US-Iran war highlights: Hegseth pushes for a $1.5 trillion budget as war with Tehran rages

US Iran war LIVE: Tensions in the Gulf escalated after Kuwait accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of attempting an armed infiltration of Bubiyan Island, home to a China-backed port project, earlier this month. The allegation surfaced ahead of Donald Trump’s Beijing visit for talks with Xi Jinping, where Iran and energy security are expected to feature prominently.

US Iran war LIVE: At least 70 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied West Bank since January 2025, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. The agency blamed escalating Israeli bombardments and settler attacks for the rising toll. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said more than 850 children have also been injured, while displacement, school disruptions and child detentions have sharply increased across the territory.

US Iran war LIVE: Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 11 Indian vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic engagement with Iran, while 13 ships remain in the Persian Gulf.

He said vessels can move through international waters without special permission, though entry into Indian territorial waters involves regulatory procedures.

Officials also confirmed that all Indian seafarers in the region remain safe, with no incidents involving Indian-flagged ships reported in the past 48 hours.

US Iran war LIVE: Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a standstill after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal as a “piece of garbage” and warned the ceasefire was on “life support.” Iran is seeking sanctions relief and continued influence over Hormuz traffic, while oil prices surged above $106 a barrel amid fears of a prolonged global energy crisis.

US Iran war LIVE: Kuwait said four men arrested while trying to enter the country by sea earlier this month confessed to being members of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to Kuwait’s interior ministry, the group, including two navy colonels, had been tasked with infiltrating Bubiyan Island aboard a fishing boat allegedly intended for hostile operations against Kuwait.

US Iran war LIVE: Qatar's Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said his recent visit to Washington focused on supporting diplomatic efforts to end the war on Iran and secure a quick resolution.

Speaking alongside Hakan Fidan in Doha, the Qatari premier said the talks aimed to ensure a positive response to mediation initiatives amid rising regional tensions.

US Iran war LIVE: Iran warned the US it must accept Tehran’s latest 14-point peace proposal or face “failure.” Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the proposal seeks an end to hostilities across the region, removal of the US naval blockade and release of frozen Iranian assets.

Donald Trump rejected the proposal as “totally unacceptable” and warned the ceasefire was close to collapse.

US Iran war LIVE: Israel has sent Iron Dome air defence batteries and personnel to the UAE to help defend against Iranian attacks, according to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. This shows growing security cooperation between Israel and United Arab Emirates under the Abraham Accords. Huckabee also condemned violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Christians, saying “terrorism is terrorism” regardless of who commits it.

US Iran war LIVE: Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into what it calls a much larger “operational area,” according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. The zone now reportedly stretches from Jask in eastern Iran to Siri Island in the west, far beyond the traditionally narrow shipping corridor around Hormuz and Hengam islands. Iranian media claimed the strategic waterway’s effective width has increased from roughly 20-30 miles to as much as 200-300 miles. (Reuters)

US Iran war LIVE: Israel has passed a new law creating a special military tribunal to prosecute Palestinians accused of participating in the October 7, 2023 attacks carried out by Hamas. The tribunal, approved with strong bipartisan support in the Israeli parliament, will try nearly 300 detained suspects. Israeli officials said the move is intended to deliver justice for the attacks.

US-Iran war LIVE: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday that Israel had sent an Iron Dome battery and personnel to operate the air defence system to the United Arab Emirates.

"Israel just sent (the UAE) Iron dome batteries and personnel to help them operate them. How come? Because there’s an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords," Huckabee said at an event in Tel Aviv, referring to a 2020 deal that saw Israel establish ties with the UAE.

A source briefed on the matter told Reuters that Israel had sent air defence systems to the UAE to help it defend against Iranian attacks during the war.

-Reuters

US-Iran war LIVE: If you're just tuning in to this blog, here are some key developments

Military ops on the table? US President Donald Trump has grown frustrated by how Iranians are dealing with negotiations and the closure of Strait of Hormuz and is now more seriously considering a resumption of major combat operations than he has in recent weeks, CNN reported citing sources. The US president has also complained that Iran’s leaders “change their mind” when the two sides appear to reach points of agreement.

Trump rejects Iran’s response to US proposal: Talks between the two nations remain halted after Trump called Iran’s response to its proposal “completely unacceptable”. He further labelled it as a “piece of garbage”, “weak,” adding that he didn’t even get to the end of it. Meanwhile, Iran says the United States must abandon its "one-sided approach" and accept Tehran's "legitimate demands," including ending the war, lifting blockades, halting maritime piracy, and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

Iran’s “enrichment” warning: Iran could enrich uranium up to 90% purity, if the country is attacked once more, parliamentary national security and foreign policy commission spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday. “One of Iran's options in the event of another attack could be 90 percent enrichment. We will review it in the parliament,” Rezaei wrote on X.

US-Iran war LIVE: Despite rejecting any military involvement during the recent conflict in West Asia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly carried out covert strikes on Iran, marking a significant escalation in the Gulf monarchy's role in the war, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the WSJ report, the UAE conducted attacks, including a strike on a refinery located on Iran's Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, in early April, around the same time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire following a five-week military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the strike triggered a major fire at the refinery and disrupted much of its operational capacity for several months.

Iran had at the time described the incident as an enemy attack and subsequently launched missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait in retaliation.

The WSJ report stated that while the UAE has not publicly acknowledged carrying out the strikes, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed to previous statements asserting the country's right to respond, including militarily, to hostile acts.

-ANI

US-Iran war LIVE: Pakistan plans to increase oil imports from Russia amid concerns over the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Reuters reported citing TASS, according to country’s ambassador.

US-Iran war LIVE: Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said the government will eventually need to take a call on how long oil marketing companies can continue absorbing losses.

US-Iran war LIVE: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that there is no supply issue in India.

Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit in New Delhi, Puri said, “There is no supply issue, have 69 days of crude oil, LNG stock and 45 days of LPG stock”

US-Iran war LIVE: Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that LPG production has been ramped up from 35,000-36,000 tonnes/day to 54,000 tonnes amid West Asia conflict.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran could enrich uranium up to 90% purity, if the country is attacked once more, parliamentary national security and foreign policy commission spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday.

“One of Iran's options in the event of another attack could be 90 percent enrichment. We will review it in the parliament,” Rwzaei wrote on X.

US-Iran war LIVE: An Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday that 205,000 people had registered for unemployment insurance since the start of the war, Iran International reported.

Meysam Zohourian, a member of parliament’s economic committee, said the figure was presented during a recent meeting with Labor Minister Ahmad Meydari and his deputies on the country’s economic situation.

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump, while speaking to CBS, said watched the “60 minutes” interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called it “pretty good.”

Trump, however, disagreed with Netanyahu's claim that "nobody had perfect foresight" when it came to Iran's willingness to choke off the Strait of Hormuz.

“I did,” Trump asserted to CBS News. "I knew they closed it. That's the only weapon they have. It's not much of a weapon anymore, but that's the only weapon they have. We would have had it open, except that I did the favors for certain countries that asked me not to do it, we would have had it open under Operation Freedom, but we can easily go back to that." When asked if he does intend to restart the operation aimed at providing vessels safe passage through the strait, he said "I don't know — either that, or (something) much more severe."

US-Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday told CBS news that he aims to suspend the federal gas tax "for a period of time."

"I think it's a great idea," the president said. "Yup, we're going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we'll let it phase back in."

Gas prices have soared over 50% since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, and the blockade of Strait of Hormuz – the crucial waterway that transports about 20 per cent of the world's crude oil and gas.

Prices hit a high of over $4.52 on Sunday, according to AAA. Analysts say the prices are likely to remain high with Iran blocking access to the Strait of Hormuz.

However, suspending the excise taxes — 18.4 cents per gallon on gas and 24.4 cents a gallon on diesel — requires an act of Congress, and pausing it would cost the federal government about a half billion dollars a week, CBS reported.

US-Iran war LIVE: The main natural gas plant that supplies the fuel in the United Arab Emirates will only return to full capacity next year, highlighting the long recovery times for some of the region’s most critical infrastructure that was damaged in the Iran war.

The Habshan processing facility is operating at about 60% capacity, with aims to reach 80% by the end of this year and full capability in 2027, Adnoc Gas Plc said in a statement. The plant that is crucial for meeting demand in the UAE was targeted twice in early April, as a wave of attacks during the conflict hit energy infrastructure in the country and elsewhere in the Middle East.

-Bloomberg

Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a CBS News report claiming Iranian military aircraft had been stationed in the country, calling the story “misleading and sensationalised.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said that such “speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace.”

“Pakistan categorically rejects the CBS News report regarding the presence of Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase as misleading and sensationalized. Such speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace.”

The ministry added that it was only during ceasefire negotiations that Iranian and American aircrafts arrived in Pakistan and during the first round of talks in Islamabad, mainly to facilitate the movement of diplomats, security personnel, and administrative staff.

The ministry added that some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan “in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement.”

“Although formal negotiations have not yet resumed, senior-level diplomatic exchanges have continued. In this context, visits by the Iranian Foreign Minister to Islamabad were facilitated through the existing logistical and administrative arrangements.”

Pakistan further clarified that the Iranian aircraft “currently” parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and “bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement.”

“The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement. Assertions suggesting otherwise are speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context.”

US-Iran war LIVE: Australia has imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Iranian individuals and four entities on Tuesday over “the regime’s ongoing brutal oppression of its people and destabilization of the region," Iran International reported.

The Australian government said those sanctioned included officials and entities involved in violence against women and children, mass arrests, torture, forced confessions, internet restrictions and the wrongful detention of foreign nationals.

“In January, the Iranian regime massacred thousands of its own citizens and carried out mass arrests of peaceful protesters, torturing detainees, subjecting them to forced confessions and preventing them from communicating with loved ones,” the government said in a statement.

US-Iran war LIVE: US Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday called for a “complete reevaluation” of Pakistan's role as mediator after reports surfaced that Islamabad allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, possibly protecting them from American strikes.

“If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties,” he said in a post on X.

“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true.”