US Iran war highlights: Trump says Iran ‘dying to make a deal'; Air defence sounds heard in parts of Tehran

US Iran news LIVE: "Israeli enemy strikes on south Lebanon led, in an initial toll, to nine martyrs, among them two children and five women, and 23 wounded, among them eight children and seven women," Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday.

US Iran news LIVE: Iran's supreme leader says the new management of the Strait of Hormuz 'will bring calm and progress' as well as 'economic benefits' to all Gulf nations.

US Iran news LIVE: Iran's supreme leader says the Gulf will have a 'bright future' without presence of US, State TV reported, according to Reuters.

US Iran news LIVE: The Israeli military warned residents of eight Lebanese towns outside of the "buffer zone" to leave their homes immediately on Thursday ahead of strikes.

The "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon was occupied by Israeli troops before a ceasefire earlier this month, which has failed to fully halt hostilities.

US Iran news LIVE: Iranian state media says a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will be released shortly to mark National Persian Gulf Day, which commemorates Iran’s historical ties to the Gulf.

US Iran news LIVE: Iran could access its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium if it chooses to retrieve material believed to be buried at sites bombed by the United States, according to the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.

“It is accessible if there’s a wish to go there,” Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

IAEA inspectors have not visited the sites where the material is located for 10 months. Grossi said satellite imagery indicates that most of the material remains buried at the location where it was last observed, near the Iranian city of Isfahan.

US Iran news LIVE: Iran could withstand the ongoing US pressure campaign for “at least two or three months, if not longer”, a media studies professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies has said.

Mohamad Elmasry said Trump’s expectation that sanctions and blockades would quickly force Iran to concede is based on a “misreading” of Tehran’s strategy.

Elmasry argued that Iran believes it can sustain the economic pressure through alternative trade routes and workarounds, citing reports of multiple vessels allegedly bypassing US restrictions.

He added that Washington’s assumption that Iran is heading towards an immediate oil storage crisis is “exaggerated”, and warned that a prolonged standoff could have wider economic consequences.

He also said Iran views the war as an existential issue and is willing to absorb economic losses rather than accept terms that could threaten the survival of its political system.

US Iran news LIVE: The Israeli military has said its forces killed five Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.

The claim comes after two Israeli strikes on Majdal Zoun that reportedly killed at least five people, including three rescue workers and a Lebanese soldier.

Continued ceasefire violations by Israel since mid-April have killed over 2,500 people and injured more than 7,800 in Lebanon, as per the health ministry. (Al Jazeera)

US Iran news LIVE: Iran has warned the US that its naval blockade will fail, amid tensions that have pushed global oil prices sharply higher.

“Any attempt to impose a naval blockade and restrictions is contrary to international law and against the interests of the nations of the region and global peace and stability, and is doomed to failure,” Pezeshkian said, according to Irani Mehr news agency on Thursday.

He added that it would only “disrupt lasting stability in the Persian Gulf.”

The warning comes after the US imposed restrictions on Iranian ports, while Iran has maintained control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. (AFP)

US Iran news LIVE: UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has strongly criticised Israel after its reported seizure of Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla ships in international waters.

“How on earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe?” she wrote on X.

She said the incident should alarm Europe, adding, “Besides what you can think of Apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shock waves across Europe.”

Albanese described the situation as “Apartheid without borders.”

US Iran news LIVE: An Iranian football federation delegation is set to miss a FIFA pre-World Cup gathering in Vancouver after being turned back at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada, Tasnim News agency reported. The delegation described said it was due to the “unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials.”

The group, which included federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary-general Hedayat Mombeni, and deputy Hamed Momeni, said it held valid visas but was still denied entry on arrival.

The delegation was forced to return despite its scheduled participation in FIFA-related meetings, Tasnim reported.

US Iran news LIVE: The Amazon Web Services (AWS) region in Bahrain has been damaged due to the ongoing war and is currently not operational, the company said Thursday. Amazon also confirmed that billing has been suspended while restoration work is underway, with full recovery expected to take several months. (Al Jazeera)

US Iran news LIVE: There is “no point” in negotiating with the United States if its demand is zero uranium enrichment, an Iranian lawmaker and former foreign minister has said.

Manouchehr Mottaki told Iran’s Student News Network that Iran would have “looked more closely at how to proceed” if it had known this position earlier. “I have no objection to going to the negotiating table, but we should have looked more closely at how to proceed,” he said.

He also said that after early rounds of talks, US officials began publicly signalling a hardline stance. “Trump started whispering outside about zero enrichment,” Mottaki said, adding that a US NATO envoy did not “dare” to openly mention it.

He further argued that if Iran had known this was the US’s final position, “there would have been no point in negotiating with them, because this issue is fundamentally not related to America.”

US Iran news LIVE: Iran’s president has blamed the US and Israel for insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz. In a message on National Persian Gulf Day, President Masoud Pezeshkian described the waterway as “a symbol of the great Iranian nation’s resistance.”

He added, “The responsibility for any insecurity in this water area lies with the United States and the Zionist regime,” reiterating Iran’s position on restricting what it calls hostile influence in the region.

US Iran news LIVE: Israeli air raids struck Haris, Beit Yahoun and Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon, according to reports from Al Jazeera Arabic. Israeli media also reported that a drone launched from Lebanon fell in the Shomera area.

US Iran news LIVE: The USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group are expected to leave the West Asia region in the coming days, according to a CBS News report citing a senior US official.

The deployment, part of a US naval presence in the region, comes amid stalled negotiations with Iran and ongoing tensions linked to maritime security operations. The carrier has been stationed in the Red Sea for over 10 months, according to the report.

Its withdrawal is expected to reduce US naval strength in the region, where other carrier groups remain active in nearby waters.

US Iran news LIVE: The French government has asked for an extension of the petrol price cap beyond April to ease pressure on consumers facing high fuel costs, as per TF1 TV.

Energy Minister and government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the cap is set to expire soon and should be continued, citing corporate profits and difficult conditions for households.

France also said it holds about 100 million barrels in oil reserves, with only 2% released so far under an agreement with the International Energy Agency.

US Iran news LIVE: Tehran will not accept an extension of the US naval blockade, a senior Iranian military adviser has warned.

Mohsen Rezaei said, "If the blockade continues, Iran will respond," according to Iran state broadcaster IRIB. He added, "Such a blockade has essentially achieved nothing and they have not been able to enforce it. The Indian Ocean is extremely vast, and we can easily pass through it; we have already done so."

His remarks come as Trump weighs extending the blockade on Iranian ports. Rezaei also addressed speculation about Iran’s leadership, saying, "The Supreme Leader is young, healthy, and energetic, and is managing the affairs of the country," while US officials have raised questions over the situation.

US Iran news LIVE: The US is awaiting a revised Iranian peace proposal expected by Friday as diplomatic efforts continue.

Donald Trump said talks are now being held “telephonically” after earlier rounds failed or were canceled.

He added that any deal depends on Iran abandoning nuclear weapons, stating, “there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapons.”

Iran’s earlier proposal, rejected by Washington, sought to end the war first and defer nuclear issues. (CNN)

US Iran news LIVE: The Global Sumud Flotilla has accused Israeli forces of disabling vessels carrying activists and civilians bound for Gaza, leaving hundreds stranded at sea.

In a post on X, the group said Israeli forces “systematically” damaged boats by smashing engines and destroying navigation systems. It claimed the operation left vessels without power and unable to move, with some crews reportedly left exposed in rough weather conditions.

US Iran news LIVE: France’s economy showed no growth in the first quarter of 2026, as higher energy costs linked to the US war on Iran weighed on activity.

GDP stayed flat, below expectations of small growth. Weak consumer spending, lower investment, and falling exports all slowed the economy.

The report suggests rising oil and energy prices from the Gulf conflict are starting to hurt Europe’s economy. France has also warned that the war could cost billions of euros this year due to higher energy expenses. (Bloomberg)

US Iran news LIVE: Iran is observing National Persian Gulf Day, which commemorates the 1622 expulsion of Portuguese forces from the Strait of Hormuz.

This year’s celebrations come amid regional tensions, including a fragile ceasefire with the US and pressure over the Strait of Hormuz.

Events in Tehran began with a “sports conference” at the Tabiat Bridge attended by about 10,000 people. Officials said the aim is to boost public morale and national resilience, as per Iran's Mehr news agency

US Iran news LIVE: ‘Operation Economic Fury’ is a US sanctions campaign aimed at increasing pressure on Iran by targeting its oil exports, shipping networks, and financial systems. The goal is to limit Iran’s ability to sell crude oil and move money internationally.

Under the operation, the US has sanctioned Chinese refineries accused of buying Iranian oil, as well as tankers and companies involved in what it calls a “shadow fleet” used to secretly transport Iranian crude. It has also targeted individuals and entities linked to Iran’s oil trade, banking networks, and weapons procurement systems, including groups in Iran, the UAE, and Turkey.

The US has also warned that countries and companies continuing to trade with Iran could face secondary sanctions, meaning they may also be penalised for doing business with sanctioned entities.

US Iran news LIVE: Israeli forces bombed a water pumping station in Batouliyeh, cutting off a key water supply used by remaining residents, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The report also said Israeli forces blew up a tourist resort in Al-Bayyad.

US Iran news LIVE: CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper is expected to brief President Donald Trump on updated US military options involving Iran, Axios reported. The briefing is said to be based on internal planning for possible escalation scenarios.

“The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war,” said the Axios report.