Iran war news highlights: Trump shares cryptic ‘discombobulated’ message amid warnings US could restart war

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Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency is reporting that the military has unveiled its newest naval attack craft, named “27 Rajab”, during a ceremony in Tehran’s Enqelab Square.

The agency said the vessel can achieve speeds of up to 100 knots (185km per hour) and is equipped to launch long-range cruise missiles.

It described the deployment as a new symbol of Iran’s maritime military capabilities.

US-Iran news LIVE: British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper will travel to China on Monday before heading to India later this week, with discussions expected to focus on major global issues including tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

During her China visit, Cooper is scheduled to meet chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng on June 2. She will then travel to Shenzhen for engagements focused on science and technology.

The British government formally announced the trip on Sunday, reported Reuters.

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran has issued a fresh warning to commercial and naval vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that passage through the strategic waterway remains under the control of its armed forces.

In a statement carried by Iranian media, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said, "The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The military command added that “all ships, commercial vessels, and tankers are only required to travel through the designated routes and obtain permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.”

It further warned that "any violation of these regulations will seriously jeopardise the security of their traffic."

US-Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social on Saturday, showing himself in an ornate military uniform pointing forward as fighter jets streak across the sky surround his head and US-flagged warships cut through rough seas.

The image carried the caption: “YOU’RE GETTING DISCOMBOBULATED.”

The post comes as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier warned that the American military remains prepared to resume operations against Iran if diplomatic efforts fail. Speaking in Singapore, Hegseth said the US was “more than capable” of restarting strikes if negotiations do not produce a deal.

US-Iran news LIVE: A proposed deal was awaiting President Donald Trump’s approval, but no decision was announced following his White House Situation Room meeting on Friday (local time), sources had told AFP.

Trump had earlier said the meeting would help him make a “final determination,” but the White House later confirmed only that the discussions had concluded, without providing further details on the outcome.

US-Iran news LIVE: An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast attack boat was displayed in Tehran’s Enghelab Square on Saturday, as Iranian authorities showcased military equipment in the capital.

No further details were immediately provided about the vessel or the purpose of the display.

US-Iran news LIVE: Iranian lawmaker and former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Saturday that the United States has shown “no sign” of accepting the Islamic Republic’s conditions, casting further doubt on the chances of a deal between Tehran and Washington.

Speaking on state television, Mottaki said there was no indication so far that the US was prepared to accept Iran’s terms in the ongoing standoff.

US-Iran news LIVE: Iranian state media reported Saturday that an “unofficial” draft memorandum of understanding with the United States includes a provision granting Tehran access to $12 billion in frozen assets.

According to state television, the draft says the US would provide Iran with full access to the funds within 60 days, allowing the money to be transferred and spent through banks chosen by Iran without restrictions.

The report comes a day after President Donald Trump outlined his version of a potential agreement aimed at ending the conflict, saying that “no money will be exchanged, until further notice.”

Iranian media, citing informed sources, disputed that claim. The White House had also previously dismissed a similar report carried by Iranian state media earlier this week, calling it a “fabrication.”

US-Iran news LIVE: The US military said Saturday it stopped a merchant vessel attempting to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into the ship’s engine room, according to AP.

US Central Command said the Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star ignored more than 20 warnings overnight while trying to enter an Iranian port.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the vessel remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman and had not been boarded by American forces.

According to the military, the incident marks the sixth ship stopped while attempting to breach the blockade. One vessel was allowed to proceed, while 116 others have been redirected.

US-Iran news LIVE: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Saturday that Washington is “more than capable” of restarting military operations if necessary, stressing that American forces have the resources required for such a move.

“Our stockpiles are more than suited for that,” Hegseth said while attending a defence summit in Singapore, reported AFP.

Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that American forces “remain present and vigilant across the region.”

US-Iran news LIVE: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced on Saturday what he called a dangerous Israeli escalation in the south, urging an immediate ceasefire and insisting that a "scorched-earth policy" would not ensure Israel's security.

In a televised address, Salam also defended his government's direct negotiations with Israel -- which Iran-backed Hezbollah opposes -- saying that the talks were the "least costly path" for Lebanon.

"In light of the dangerous and unprecedented Israeli escalation over the past few days, it is necessary to step up political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a swift and real ceasefire," Salam said.

He accused Israel of "pursuing a scorched-earth policy and collective punishment" by "destroying towns and villages, and forcing their inhabitants into exile".

This will bring "neither security nor stability" to Israel, he said.

Salam's broadcast came after Israel's military issued new evacuation warnings for residents of more south Lebanon villages, and a day after military delegations from both countries held landmark security talks in Washington.

via AFP

US-Iran news LIVE: The U.S. plans to accelerate the withdrawal of troops from bases in Europe and will present its proposals to NATO allies next month, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported on Saturday, citing an unidentified Pentagon source.

Washington announced plans in May to pull 5,000 troops out of Germany, widely seen as the consequence of a rift over the Iran war between President Donald Trump and European powers. Germany is home to some 35,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe.

At the time, the Pentagon said the withdrawal was expected to be completed over six to 12 months.

Welt am Sonntag did not provide details on how much faster the withdrawal would be, or which locations might be affected. The U.S. is due to present its plans to allies at next month's North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Force Sourcing Conference, it said.

via Reuters

US-Iran news LIVE: The US military has intercepted another merchant vessel that allegedly attempted to breach Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, according to an Associated Press report citing a US official familiar with the matter.

The Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star reportedly ignored repeated warnings from US forces while trying to enter an Iranian port overnight.

The vessel was subsequently disabled by US aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and is currently adrift in the area, the official said. No U.S. personnel have boarded the ship, the report added.

US-Iran news LIVE: US defence secretary Pete Hegesth issued a stark warning to Iran over peace deal, even though he projected optimism over the progress of talks. "Iran is coming in our direction and talks have been productive, but it can either do this through a deal or deal with War Department," Hegseth said on nuclear negotiations.

US-Iran news LIVE: Shipowners are increasingly optimistic about a pickup in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after more vessels left the waterway this week with the US providing information to aid those making the journey.

At least two shipowners, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information, said they were in touch with American military forces, which advised them on how best to navigate the waterway. A spokesperson for the US Central Command said US military assets aren’t escorting ships, but the command continues to provide advice to commercial vessels in the region.

One person with knowledge of a transit said a group of vessels was approached by suspected Iranian fast boats during the journey. The boats were turned away by helicopters that suddenly appeared nearby, allowing the person’s vessel to continue away from Hormuz, they said.

Chevron Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth told Bloomberg TV on Friday that some vessels transiting Hormuz have recently come under attack. On the same day, the US affirmed that deals with Iran to safely sail through the Strait of Hormuz — even those which don’t involve paying a toll — are prohibited.

Some of the ships that have crossed belong to companies that hadn’t transited Hormuz since the war began, according to several people involved in shipping markets. Two people said some ships were entering the Persian Gulf as well as leaving.

via Bloomberg

US-Iran news LIVE: The influential Iraqi armed group Kataeb Hezbollah pledged on Saturday to keep up its "jihadist action", as Baghdad faces mounting US pressure to disarm factions backed by Iran.

Following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran at the end of February, groups operating under the banner of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" carried out repeated drone and rocket attacks on US interests in the country.

Washington, in turn, bombed facilities and bases belonging to the groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, killing dozens of their members.

Since taking office in mid-May, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to restrict weapons to the hands of the state.

But in a statement on Saturday, Kataeb Hezbollah security chief Abu Mujahid al-Assaf said "jihadist action is today a collective duty, and we will carry it out on behalf of the brothers who have decided to abandon it".

While some factions have agreed to operate under state institutions, others, like Kataeb Hezbollah, refuse to discuss disarmament under US pressure.

via AFP

US-Iran news LIVE: Israel’s air force and artillery struck areas close to a strategic mountain housing a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon Saturday as fighting raged in villages close to the southern city of Nabatieh.

Israel’s military issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen villages in southern Lebanon, a day after Lebanese and Israeli military officials held their first direct talks in decades at the Pentagon.

The situation in southern Lebanon was discussed during a meeting Saturday between Lebanon’s president and prime minister who said in a statement later that they will intensify their contacts to make Israel stop demolition and bulldozing of homes and historical sites as well as its evacuation warnings.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling near the Crusader-built Beaufort castle that is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Israeli border and overlooks wide parts of southern Lebanon. The strategic castle was held by Israeli troops for 18 years until they withdrew from Lebanon in May 2000.

via AP

US-Iran news LIVE: Oman's Maritime Security on Saturday cautioned seafarers to be wary of a suspected floating mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, the Omani Maritime Security said, "Due to the sighting of a floating object suspected to be a floating mine west of the Inshore Traffic Zone in the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial sea, the Maritime Security Centre urges all seafarers, fishermen, and vessels to exercise the utmost caution while navigating in the area. All maritime users are advised to keep a safe distance from any suspicious objects and report them immediately to the relevant authorities."

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran is working on a legislation to formalise its control and management of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the sticking points between the US and Iran on their potential peace deal, Press TV reported. Parliamentarian Alireza Salimi was quoted as saying that the legislative body will “soon” vote into law a measure governing Iran’s management over the Strait of Hormuz.

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran on Saturday said it intercepted an ‘intruder’ drone over Qeshm Island. Iranian army in a statement said that a ‘compact and lightweight drone belonging to the aggressor US-Zionist enemy’ was detected and shot down by the Army Air Defense Force, Press TV reported.

US-Iran news LIVE: 10 rockets were launched into northern Israel from Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported, adding that the Israeli army confirmed the activation of air raid sirens in the Western Galilee area.

US-Iran news LIVE: Israel launched strikes across south Lebanon Saturday after ordering evacuations from more than a dozen locations a day after its premier said Israeli forces had pushed even deeper into Lebanese territory.

Lebanon's army said a "targeted" Israeli strike wounded two soldiers in the south, just a day after military delegations from both countries held landmark security talks in Washington.

The military talks in the US capital came ahead of US-brokered negotiations early next week -- the fourth round since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli several strikes in the south, including artillery fire near the mediaeval-era Beaufort castle.

via AFP

US-Iran news LIVE: The US affirmed that deals with Iran to safely sail through the Strait of Hormuz — even those which don’t involve paying a toll — aren’t allowed, as the conflict between the two nations grinds on.

“Regardless of whether a payment is made, US persons are prohibited from receiving services from the Government of Iran, including services related to a guarantee of safe passage,” the US Treasury said in an updated statement dated May 29.

Shipping through Hormuz — the vital waterway that connects energy infrastructure inside the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world — has slowed to a trickle since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, sending the price of oil soaring. The White House has sent conflicting messages on the prospects for a deal with Iran, a pattern that continued on Friday.

Iran created a new entity called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to “collect tolls and extort vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Treasury said in the statement. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated the PGSA “pursuant to our counterterrorism authorities,” and warned that having dealings with it carries sanctions risks.

While shipping has dramatically slowed through Hormuz, some vessels have made the crossing: roughly one-quarter of the non-Iranian large oil tankers trapped inside the Persian Gulf at the outbreak of the Iran war have managed to slip out in a slow, stealthy trickle.

Payments to — and guarantees from — the Iranian government or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would not be authorized, according to the statement.

via Bloomberg

US-Iran news LIVE: Amid simmering tensions with the US, Iran on made some tough remarks and said it rejects Trump's 'language of must', Press TV reported. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said Friday that message exchanges with Washington continue, but no final understanding has been reached, dismissing any notion that Tehran takes orders from abroad.

“We said goodbye to the language of 'must' 47 years ago. None of the Western parties can use the language of 'must' when they talk about the Islamic Republic of Iran. We make our own decisions based on the interests and rights of the Iranian nation,” Baghaei was quoted as saying.