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

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Dozens of Israelis have protested in Tel Aviv overnight against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ongoing attacks on southern Lebanon.

General elections are expected later this year, amid both the war on Iran and Lebanon, and internal tensions, some involving members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community who refuse to enrol in the army.

“I’m here to protest against the government, which is a disaster. Our government is going in just the wrong way. They’re feeding the public with fake news, with lies, which we are all against,” David Alkan, an 83-year-old retiree, told Reuters.

“I think that Iran is our enemy, but not the most dangerous enemy. The most dangerous enemy is interior; is the ones who refuse to go to the army and don’t work and don’t pay taxes, and are parasites, and live on account of our income tax,” he added.

As fears of renewed conflict hang over Iran, conservationists are shoring up battered historic sites and taking stock of the damage caused by the war with the United States and Israel, though experts warn some repairs could take years.

At Golestan Palace, a defining cultural landmark in central Tehran, shattered mirrors, broken doors and debris from ornate ceilings now lie scattered across parts of the site after shockwaves from strikes on the capital following the outbreak of war on February 28.

The former royal residence, known for its sprawling gardens, pools and royal halls, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013.

The fragile truce in place since April 8 has allowed experts to begin gauging the scale of the damage, though the complex remains closed to the public.

"The damage has been assessed at several levels, but a more detailed specialised evaluation is still underway," Ali Omid Ali, a restoration specialist and head of the technical engineering department at Golestan Palace, told AFP.

For now, he said, teams are focused on stabilising damaged structures and preventing further collapse before broader repair work can begin.

"We need a more stable situation to start the restoration process," he said.

Initial estimates suggest work at the site could cost around $1.7 million, though the figure could rise following a full assessment, he added, noting that repairs could take "two or more years".

The palace, known for blending 19th-century Persian arts and architecture with European styles and motifs, is among at least five UNESCO-listed sites damaged during the conflict.

"Fifty to 60 percent of its doors and windows are broken," Jabbar Avaj, director of the Golestan Palace museums, told the official IRNA news agency.

The palace's famed Mirror Hall -- known for shimmering mosaics covering its ceilings and walls -- and the Marble Throne, a ceremonial platform supported by statues representing mythical and royal symbols, were "seriously damaged", he said.

Other affected UNESCO-listed sites include Chehel Sotoun Palace and the Masjed-e Jame mosque in Isfahan, as well as the prehistoric sites of the Khorramabad Valley.

Beyond the listed sites, the war affected at least 140 culturally and historically significant locations across Iran, according to Hassan Fartousi, head of Iran's National Commission for UNESCO.

Among them are Tehran's Marble Palace, the Teymourtash house and the sprawling Saadabad Palace complex in northern Tehran, a former royal residence set within a vast park and home to several museums.

The far-right deputy speaker of Israel’s Knesset has said that a bill she is sponsoring to scrap the Oslo Accords will be reviewed on Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

In a post on X, Limor Son Har-Melech said the bill is a “first and necessary” step towards legislation to “prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state”.

The Oslo Accords are a series of interim documents signed between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 1993 and 1995.

They saw each side recognise the other for the first time and pledge to end their decades-long conflict. The accords allowed for limited self-governance for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and were meant to ultimately lead to a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The UK has said that it is deploying the HMS Dragon warship to West Asia in preparation for a potential multinational mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The move follows France’s decision to deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group to the Red Sea.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said dozens of nations are ready to “contribute assets” to the UK-France-led effort to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. But he said the initiative would only begin once hostilities end between the US, Israel and Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready to transport and store Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia had transported enriched uranium out of Iran in 2015 and was prepared “to repeat this experience”.

He said all parties to the conflict had agreed to have the uranium moved out of Iran. “But then the United States hardened its position and demanded that the uranium be transported exclusively to US territory. Iran then hardened its position.”

Moscow will remain in contact with both Washington and Tehran, Putin said, adding that he hopes the conflict will end “as quickly as possible”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (local time) described the ongoing hostilities between the United States and Iran pertaining to the West Asia region as a "very difficult conflict" while asserting that there is no evidence suggesting Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

Speaking to the media after the Victory Day Parade in Moscow, Putin said Russia maintains good relations with both Iran and other Persian Gulf nations and continues to engage with both sides to seek a resolution to the ongoing crisis.

"As for Iran and the United States, it's a very difficult conflict. It puts us in a difficult position because we have good relations with Iran and with the Persian Gulf nations. We maintain contact with both sides. I hope that this conflict will be brought to an end as soon as possible. I believe no one is interested in keeping it going," Putin said, adding that compromises remain possible.

Speaking on Iran's alleged ambition to acquire a nuclear weapon and its border nuclear programme, Putin highlighted Russia's past cooperation in 2015 and emphasised that ongoing projects, including the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran, remain focused on peaceful energy purposes.

"We had already once done it in 2015. And then Iran fully and not without reason trusted us. We continue the nuclear programmes in Iran; we completed the construction of Bushehr. Our work on peaceful atoms is not susceptible to the current situation. We did it in 2015, and it was a foundation for signing the treaty among all interested countries and Iran. It played a very positive role. I said once again that we are ready to repeat just that," the Russian President said.

Putin further noted that Russia has never found evidence of Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

"If everybody agrees to it, Iran can be fully confident that it will export these materials to a friendly country that has cooperated and will continue to cooperate on the peaceful atom, and it doesn't strive to weaponise it. We have never once said that there is any evidence about Iran's striving for nuclear weapons. And all other participants, in my view, also could be interested," he added.

Putin recalled previous initiatives to manage Iran's uranium program, including proposals to process uranium in joint ventures under international supervision, emphasising that all operations would be overseen by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He added that Russia's offers remain on the table to ensure Iran's nuclear materials are handled safely and peacefully.

"Our offers are still on the table," Putin said.

"First, we could see how much uranium there is. Second, it would all be under the control of the IAEA. And third, the work would be organised under the supervision of the IAEA. We just want to make a possible contribution. If this doesn't suit anyone, then so be it," he added.

The Syrian government has expressed “full solidarity” with Bahrain over its arrest of IRGC operatives in the country, saying it affirms “its complete support for [Manama] in maintaining its security and stability”, according to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency.

Bahrain announced the arrest of 41 people linked to Iran’s IRGC on Saturday.

Egypt and Kuwait expressed similar support for Bahrain earlier.

US-Iran war news LIVE: US secretary of state Marco Rubio met Qatar’s leader on Saturday and discussed the importance of maintaining “security across the Middle East”, the state department said, pointing out the Gulf nation’s role as a key go-between for Washington as it waited for Tehran’s response to a peace proposal.

“The Secretary expressed appreciation for Qatar's partnership on a range of issues,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Rubio’s meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar’s foreign minister.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who nearly discovered it, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter including US officials.

Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, with the knowledge of the U.S. just before the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the newspaper said. It also included search-and-rescue teams positioned to assist any downed Israeli pilots, the Journal said.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards threatened Saturday to target US sites if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported, as Washington continued to wait for Tehran's response to its latest negotiating position.

"Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships," it said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The US Central Command on Saturday said that their blockade against Iran remains in force.

CENTCOM said it redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled 4 since April 13 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

In a post on X, it said, "The U.S. Naval blockade against Iran continues be to fully enforced. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled 4 since April 13 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports."

US-Iran war news LIVE: Missiles and drones belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been aimed at American targets and enemy vessels in the region and are awaiting orders to launch, an IRGC commander said.

“IRGC missiles and aerospace drones are locked on American targets in the region and aggressor enemy ships,” General Sardar Mousavi of the IRGC Aerospace Force told Iran’s state-run IRIB News agency. “We are waiting for the order to fire.”

US-Iran war news LIVE: Britain’s defence ministry said it was deploying a warship to West Asia to join a potential mission to protect commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.

The ministry said the HMS Dragon will “preposition” in the region, ready to join a UK- and French-led security plan. France announced this week it was moving its aircraft carrier strike group into the Red Sea in preparation.

Britain and France have led meetings involving several dozen countries on a coalition to reestablish freedom of navigation in the strait. But they stress it won’t start until there is a sustainable ceasefire and the maritime industry is reassured ships can go through the strait safely.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy on Saturday warned that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on one of the U.S. bases in the region and enemy ships.

Iranian state TV reported the warning a day after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, while a tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding.

Meanwhile Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters, said it arrested dozens of people it alleged had links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Friday's attacks cast doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the U.S. has insisted is still in effect. Washington awaits Iran's response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke over the phone with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss regional tensions and ongoing efforts to preserve stability.

In a post on X, the Qatari minister said the talks focused on bilateral ties and “developments in the situation in the region, particularly those related to the ceasefire between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the efforts aimed at de-escalation that contribute to enhancing security and stability in the region.”

He also said Qatar had underlined the importance of all sides taking part in mediation efforts, adding that a lasting solution would require dialogue and addressing the “root causes of the crisis.”

US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel carried out strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least eight people in the south according to authorities, with raids also targeting a highway not far from Beirut outside of Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

The fresh attacks were some of the most intense since the start of a three-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that has done little to halt daily exchanges of fire, mostly in southern Lebanon.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he hoped that the Iran conflict would end as soon as possible but that if it did not then everyone would lose out.

US-Iran war news LIVE: A South African vessel headed to a sub-Antarctic island to resupply scientists has been held up by fuel supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.

The SA Agulhas II, an icebreaking polar supply ship, was unable to leave Cape Town on schedule in April because it couldn’t secure diesel supplies in time, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, which owns the vessel, said in a statement on Saturday.

“The delay is primarily due to the global scarcity of fuel products linked to ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East.”

(With Bloomberg inputs)

US-Iran war news LIVE: Lebanon says its key priorities in talks with Israel are enforcing the ceasefire, securing a timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal, returning detainees, and rebuilding southern areas damaged in the conflict.

Lebanese officials also want international support for demilitarising the south and ensuring decisions on war and peace remain with the government in Beirut, though they acknowledge such discussions may be difficult while Israeli bombardment continues. (Al Jazeera)

US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel says a projectile fired from Lebanon landed in an open area inside Israeli territory without causing casualties. The Israeli military said alerts were activated in the Ramat area before the incident and described the launch as “another violation of the ceasefire understandings” by Hezbollah.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Global oil stockpiles have dropped sharply amid the ongoing US-Israel war involving Iran, with disrupted Gulf energy flows weakening a major safeguard against supply shocks.

According to a Bloomberg report citing Morgan Stanley, global reserves fell by nearly 270 million barrels between March 1 and April 25. The decline has reduced the ability of governments and industries to cushion the impact of more than a billion barrels of disrupted oil supply since the conflict began on February 28.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian politician Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on X: “With this president and that idiot defense minister, I think instead of USA we should say USI, United States of IDIOT'S, United States of Idiots.”

He said, “That idiot has set off twice with a few corvettes and destroyers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Rezaei added, “We said it before and we're repeating it now: with a few corvettes and ships—no, even with your entire navy—you won't have the ability to cross the Strait of Hormuz.”

He concluded, “You'll just look like a spoiled brat, get beaten up, and turn back.”

US-Iran war news LIVE: Senior Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi has warned regional countries, including Bahrain, over their support for a US-backed resolution related to the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, he said that aligning with Washington would lead to “severe consequences,” adding, “We warn governments, including microstates like Bahrain, that siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences.” He further cautioned, “Do not close the doors of the Strait of Hormuz to yourselves forever!”

US-Iran war news LIVE:

• Lebanon: Israeli attacks across Lebanon have killed at least 19 people so far today despite the US-brokered ceasefire.
• Israel border: Three Israeli soldiers wounded, one seriously, after Hezbollah drone detonates near Lebanese border.
• Gaza: At least four killed and 15 wounded in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, says health ministry.
• Flotilla case: Israel to release two foreign activists abducted from Gaza-bound flotilla before deportation.
• UK deployment: Britain sends HMS Dragon to Middle East for mission linked to the Strait of Hormuz.