Iran-US tensions highlights: Trump says ‘hopefully’ won't need military action in Iran

European Parliament president Robert Metsola urged the European Union to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation during its meeting on Thursday, saying that Europe has a responsibility to act against the repression in Iran.

“This week, Europe has a historic opportunity, and duty, to finally designate the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation,” Metsola posted on X.

She added, ""Europe has a responsibility to act. The millions of Iranians living under oppression look to us for moral clarity and leadership. The thousands of people murdered on the streets deserve a semblance of justice."

A senior Iranian official said that Tehran would have no option but to consider any US attack, limited or otherwise, an existential threat and would respond with the most force possible, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The official further said that Tehran would not compromise on its right to continue uranium enrichment for civilian purposes or to maintain its missile arsenal, which it considers necessary for its defence.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to come to the negotiating table and make a deal on nuclear weapons, warning that otherwise a "far worse" attack would take place.

"Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - on that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He also said, "The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again." He reiterated that a US 'armada' was heading toward Iran.

US President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran, including targeted strikes on security forces and leaders, to inspire protestors, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources.

The development comes despite Israeli and Arab officials saying that air power alone would not topple the clerical rulers.

Trump reportedly wanted to create conditions for a "regime change" after the crackdown on nationwide protests left thousands of people dead.

The Middle East region is worried about a wider regional disaster amid the threat of the possibility of a US strike on the country. Iranian officials reportedly reached out to their counterparts in the region and expressed their concerns.

Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signaled they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack, the Associated Press reported.

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, met with Pavan Kapoor, deputy National Security Adviser of the Republic of India, and held talks with him in Mumbai.

The Consulate General of Iran in Mumbai shared the updates and said, "Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, met and held talks with Pavan Kapoor, Deputy National Security Adviser of the Republic of India."

Iran-US tensions LIVE: US President Donald Trump is weighing a major new strike on Iran after preliminary nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran failed to make progress, CNN reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The discussions were aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile production.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Bloomberg Economics analysts have not ruled out the US carrying out military action against Iran, saying accepting Trump's “extensive” demands might put a halt to this.

“We think strikes on Iran are likely, unless the Iranians accept Trump’s extensive demands to decommission their nuclear program — which doesn’t look likely,” Bloomberg Economics analysts Becca Wasser and Dina Esfandiary wrote.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said they are prepared for all “enemy scenarios”, iPaper cited local media as reporting.

““The experience of the 12-Day War showed that the military option against Iran has failed,” an IRGC spokesperson said, according to state-run broadcaster IRIB. “We have the experience of defeating the enemy in modern wars, even on a large scale and in the most dangerous and complex situations,” the spokesperson said.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Tehran is ready to hold talks with the United States, but will only do so if they are “genuine”, speaker of Iran's parliament said.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told CNN that while Tehran was open to negotiations, he did not think that was “the kind of talk the President of the United States is after."

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Amid nationwide protests in the country, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged the regime to acknowledge its shortcomings.

“The unrest and instability in the country require a more realistic approach,” i Paper quoted Pezeshkian as saying, according to Iran's state-owned IRNA news agency.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: Amid tensions in the country, Iran's currency witnessed a further drop to a new low. Iran’s rial fell to a fresh record low on Wednesday on unofficial markets, with the US dollar traded at about 1.62 million rials , Iran International reported.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: All member countries of the European Union are now on board for designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, The Wall Street Journal's Laurence Norman said, citing sources. This comes on the eve of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken a cautious line when it comes to Iran, saying that there were no plans to attack.

Rubio, who said that the US military presence in the Middle East was to mitigate Iranian threat, also seemed to brush off prospects of change in the Iran regime.

“You’re talking about a regime that’s been in place for a very long time,” AP cited Rubio as saying in response to a question from Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. “So that’s going to require a lot of careful thinking, if that eventuality ever presents itself,” he said.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that an increased American military presence in the Middle East is “to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel.”

“I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and ... if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies,” Rubio told US Congress Wednesday, Associated Press reported.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: After US warning and the buildup of American military presence in the Middle East, Iran has said that while it stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests, it will “defend itself like never before” if pushed.

Iran-US tensions LIVE: United States President Donald Trump said that the fleet of US ships he had ordered to Middle East, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”