US-Iran war news highlights: Retaliatory strikes against Iran are ‘love tap’, says Trump

US-Iran war news LIVE: Vatican says the "need to work tirelessly in favour of peace" discussed in talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

AP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken to his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar regarding the latest regional developments, Al Jazeera reported, citing Araghchi’s Telegram account.

Araghchi was quoted as saying that the two sides stressed the need to continue pursuing “dialogue and diplomacy”, as well as boosting cooperation between regional states.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The United States issued new Iran-related sanctions on Thursday, a notice on the Treasury Department's website showed.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Gold prices rose further by ₹600 to ₹1.56 lakh per 10 grams in the local market here on Thursday, following a pullback in the US dollar and easing crude oil prices amid hopes for a US-Iran peace deal.

Silver prices jumped by ₹7,000 to ₹2,61,500 per kg on improved industrial demand, marking the fourth straight day of gains, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

Gold of 99.9 per cent purity gained ₹600 to ₹1,56,000 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from the previous close of ₹1,55,400 per 10 grams. The metal had jumped ₹2,900 per 10 grams on Wednesday.

via PTI

US-Iran war news LIVE: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV and then Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a visit that lasted 2½ hours.

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.

via AP

US-Iran war news LIVE: Nightly explosions of drones and missiles terrified Indian sailor Tithi Chiranjeevi after his ship was stranded in Iran for more than a month by the Strait of Hormuz blockade caused by the Middle East conflict.

"Around 10 to 20 missiles struck every night. No one could sleep," he told Reuters, describing conditions outside Iran's port of Khorramshahr on his return home last week, after an arduous 15-day journey through Iraq, Armenia, and Dubai.

The 28-year-old had spent the previous six months working on the Iranian ship Ilda, carrying construction material to Dubai.

The vessel was one of 2,000 trapped in the vicinity of the 104-mile (17-km) waterway that normally carries a fifth of the world's supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

A colleague, Anant Singh Chauhan, also worried whether he would be reunited with his parents, living in the town of Dewaria in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

"Sometimes, we used to feel we won't be able to make it back home," said Chauhan, who returned along with Chiranjeevi.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran President: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday he had met with the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, without disclosing the location of their meeting. Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment in early March following his father Syed Ali Khamenei's assassination in a US-Iran airstrike on Tehran.

"What struck me most during this meeting was the vision and the humble and sincere approach of the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution," the president said in a video broadcast by state television.

Khamenei, wounded in strikes on the first day of the Middle East war that claimed the life of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei, has released only written statements since his appointment.

US-Iran war news LIVE: France has said that the sanctions on Iran will continue as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French broadcaster RTL, “We ourselves have imposed significant sanctions on Iran. But it is out of the question that any sanction whatsoever be lifted as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked,” Barrot told French broadcaster RTL.

“It cannot be blocked, subjected to tolls, or used as leverage or blackmail.”

France must ensure it never finds itself again in a situation where it’s forced to pay the price for wars it didn’t choose to launch, Barrot said.

“That is why we must focus on … how Europe can rid itself of all these dependencies on hydrocarbons and oil – no longer being dependent on oil, no longer being dependent on digital technologies. In short, no longer being dependent on things that, in one way or another, draw us into conflicts, disasters, and crises in which we are not participants.”

US-Iran war news LIVE: he war in Iran has created uncertainty regarding the availability of gas for the coming winter, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission said on Thursday.

In an extreme scenario, this could also affect the stability of the European and Swiss electricity supply, it said.

via Reuters

US-Iran war news LIVE: The United States and Iran are close to reaching a deal that will end the two-month-long war.

Iran is expected to hand over its response to mediators about the US proposal to end the war on Thursday, sources told CNN.

This comes after Trump said that the US had “very good talks” with Iran over the past 24 hours.

The proposed agreement is a one-page, 14-point memorandum aimed at ending the war and starting formal talks.

Under the plan, Iran may pause nuclear enrichment, while the US could lift sanctions and release billions in frozen funds.

Both sides may also ease restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route. The deal would begin with a 30-day negotiation period for a broader agreement.

US-Iran war news LIVE: One killed in Israeli air strikes on Lebanon’s Nabatieh, according to an Al Jazeera report.

This comes after Israel said on Thursday that it had killed a commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force in an airstrike on Beirut on Wednesday.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, on a call with French President Emmanuel Macron said, “We entered into dialogue with the US twice, and on both occasions, military aggression against Iran took place concurrently with the negotiations. Such behaviour is effectively like ‘stabbing from behind’”.

US Iran war LIVE: The US is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending a war that has killed thousands, even as tensions across the region remain high and Israel launched fresh strikes on Lebanon’s capital on Wednesday.

Iran is expected to respond in the coming days, though its leadership has so far shown little indication of backing down on its nuclear programme or agreeing to halt uranium enrichment - a key condition in the American proposal.

Meanwhile, Israel said it had killed a Hezbollah commander in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, marking its first attack on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire took effect last month.

US Iran war LIVE: End of war only solution’ to Strait of Hormuz crisis, says Iran’s UN mission.

An Israeli airstrike has reportedly killed the son of Palestinian militant outfit Hamas's chief negotiator in US-mediated talks over Gaza's future, a senior Hamas official said on Thursday, as leaders of the militant group held talks in Cairo aimed at safeguarding their truce with Israel.

Azzam Al-Hayya, son of Khalil Al-Hayya, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday after being struck in an Israeli attack on Wednesday night, Reuters quoted as saying senior Hamas official Basim Naim. He is the fourth son of Hamas' exiled Gaza chief to have been killed in Israeli attacks.

US Iran war LIVE: Crowds gathered in Tehran on Wednesday night, waving flags and chanting “down with Israel” during a rally in support of the country’s leadership.

Music and singing filled the streets as Iranian people waved phone lights, pumped their fists in the air and held pictures of Iran’s former Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during a joint US-Israeli airstrike in February.

Clock is ticking for Iran as it is expected to respond to Trump's one-page memorandum today.

The one-page memo would declare an end to the war and trigger a 30-day period for resolving sticking points including nuclear issues, unfreezing of Iranian assets and security in the Strait of Hormuz, one source told CNN. Trump told PBS News any potential deal would include Tehran shipping its highly enriched uranium to the US and pledging not to operate its underground facilities.

US Iran war LIVE: Only about 2,000 of more than 27,000 workers at Isfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company have returned to work after US and Israeli strikes on the site, Iran International reported citing state media.

Those who returned were mainly administrative and managerial staff and production at the major steel complex remained halted, according to the report.

US Iran war LIVE: China’s foreign ministry said it “firmly opposes” attacks on UAE oil facilities, warning against moves that escalate tensions in the region, Reuters reported.

US Iran war LIVE: Iran denied on Thursday attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war was "very possible" but warned Washington would resume bombing if talks failed.

Tehran's embassy in Seoul said it "firmly rejects and categorically denies" allegations that its armed forces were behind a blast aboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu, which caught fire on Monday while transiting the strategic waterway with 24 crew members on board.

Trump later claimed Iran had "taken some shots" at the vessel and urged South Korea to join US-led efforts to restore shipping through the strait.

-AFP

US Iran war LIVE: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday. China has assured Iran of continued support during talks in Beijing. Iran said it wants a peaceful solution to ongoing tensions and a fair agreement with the United States while protecting its sovereignty.

A key aim of the visit was to strengthen ties between China and Iran, especially ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Iran also sought assurance that China will continue supporting it diplomatically and economically.

US Iran war LIVE: As Iran and the US once again moved closer to reaching a deal, stock markets rallied on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing at record highs for the second straight session.

Oil prices also remained largely flat after sliding nearly 10 percent over the past two days, with West Texas Intermediate trading at $95.08 a barrel and Brent Crude at $101.32.

Cheering the market surge, Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, “Stock Market hit an ALL-TIME HIGH TODAY. 401Ks and jobs booming.”

US Iran war LIVE: President Donald Trump said Wednesday — after referencing the war in Iran — that he met with top executives from major US oil companies, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, to discuss oil and Venezuela.

“Enemies have great pride. We went into Venezuela, smart people, great people, a really strong military. We won it very quickly, and it’s been a great thing for Venezuela,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, after saying that Iranians, “have great pride.”

-CNN

US Iran war LIVE: Ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Pope Leo, US President President Donald Trump shared what he called a “very simple” message on Iran.

"It's very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don't make him happy: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."

Trump suggested that the pope believed it was okay for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, warning that if Tehran acquires one, “the entire world would be hostage.” “That’s my only message,” he added.

US Israel Iran war LIVE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel is ready for any situation in its dealings with Iran, stressing that the military and security agencies have been instructed to prepare for all possible scenarios. Speaking in a video message at the start of a security cabinet meeting, he indicated that the country remains on high alert amid ongoing regional tensions.