US-Iran war highlights: ‘Missiles locked on US targets’, warns IRGC as Trump awaits Tehran's response to peace proposal

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran is working with China to sell oil, including barrels already stored in international waters, amid US restrictions on imports and sea routes, according to Hamid Reza Gholamzadeh of Tehran-based think tank Diplohouse. He said Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi discussed cooperation with Beijing during a recent visit ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned trip to China. Talks also covered the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and measures Tehran says are needed to manage traffic and security in the waterway. (Al Jazeera)

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran’s football federation said the country will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup but demanded that hosts the US, Canada and Mexico accept its conditions amid the war. Tehran has sought assurances on visas, security, and respect for the Iranian flag and anthem, especially for players and staff with past links to the IRGC. The issue gained attention after Canada denied entry to the federation chief over alleged IRGC ties. Despite concerns, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Iran’s matches in the US will go ahead as scheduled. (AFP)

US-Iran war news LIVE: Bahrain’s interior ministry said it arrested 41 people allegedly linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), according to the state news agency. Authorities said investigations also involved cases related to sympathy with Iranian attacks. The arrests come after Iran fired at targets in Bahrain and other Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases following the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28. (Reuters)

US-Iran war news LIVE: China’s crude oil imports fell 20% in April from a year earlier to 38.5 million metric tonnes, the lowest since July 2022, amid disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. China, which imports about half its crude from the Gulf, has been affected by reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ship-tracking data also showed seaborne crude imports at their lowest level since July 2022 at 8.03 million barrels per day. Natural gas imports dropped 13% to 8.42 million tonnes, reflecting lower LNG inflows from the Gulf region. Despite the April decline, China’s crude imports for the first four months of the year remained 1.3% higher than the same period last year at 185.3 million tonnes.(Al Jazeera)

US-Iran war news LIVE: At least three people were killed after an Israeli airstrike targeted a car in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The attack took place near a high school between Burj Rahhal and al-Abbassieh.

US-Iran war news LIVE: An Indian sailor was killed and several others injured after their wooden dhow caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz, government sources said on Saturday

Seventeen other Indian crew members were rescued following the incident on Friday, they said, noting that the exact cause of the blaze is still being ascertained.

The crew members were rescued by a vessel which was passing by in the area, the sources said.

The incident came amid increasing hostilities between Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a significant portion of the world's oil supply passes.

"A wooden Dhow, carrying general cargo, with 18 Indian crew capsized yesterday close to the Strait of Hormuz after it caught fire," said a source.

"In this incident, one Indian on the dhow died while four received burn injuries. The injured are receiving medical treatment in Dubai and are safe," the source said.

Officials from the Indian Consulate in Dubai met the rescued Indian nationals last night, said another source.

The consulate is also in touch with the dhow owner and is extending all possible assistance, the sources said. (PTI)

US-Iran war news LIVE: The US Treasury Department on Friday (Local Time) announced sweeping new sanctions targeting individuals and companies accused of helping Iran procure weapons, UAV components and missile-related materials as part of the US President Donald Trump administration's "Economic Fury" campaign.

In a statement, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said it sanctioned 10 individuals and companies operating across West Asia, Asia and Eastern Europe that allegedly supported Iran's military procurement networks, including efforts linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran's Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile programme. (ANI)

US-Iran war news LIVE: The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.

According to the report, the proposed draft includes Iran's nuclear programme, reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible arrangements for transferring Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country. However, several major issues remain unresolved.

One of the main sticking points is the scope of potential sanctions relief for Tehran, which the report said could complicate or delay progress in the talks.

If negotiations advance, the initial one-month dialogue period could reportedly be extended by mutual agreement.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said his administration was expecting a response from Iran later in the day regarding Washington's proposal aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia conflict. (ANI)

US-Iran war news LIVE: The U.S. and Iran appeared no closer on Saturday to finding an end to their war after the two sides traded fire in the Gulf amid a tenuous ceasefire, while a U.S. intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for months.

Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.

Washington has been awaiting Tehran's response to a U.S. proposal that would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program. Speaking in Rome on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was expecting a response that day, although an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response. (Reuters)

US-Iran war news LIVE: An Indian sailor was killed and several others injured after their wooden dhow caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz, government sources were quoted as saying by PTI news agency on Saturday

Seventeen other Indian crew members were rescued following the incident on Friday, they said, noting that the exact cause of the blaze is still being ascertained.

The crew members were rescued by a vessel which was passing by in the area, PTI quoted the sources as saying.

The incident came amid increasing hostilities between Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a significant portion of the world's oil supply passes.

"A wooden Dhow, carrying general cargo, with 18 Indian crew capsized yesterday close to the Strait of Hormuz after it caught fire," said a source.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iran has laid out new rules for vessels seeking to transit the strait, according to a document seen by CNN. Iran has asked shippers to either comply with a new protocol for transiting the Strait of Hormuz — or risk attack.

Under the new system, all vessels intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz will receive an email from an address linked to the newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) informing them of new rules and regulations for passage, according to the report. Ships are required to obtain a transit permit before crossing the waterway, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping chokepoints.

The crucial waterway continues to be under blockade by the US and Iran and has unleashed the biggest oil supply shock in history, sending energy prices sharply higher.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: The US said it expects Iran to respond to its latest proposal to end their war imminently, as clashes in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to further fracture a month-long ceasefire.

Iran has still given no indication whether it will accept President Donald Trump’s plan, sent on Wednesday, which proposes that the Islamic Republic reopen the strait and the US end a blockade on Iranian ports over the next month.

Tehran’s response is “under review,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei told the semi-official Tasnim news agency, without giving a timeline.

Trump told reporters at the White House late Friday he was still expecting a response “tonight.” Asked if Iran was intentionally slow rolling the process, he said “we’ll find out soon enough.”

“We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up,” he said. “We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen,” he added, referring to the brief US effort to break Iran’s maritime stranglehold and escort ships through the strait, “but it’ll be Project Freedom Plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things.”

The one-page proposal implies Iran’s acceptance would end the 10-week war, which has killed thousands of people across the Middle East and sent energy prices soaring, even though the two sides would still need to negotiate a deal over Iran’s nuclear program. (Bloomberg)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran remains committed to expanding friendly relations with other nations based on mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting the policy of "colonialism and exploitation".

In a post on X on Friday, Pezeshkian said, "The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to expand friendly relations based on mutual respect and shared interests."

He added that "the policy of colonialism and exploitation will have no place in the future world".

The Iranian President also emphasised Iran's historical identity, saying tolerance is deeply rooted in Iranian culture, while resistance against oppression has long been part of the country's history.

"Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land, " Pezeshkian said, adding that this identity "will continue for the exaltation of Iran's name".

Meanwhile, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said that US naval forces disabled two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as part of the ongoing US blockade measures against the Islamic Republic, while also redirecting 57 commercial vessels in the region. (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire through military actions near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the UN Security Council, Iravani said alleged US military action against two Iranian oil tankers near Jask Port and the Strait of Hormuz, along with attacks on Iranian coastal areas, constituted "a clear violation of the ceasefire" and "a gross violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter".

He warned that continued US military activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could have "catastrophic consequences" extending beyond the region and threatening international peace and security.

"The United States will bear full responsibility for the consequences of these actions," Iravani said in the letter, as cited by IRIB.

The Iranian envoy also called on the United Nations and the Security Council to "unequivocally condemn" what he described as "illegal" US actions, including a naval blockade against Iran, and urged Washington to comply with international law and avoid further escalation. (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that his administration is expecting a response from Iran later in the day regarding Washington's proposal aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Speaking to reporters before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said, "We'll hear from them supposedly tonight," when asked whether Washington had received any response from Tehran.

When pressed on whether he believed Iran was intentionally delaying the process, Trump said he was uncertain, adding, "We'll find out soon enough."

His remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was anticipating an Iranian response on Friday to the proposal aimed at ending the conflict, while expressing hope that it would be "a serious offer".

"We should know something today," Rubio told reporters during a gaggle in Rome.

Rubio is currently on a diplomatic tour to Italy and the Vatican amid tension in the transatlantic relations between the US and Europe.

"We have not received that yet, as of the last hour," Rubio said, adding that Iran's internal situation could be affecting the timeline.

"Their system is still highly fractured, and it's dysfunctional as well, so that may be serving as an impediment," he added.

Rubio said Washington hoped the Iranian response would lead to "a serious process of negotiation".

Earlier on Thursday, the US President clarified the scope of the diplomatic outreach, noting that the proposal aimed at resolving the ongoing standoff with Iran is considerably more detailed than a simple "one-page offer" as Tehran continued to evaluate communications from Washington transmitted via Pakistani mediators. (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.

According to the report, the proposed draft includes Iran's nuclear programme, reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible arrangements for transferring Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country. However, several major issues remain unresolved.

One of the main sticking points is the scope of potential sanctions relief for Tehran, which the report said could complicate or delay progress in the talks.

If negotiations advance, the initial one-month dialogue period could reportedly be extended by mutual agreement. (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a central role in shaping Tehran's war and negotiation strategy alongside senior Iranian officials, even as uncertainity persists over his health and exact level of authority, according to a CNN report citing US intelligence assessments.

The news report said US intelligence believes Khamenei has become a key figure directing Iran's approach to negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the conflict that followed recent US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. However, officials reportedly acknowledge that authority inside Iran's leadership remains fragmented after the war and the deaths of several senior military commanders.

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since he was reportedly injured during the attack that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with top Iranian military leaders at the start of the conflict. His absence has fuelled speculation about his health and his ability to fully control the government.

According to CNN, US intelligence agencies have been unable to visually confirm Mojtaba Khamenei's whereabouts since he assumed leadership days after the strike. One source told the network that the secrecy surrounding his condition and communications has created an atmosphere resembling "Wizard of Oz meets Weekend at Bernie's". (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s Fars news agency reported “sporadic clashes” between Iranian forces and US naval ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.

The tensions escalated after US Central Command said it struck two empty Iranian-flagged oil tankers that were allegedly attempting to violate an ongoing US blockade by entering an Iranian port through the Gulf of Oman.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said his administration may consider reviving the now-suspended maritime security initiative, "Project Freedom", aimed at helping the passage of commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions in the Gulf.

If a deal is not reached with Iran, Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called "Project Freedom plus."

Speaking to reporters at the White House before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said that he might "go back to Project Freedom" if a deal is not reached, but it would be "Project Freedom plus", noting that the initiative would be the same as its predecessor, "plus other things".

"We'll go a different route if everything doesn't get signed up, buttoned up," Trump said. (ANI)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia prohibited the United States from using its airspace and bases on its territory to launch operations for its brief bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Saudi sources told AFP on Friday.

But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Washington's access to Saudi airspace and bases would continue for other uses.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: The US military said on Friday that American forces fired at and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers after they attempted to breach the US blockade on Iranian ports.

According to US central command, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.”

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the latest US military action and said “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure.”

In a post on X, he wrote “Iranians never bow to pressure” and asked whether the US action was a crude pressure tactic or “a spoiler once again duping POTUS.”

Iran has not yet indicated whether it will agree to Trump’s proposal, under which the Islamic Republic would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US would gradually lift the blockade on Iranian ports over the next month.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: In a post on X, Pezeshkian said Tehran’s approach was to strengthen “friendly relations” built on mutual respect and common interests.

Rejecting every form of “colonialism and exploitation”, he said such ideas had no place in the world’s future.

“Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land. This identity will continue for the exaltation of Iran's name,” he added.

Pezeshkian’s latest comments against “colonialism and exploitation” came as tensions deepened following a second straight day of clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.

US forces carried out airstrikes on two empty Iranian oil tankers that were attempting to cross the blockade and reach one of the country’s ports, US central command said on Friday.

Iran said the move violated the ceasefire agreement.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Tehran would keep working towards “friendly relations” with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting all forms of “colonialism and exploitation”.

His remarks came as Iran continued discussions over the latest US peace proposal, as well as a string of naval incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz that pushed tensions between the two countries higher.

The US said on Thursday that it had stopped attacks targeting three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and later carried out strikes on Iranian military sites.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern at the reported exchange of fire between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, his spokesperson said.

“He underscores that this is a critical moment for de-escalation and urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday.

Guterres calls on all parts to refrain from action “that could lead to renewed escalation or undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts,” Dujarric said.

Iran’s envoy urges UN to ‘condemn unequivocally’ the US blockade and attacks on 2 Iranian oil tankers

Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the “unlawful” U.S. actions “constitute a grave and dangerous escalation that further destabilizes an already fragile region and poses a serious threat to international peace and security.” (AP)

US-Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump told reporters Friday evening that he was expecting Iran's response to his latest proposal on a deal to ending the Middle East war by "tonight."