final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved”.
Updated
Trump’s announcement came after talks to end hostilities carried on late into Wednesday night, according to reports.
Axios reports that Qatari envoy Ali Al-Thawadi and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi believed they had reached an agreement on Wednesday that both Iran and the US could accept.
Key issues at stake were how frozen Iranian assets would be released, how the strait of Hormuz would be reopened and what would happen to Iran nuclear program.
Oil prices fall after Trump announces he is canceling strikes
Oil prices dropped following the announcement from Donald Trump that he has “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”, the Associated Press reports.
Brent futures fell $3.37, or 3.6%, to $89.73 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $3.20, or 3.6%, to $86.83 a barrel.
While details have yet to come in, Donald Trump said in his Truth Social post that he was canceling tonight’s scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran because “the highest level of Iranian leadership” had approved discussions.
It’s unclear if by “discussions”, Trump is alluding to a peace deal, which he has repeatedly said must include preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump has also repeatedly claimed that a peace deal was “close” – without any result – oftentimes laying the blame on Iran’s leadership for delaying the process.
Trump said on Thursday that “(d)iscussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved”, which includes “the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others”.
Trump cancels tonight's 'scheduled strikes and bombings' on Iran
Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that he has “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.”
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump wrote.
He continued “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others. The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.”
Updated
US Senate minority leader: Trump is 'incapable of ending the war' in Iran
US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer took to the floor on Thursday to accuse the Trump administration of lying to the public about the war in Iran and to urge Senate Republicans to support the war powers resolution and “end this war for real”.
“It doesn’t take a military genius to see that Trump’s fiasco of a war with Iran never ended – not with American helicopters being shot down, not when American bases are being attacked, and American troops are coming under fire,” Schumer said.
“Saying this war is over is an insult, an insult to the brave American servicemen who are risking their lives every day to fight it.”
Trump is “incapable, given his way, his lack of concern for facts, his only concern being his own ego. He is incapable of ending the war, incapable of cleaning up his own mess”, Schumer said.
“Republicans need to stop buying the BS, show some spine, and help us bring our servicemembers home,” Schumer said.
On Thursday, Trump threatened to attack Iran “very hard tonight” and seize the country’s Kharg Island and “other infrastructure”.
The day so far
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Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran “very hard tonight” and seize the country’s Kharg Island and “other infrastructure” in his latest warning to Tehran. In a post on his Truth Social app, he said: “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT.”
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Trump told Fox News that he would “rather not” attack civilian infrastructure in Iran – despite previously threatening to. This comes as the US said it will increase strikes on the Islamic Republic. “Yeah, but I’d rather not do it, because once you do that, the people suffer,” Trump said when asked if the United States would start attacking power plants and bridges as he has previously threatened.
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One of Iran’s top negotiators has warned of an “endless quagmire” if the US makes “impulsive” decisions. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said “wrong strategies” will “reset the entire board for the worse”.
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The price of oil has risen since Donald Trump has threatened a ‘very hard’ attack on Iran tonight and said US will seize Kharg island, according to the BBC. Brent crude futures increased by around $2, to $94.16, a barrel in the space of a few minutes this afternoon – before shortly falling back down minorly.
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The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the renewed US strikes against Iran “have rendered the ceasefire ineffective”, according to a statement on his Telegram channel. Araghchi discussed the latest developments with the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in a phone call this afternoon, where he condemned the US attacks, the statement said.
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The US has confirmed that it carried out a strike on Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel M/T Jalveer, which according to Central Command (Centcom) was violating the blockade. Centcom alleged that the ship was attempting to transport Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman.
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The Kuwaiti armed forces said it has responded to 24 Iranian drones in its airspace in the past two days. “The Iranian aggression resulted in limited material damage without any human casualties,” the army said in a statement on social media.
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According to Mehr, Iran’s semi-official news agency, explosions have been heard in Sirik, which borders the strait of Hormuz. These blasts allegedly sounded from the sea, according to reports. “A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard in the Sirik area at sea,” a state television reporter said from the area, without providing further information.
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UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that all parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement that fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. In a post on X, Guterres added that there must be a comprehensive ceasefire and said he fully supports a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese government.
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A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told AFP, as Israeli raids continue in the country’s south. All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.
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Saudi Arabia has lifted its five-year import ban from Lebanon – which marks a significant step in improving relations between countries in the Gulf region and Lebanon. The ban was introduced in 2021 and initially was only for Lebanese fruits and vegetables, citing drug smuggling concerns.
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The Pakistani foreign ministry said the country will continue with mediation efforts to end the war despite an escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran. “Pakistan remains deeply concerned at the situation in the region marked by recent escalation. We appeal to the parties to adhere to the understanding reached on the ceasefire,” the ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, told reporters in a briefing today.
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Bahrain’s interior ministry said an 11-year-old girl was injured from falling debris after Iranian drones were intercepted by air defences in the capital Manama and Hamad Town. The incident also damaged several vehicles and homes, the ministry said in a post on X, with pictures showing scorched cars and buildings.
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Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker earlier this week, India’s shipping minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said. “It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” he wrote in a post on X.
Iranian negotiator warns of 'endless quagmire'
One of Iran’s top negotiators has warned of an “endless quagmire” if the US makes “impulsive” decisions.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said “wrong strategies” will “reset the entire board for the worse”.
In a post on X, he said:
Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years.
You will see a different Iran.
Updated
Israeli authorities on Thursday deported a prominent French journalist after she was refused entry upon landing at the country’s main international airport the day before, her employer and the Foreign Press Association in Israel said.
Alice Froussard, who has worked for years in Israel and the Palestinian territories, arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on a flight from Paris on Wednesday, according to Radio France Internationale, the public radio news network for which she often reported.
Froussard had the required travel authorisation and had applied for a press visa to work in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, RFI said. But when she arrived, Froussard was questioned, held and then sent back on a plane to France.
“Israeli authorities have not provided RFI with any explanation for the decision,” the network said in a statement.
Updated
A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told AFP, as Israeli raids continue in the country’s south.
All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.
“An area located around 15 metres (50 feet) from the hospital was targeted, and 10 members of the medical and administrative staff were wounded,” said Dr Salman Aydibi, who runs Hiram hospital.
He said the strike shattered windows and damaged cars parked in front of the facility.
“This is the sixth time that the area of the hospital has been targeted by Israeli raids since the start of the war,” he said.
Footage has emerged of the killing of seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in the occupied West Bank that appears to contradict the Israeli military’s account of the shooting.
The Israel Defense Forces said its troops had “perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them” and that one of its soldiers had “responded with single shots toward the vehicle”.
Video obtained by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, however, shows the family’s car slowing down and stopping.
The video has no sound and it is unclear when exactly the soldier opened fire at the vehicle, but the clip appears to corroborate the account of Sam’s father, Fahed Abu Haikal.
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit, Lebanon, earlier today:
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that all parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement that fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon.
In a post on X, Guterres added that there must be a comprehensive ceasefire and said he fully supports a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese government.
Trump’s latest comments came after Iran and the US traded strikes for a second successive day, triggered by the downing of a US helicopter above the strait of Hormuz.
The ceasefire, established in early April, has been undermined by sporadic retaliatory strikes, with both sides accusing the other of violating the temporary truce.
Trump said Thursday’s assault was prompted by Iran stalling in negotiations aimed at turning the temporary ceasefire into a permanent peace.
The most intense strikes yet took place on Thursday morning, with the US launching a wide-ranging salvo against what it described as “military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air-defence sites across Iran”.
The US military said it also struck an oil tanker near the strait of Hormuz that it claimed was attempting to breach a blockade of Iranian ports, firing Hellfire missiles at the vessel.
Oil prices rise since Trump threatens attack on Iran and seizure of Kharg island
The price of oil has risen since Donald Trump has threatened a ‘very hard’ attack on Iran tonight and said US will seize Kharg island, according to the BBC. Brent crude futures increased by around $2, to $94.16, a barrel in the space of a few minutes this afternoon – before shortly falling back down minorly.
This comes in as Trump claims he will be “taking” Kharg Island “at some point in the not too distant future”. He believes he will take control of their oil and gas markets, “much like we have with Venezuela”.
Kharg island, which is home to a major oil terminal that is considered vital to the country’s economy, is located just off the coast of Iran.
CNN is now reporting that Iran has laid traps on the island with anti-personnel and antiarmor mines, including along the shoreline that US troops could enter if Trump did announce an on-the-ground-mission.
It is also moving shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile systems known as MANPADs to the island – according to the outlet.
According to Mehr, Iran’s semi-official news agency, explosions have been heard in Sirik, which borders the strait of Hormuz. These blasts allegedly sounded from the sea, according to reports.
“A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard in the Sirik area at sea,” a state television reporter said from the area, without providing further information.
US president Donald Trump told Fox News that he would “rather not” attack civilian infrastructure in Iran – despite previously threatening to. This comes as the US said it will increase strikes on the Islamic Republic.
“Yeah, but I’d rather not do it, because once you do that, the people suffer,” Trump said when asked if the United States would start attacking power plants and bridges as he has previously threatened.
In the same interview, Trump also said: “The problem is it could be the greatest deal in history. They could wave the white flag of surrender and say ‘Praise be to Allah’ and the fake news would say, ‘It was a great victory for Iran.’ It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. We’re killing them. We’re killing them.”
In further comments to Fox News, Donald Trump said the US “dropped $250m worth of bombs on them [Iran] last night”.
He said the US was “not hitting them hard enough” but also claimed Iran was “in submission, they just don’t know it yet”.
He added: “My preference has always been take Kharg Island … I don’t know that America has the stomach for it.”
The Kuwaiti armed forces said it has responded to 24 Iranian drones in its airspace in the past two days.
“The Iranian aggression resulted in limited material damage without any human casualties,” the army said in a statement on social media.
Kuwait had closed its airspace for several hours this morning as air defence systems engaged “hostile aerial targets”, the military said.
Trump threatens to attack Iran 'very hard tonight' and seize Kharg Island
Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran “very hard tonight” and seize the country’s Kharg Island and “other infrastructure” in his latest warning to Tehran.
In a post on his Truth Social app, he said:
The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT. At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Iran’s Kharg Island in the Gulf is an economic lifeline for the country, which handles about 90% of its oil exports.
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The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the renewed US strikes against Iran “have rendered the ceasefire ineffective”, according to a statement on his Telegram channel.
Araghchi discussed the latest developments with the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in a phone call this afternoon, where he condemned the US attacks, the statement said.
In this call, our country’s foreign minister strongly condemned the recent US aggression, calling it a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law, and announced that these actions have rendered the ceasefire ineffective and that the US is responsible for its dangerous consequences.
US confirms it struck tanker off Oman’s port of Shinas
The US has confirmed that it carried out a strike on Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel M/T Jalveer, which according to Central Command (Centcom) was violating the blockade.
Centcom alleged that the ship was attempting to transport Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman.
According to Centcom, it is the third vessel attacked by the US in the Gulf this week - after the Marivex and Settebello vessels were struck previously.
India’s shipping ministry said all 20 Indian crew members were safe after the Jalveer ship sent a distress call while off Oman’s port of Shinas after a fire broke out, according to Reuters.
Saudi Arabia has lifted its five-year import ban from Lebanon – which marks a significant step in improving relations between countries in the Gulf region and Lebanon.
The ban was introduced in 2021 and initially was only for Lebanese fruits and vegetables, citing drug smuggling concerns. It later extended to all Lebanese products after Lebanon’s information minister at the time criticized Saudi Arabia’s actions in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the reversal of the ban at the order of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came as a result of “positive steps taken by the Lebanese state.”
The current government of Lebanon, which came to power last year with promises of reform, has sought to rebuild ties with the Gulf countries.
Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan has called on the United States and Iran to halt their new round of attacks, saying it risked an “escalation” in the Middle East war.
“The reciprocal attacks that began two days ago raise fears of an escalation,” Fidan told a press conference during a visit to Sofia. “We recommend that the parties halt their mutual attacks and resume negotiations.”
This comes as Pakistan, a key regional mediator, also said it was “deeply concerned” by the recent escalation in the Middle East.
Tahir Andrabi, foreign ministry spokesperson, said all parties should “adhere to the understanding reached on the ceasefire and end hostilities to widen the space for dialogue and diplomacy.”
Tanker with Indian crew hit near Oman coast in third suspected US strike this week
A tanker with 20 Indian crew members on board was hit in a suspected US strike off the coast of Oman, Reuters reports.
If confirmed, it would be the third vessel carrying an Indian crew hit by US forces this week.
Three Indian seafarers were killed after a US strike on the oil tanker Settebello off Oman’s coast on Tuesday, an Indian official said (see post at 08:06). On Monday, an Indian crew of the sanctioned Marivex oil tanker put out a distress call after the ship was hit by a US missile.
In today’s incident, India’s shipping ministry said all 20 Indian crew members were safe after the Guinea-Bissau flagged Jalveer sent a distress call while off Oman’s port of Shinas after a fire broke out, according to Reuters.
The ship was attacked by the US navy, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.
The US Central Command did not immediately comment on the report. It previously said the Marivex and Settebello failed to follow directions as US forces enforced the American blockade on Iranian ports.
These images from the newswires show the aftermath of an Iranian drone attack in Bahrain, where authorities say an 11-year-old girl was injured:
Iran says strait of Hormuz 'closed until further notice' after US strikes
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a government agency set up on 5 May to oversee transit through the strait of Hormuz, announced the key waterway is “closed until further notice”, blaming US strikes in the region.
In a statement carried on Iranian media, the PGSA said: “Due to the tensions created by the US aggression forces in the region and the announcement by the Iranian armed forces last night, the strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice.
”Applicants who have received a pass are asked to be patient and await further guidance from the PGSA.”
The announcement came shortly after an Iranian official accused the US of striking a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman this morning.
Reza Shahidian, governor of Sirik in the southern Hormozgan province, located on the stores of the strait of Hormuz, said the ship was “carrying essential goods” when it was hit while travelling from an Omani port, according to Iranian media.
He added that the crew had been rescued and taken to Oman.
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the strait will be “closed to all vessels”, a claim which the US Central Command rejected, saying commercial ships continue to transit in and out of the strait.
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The US has launched a wave of strikes across southern Iran for a second consecutive day. Although there have been several breaches since a ceasefire was agreed between the two sides in April, the attacks this week – launched after the downing of a US helicopter over the strait of Hormuz – represent the most serious and extensive breakdown of the truce to date.
Here, Jonathan Yerushalmy explains what led to the attacks, what officials are saying and whether the deal can survive:
Some media reports suggest negotiations between the US and Iran are ongoing despite strikes launched by both sides this week.
Talks to reach a deal are still on track after overnight negotiations, CNN reported, citing a diplomatic source with knowledge of the situation.
This was followed by a report by Reuters that efforts to reach a preliminary deal have intensified as negotiators discuss a mechanism to release frozen Iranian funds, Iranian sources and a European official told the news agency.
Reuters quoted one of the Iranian sources saying: “Iran wants $6b to $12b of its frozen funds to be released to Tehran, while Washington wants to release funds in stages for humanitarian goods and rejects returning funds to Iran outright.”
Iran says US strikes render ceasefire 'practically meaningless'
The Iranian foreign ministry has condemned the latest US strikes on Tehran, saying the attacks have rendered the ceasefire as “practically meaningless”.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the ministry said:
The illegal and criminal attacks by the US in recent hours are not only a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law regarding respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, but have also rendered the ceasefire [of 8 April] practically meaningless.”
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The Jordanian military said its air defence systems intercepted 20 missiles launched from Iran this morning, according to the state-run Petra news agency.
“At dawn on Thursday, Jordanian air defence systems and the Royal Jordanian air force intercepted and shot down 20 missiles that had been launched from Iran towards the Azraq area in Zarqa governorate,” a statement quoted a military official as saying, referring to an area about 50 miles east of the capital Amman.
“The interception resulted in the fall of missile debris in the area, but no injuries or material damage were reported,” the statement added.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said the country will continue with mediation efforts to end the war despite an escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran.
“Pakistan remains deeply concerned at the situation in the region marked by recent escalation. We appeal to the parties to adhere to the understanding reached on the ceasefire,” the ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, told reporters in a briefing today.
“Pakistan reaffirms its support for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues. We are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues in accordance with the rights and responsibilities of the relevant parties.”
Bahrain’s interior ministry said an 11-year-old girl was injured from falling debris after Iranian drones were intercepted by air defences in the capital Manama and Hamad Town.
The incident also damaged several vehicles and homes, the ministry said in a post on X, with pictures showing scorched cars and buildings.
Three Indian seafarers were killed in a US attack on an oil tanker earlier this week, India’s shipping minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said.
“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” he wrote in a post on X.
The US Central Command had accused the Settebello of violating an American blockade on Iranian ports.
In a post on X, it said: “At 11:14 p.m. on June 9, US forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for the second consecutive day after another vessel violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.”
It added that a US aircraft “fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces”.
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The US-Iran ceasefire is more like a “lesser fire”, UN secretary-general António Guterres has said, urging all parties to “work towards a diplomatic settlement”.
“We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire,” Guterres said in his post on X.
The Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis & the consequences reach far beyond the region.”
Kuwait resumes air traffic with flights set to resume
Kuwait’s civil aviation authority has announced that air traffic has resumed after it was suspended due to Iranian attacks.
Officials earlier announced that some flights were being diverted to alternative airports, after Kuwait said its air defences were firing at aerial targets.
In its statement, the civil aviation authority said Kuwait’s international airport was working normally, with flights set to resume.
As the story of the US-Iran war is written direct to social media, Donald Trump may be the genre’s premier unreliable narrator.
On Wednesday in the Oval Office, Trump warned of a fierce response to Iran’s missile and drone attacks on US allies in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, but also said that a deal was within reach.
“We’re gonna hit ’em again hard today … and we’ll see what happens with a deal,” he said. “We’re really close to a deal but they keep on tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers.”
The barrage and whiplash of White House claims of imminent deals and then threats that “a whole civilization will die tonight” have kept Trump squarely where he wants to be – dominating the news cycle – but they have also increasingly eroded trust in his declarations, even in life-and-death issues concerning a war.
Other leaders appear to be playing on the credibility gap within the US administration. Trump said he planned to tell Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, not to retaliate against Iran this week, but when Israel did strike Iran, he claimed in a BBC interview that the “missiles had already gone”. He later denied that Netanyhau had defied him, adding that when he tells Netanyahu “to do something, he does it”.
Similarly, the US president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with airstrikes on its civil and energy infrastructure – a campaign that many international observers have characterised as a potential war crime – but then repeatedly reverted to diplomacy or ultimatums with two-week windows that are soon forgotten.
The Trump administration is once again stuck, unable to translate its military superiority into political acquiescence, with little indication of movement on the ground in negotiations other than the president’s own volatile posts to Truth Social.
In his interview with CNN, Brett McGurk also offered some insight into the thinking behind the Trump administration’s actions this week, and why they may have so clearly telegraphed that another attack was coming on Thursday.
What they’re trying to do is manage that escalation, to basically say to Iran, we’re going to respond, this is coming, but this is not a restart of the campaign we started in February.”
But McGurk notes that everything coming from Iran is “escalatory”.
I’m seeing nothing from the Iranians right now suggesting they’re on the verge of a deal.”
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Brett McGurk, who served in senior national security positions in the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, has told CNN that the strikes today were highly “telegraphed”, indicating that the US is perhaps “trying to put a ceiling” on the action today.
If these strikes are designed to pressure Iran into doing a deal, I don’t think that objective will be met.”
McGurk said that if the US is attempting to “shape the battlefield” to help ships get through the strait, then these strikes have “tactical merit”. But he adds they are unlikely to make a deal more likely.
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Twenty-two countries, including the United States, Australia and European nations, jointly warned Iran on Thursday to stop attacking people “on our soil”.
In a joint statement released before the US launched its second round of strikes on Iran, the countries condemned Iranian security services for their “deplorable” use of international and local criminal gangs for plots in Europe, North America and Australia.
Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately.”
The countries accused Iran of being behind a campaign of attacks across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists and US journalists.
The statement singles out an Iran-linked group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.
HAYI reportedly said it was responsible for the stabbing of two Jewish men and a series of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London over recent months.
Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador to Australia in August last year, accusing Tehran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks: an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne and the torching of a kosher cafe in Sydney.
Canberra also withdrew the Australian ambassador to Iran and suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran.
The statement was issued by Albania, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the US.
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Kuwait airspace closed amid Iranian attacks
Kuwait has closed its airspace after Iran announced new attacks on the gulf country, with officials saying some flights were being diverted to alternative airports.
Flights had been circling outside Kuwait for some time before the announcement, after it said its air defences were firing at aerial targets.
Kuwait International airport took a direct hit from an Iranian strikes last week, with one person killed and dozens more wounded.
Bahrain separately sounded its missile alert sirens on Thursday, after Iran said it was attacking the US navy’s fifth fleet which is headquartered in the country.
And the US embassy in Jordan issued an alert, saying “reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace”.
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Thursday’s strikes are more evidence that Iran has the leverage in the negotiations with the Trump administration, according to Dan Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel.
It is Trump that is desperate for them to sign the agreement, as his statements reveal, and Iran that is dragging their feet.”
In a post online, Shapiro says that the strikes will reinforce for Iran that “time works in their favor”.
A deal that punts nuclear negotiations to a second phase and requires some sanctions relief is a lousy deal – and still the least bad available alternative.”
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Welcome
Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
The US has launched a second round of airstrikes, after Donald Trump warned that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations, and Iran responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
The US assault across multiple Iranian cities came as efforts to negotiate an end the war again appeared stuck, with Iran insisting it would maintain its chokehold on the strait of Hormuz.
It was the second consecutive day of back-and-forth strikes between the US and Iran, testing the limits of the shaky two-month ceasefire.
Here are the day’s main developments:
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US Central Command said it had “completed” its latest round of airstrikes just before sunrise in Iran. It said the strikes targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites” and were carried out by the US air force, Marines and navy.
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The sounds of explosions echoed around Tehran, the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the strait of Hormuz.
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Iran responded by launching strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
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Kuwait closed its airspace as its air defences fought off the attack. Kuwait’s directorate general of civil aviation said flights were being diverted to other airports, without elaborating.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan, according to state media.
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Iran’s UN envoy said the US should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.
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Israel early on Thursday warned residents in the north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon.
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The international benchmark for crude oil traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.
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