US-Iran war highlights: Trump threatens to 'knock out' Iran's power plants, bridges as US resumes Iranian ports blockade

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US-Iran war LIVE: US troops will leave Iraq by September 30, ending a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to US and Iraqi officials.

Speaking alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Washington, US President Donald Trump said, "We don't think we need the military there anymore," while pointing to Iraq's expanding ties with American oil companies.

Through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said, "US forces will be out of Iraq by September 30, while US companies will be inside Iraq."

The Pentagon said the withdrawal reaffirms a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to conclude the US-led mission against the Islamic State group. Around 2,500 US troops were stationed in Iraq when the agreement was reached.

US-Iran war latest updates: According to several reports, the Kuwaiti army says it is responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks and has urged the public to “adhere to the authorities' safety and security instructions.”

Air defenses in Kuwait intercepted “hostile targets” early Wednesday, according to the Kuwait Army.

US-Iran war latest updates: Bahrain's Interior Ministry said early Wednesday that its alarm sirens had been activated. In a post on X, the ministry said, “The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”

The ministry later added, “The alarm siren has been activated. We ask citizens and residents to remain calm, head to the nearest safe place, and follow the news through official channels.”

As per NYT, earlier in the day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had launched a wave of missile and drone strikes against US weapons warehouses in Bahrain.

A water-bottling plant in western Iran was struck by three projectiles early Wednesday, according to IRNA, Iran's official news agency.

The plant is located near the village of Musian in Ilam Province, close to Iran's border with Iraq. The area's governor said no one was killed or injured, but the factory's equipment was damaged, as per New York Times.

US-Iran war latest updates: The Trump administration has frozen more than $130 million in cryptocurrency it says is linked to Iran as the US again tries to increase pressure on Tehran, as per CNN.

The freeze comes after the agreement between the US and Iran to end the war collapsed. In recent days, the Trump administration has imposed several new sanctions and increased military action against Iran, including another round of airstrikes on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on several digital wallets that it said were linked to the Central Bank of Iran. According to officials, this led to the freezing of the assets. The department also sanctioned more than 50 targets that it said were part of an Iranian network used to evade sanctions.

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper has said that Iran has intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships over the past week.

He said the attacks have “resulted in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing or injured.”

In a statement, Cooper added that, "Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries. U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives.”

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran's army says it has struck US military assets at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA cited by CNN. Iranian attack drones allegedly hit an area where F-18 fighter jets were stationed, an accommodation building, and a large equipment hangar that IRNA said belonged to the US army.

“These operations will continue until final victory is achieved,” IRNA quoted the Iranian army as saying.

US-Iran war latest updates: Iran's Mehr news agency has reported an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz, quoting the Hormozgan governorate as saying that “the sounds heard from time to time in Bandar Abbas, coastal cities, and islands of the Persian Gulf are related to the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Explosions have also been heard in the maritime areas of eastern Hormozgan and Sirik, according to Mehr news agency.

Separately, Iran's Fars news agency has reported several explosions in Bampur and Chabahar, in southern Iran. The exact location of these explosions was not immediately known, the report said.

-By Al Jazeera

US-Iran war latest updates: In an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump has said he will expand US strikes on Iran next week to target power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal.

"Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges," Trump said. “We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” he said.

Trump also said that strikes on Iran will continue until “I say it's enough.” He added, “They [Iran] have some fight left but they don't have much.”

US-Iran war latest updates: A US strike in southern Iran killed three members of a park ranger's family, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tuesday, as per CNN.

Baghaei said the strike hit an environmental protection post and ranger station in the village of Seyyed Jowzar in Hajjiabad county, Hormozgan province, on Tuesday morning.

Iran's PressTV reported that the ranger was on duty at the time of the strike but survived unharmed. It said his two sons and a daughter-in-law were killed.

“The list of American crimes against Iranians grows longer every day, and with each passing day the United States reveals another layer of its hostility toward Iran,” Baghaei said.

However, Hindustan Times could not independently confirm these claims and there is nothing official yet.

US-Iran war latest updates: Kuwait's army has said that four members of its Naval Force were injured in attacks carried out by Iran.

According to the army, its defenses intercepted one ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, and 33 drones. It also added that shrapnel from the attacks caused damage to some civilian facilities, as per The New York Times.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB has reported another explosion in the city of Ahvaz in southern Iran, along with several explosions heard on Qeshm Island.

Separately, Iran's Mehr news agency has reported that US projectiles struck an area near the city of Sirik, also in southern Iran.

Iran's IRNA news agency has additionally reported that a US projectile hit Bandar Abbas, though it did not give details on the target or the extent of the damage.

-By Al Jazeera

US-Iran war latest updates: US Central Command has said the military carried out another round of strikes against Iran. In a post on X, CENTCOM said that at 3pm ET (20:00 GMT) today, its forces “began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

CENTCOM added that the strikes are taking place as US forces “prepare to resume the naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas.” The blockade is set to begin at 4pm ET (21:00 GMT).

US-Iran war latest updates: Iran's state news agency IRNA has reported hearing three consecutive explosions in Bandar Abbas.

Separately, Iran's Fars news agency has reported explosions being heard in Ahvaz, in southern Iran.

-By Al Jazeera

US-Iran war latest updates: Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke on the phone with Kuwait's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Jarah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to discuss the dangerous escalation in the region and efforts to end it, as per a statement on X.

The two ministers stressed the need to implement the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, and to return to negotiations for a comprehensive solution that addresses all causes of tension and ensures lasting security and stability. They also affirmed the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in line with international law.

Safadi and Sheikh Jarah condemned Iran's attacks on Jordan, Kuwait, and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. They said they fully support these countries in dealing with the attacks.

US-Iran war latest updates: A US official has told ABC News that American forces are currently carrying out airstrikes inside Iran.

According to the official, the strikes have been going on for the past couple of hours.

US-Iran war latest updates:The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported that an Israeli air strike on Gaza City left two people dead and caused several injuries, as per Al Jazeera

According to the organization, the strike hit a tent located in the Sheikh Ijlin neighborhood.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, Axios reported citing US and Israeli officials.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) currently occupies parts of southern Lebanon and southern Syria. According to a US official cited by Axios, Trump told Netanyahu that the presence of the Israeli military in Syrian territory creates tensions and could lead to an escalation. "They don't want you there. You should redeploy," Trump told Netanyahu, according to the US official.

US-Iran war LIVE: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they shot down on Tuesday a Saudi-operated reconnaissance drone, with hostilities erupting between both sides for the first time in years.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said they had “succeeded in shooting down an enemy Saudi 'Wing Loong II' reconnaissance aircraft while it was carrying out hostile missions at dawn today over Al-Bayda Governorate in the centre of the country”, AFP reported.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday told reporters that he thought Iran and Hezbollah will be added to the Russia sanctions bill currently under consideration by Congress, Reuters news agency reported.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Tehran had backed out of a deal with Washington. “We had a deal two days ago. It was done. And then all of a sudden they couldn't do it. They didn't like something about the deal. They couldn't do it,” he said.

Trump alleged that Tehran had “shot first”, terming it as a “big mistake.” “And that was a big mistake that they shot first because we have been knocking the hell out of them. They're very difficult people...I think that what we've done to Iran is we've taken away almost all of their military capability,” he added.

US-Iran war LIVE: An explosion sound was heard in Andimeshk in Iran's southern Khuzestan province, hours after US struck Qeshm Island, Reuters news agency reported.

US-Iran war LIVE: United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had given Iran a chance at a deal. Trump claimed that Iran had shot first, calling it a “big mistake.”

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was called by different countries who said they would like to invest in America, instead of being charged toll for transit through Strait of Hormuz, Reuters news agency reported.

He further said that the Gulf states investing in the US would be “better.”