US Iran war news highlight: US launches new strikes on Iranian military site amid talks, says report

US Iran war news highlights: US President Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday before American forces carried out the strike.

US and Iran news highlights: The United States has rejected Iranian state media reports claiming the existence of an interim peace deal draft between Washington and Tehran, calling the purported memorandum of understanding “a complete fabrication.” Click here to follow latest updates of US-Iran war

In a strongly worded statement, the US said the report circulated by Iranian-controlled media was false and urged people not to trust the claims being broadcast. “This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ‘released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER,” the statement said.

Iran state TV said on Wednesday a draft memorandum of understanding with the US includes the withdrawal of American military forces from areas near Iran and the removal of the naval blockade.

Munir flies to Tehran

Pakistan said that its army chief, seen as a key go-between in Washington-Tehran diplomacy, is heading to Tehran as efforts to end the conflict gather pace. Amid the ongoing talks, Iran’s IRGC Navy said vessels linked to “hostile countries” remain barred from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, citing ISNA.

Earlier, Iran’s intelligence ministry had accused the United States and Israel of continuing attempts to topple the Islamic republic and divide the country after failing to achieve those objectives militarily during the recent conflict. The remarks came in a statement carried by Iranian media amid heightened regional tensions.

Oil prices come down

Oil prices plunged more than 3% on Wednesday as investors assessed developments in US-Iran peace talks alongside renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures dropped 3.12% to $96.47 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 3.88% to $90.25.

South Korea said an attack on an HMM-operated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month likely involved an Iranian anti-ship missile. The Strait of Hormuz remains a crucial global oil transit route, and fears of further escalation in the region continue to weigh heavily on energy markets and investor sentiment.

Pakistan ruled out joining the Abraham Accords, saying that any move towards normalising ties with Israel would conflict with its ideological position. Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif earlier said that Islamabad cannot accept any agreement that bypasses the unresolved Palestinian question.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday lambasted Washington after it struck Iranian missile launch sites and vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Twenty-five ships, including oil tankers, passed through the vital waterway over the “last day and night”, the IRGC said.

Efforts to revive diplomacy between Tehran and Washington remain uncertain. Both sides are reportedly working towards a memorandum of understanding, although disagreements over wording linked to Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions have delayed any breakthrough.

Disagreements over ‘a word’

US President Donald Trump said he would host a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday. US' state secretary Marco Rubio told reporters that negotiations remain stuck because of “disagreements over a word, a sentence.”

Iran condemns US attacks

In Tehran, Iranian officials condemned the “blatant violations” of the ceasefire by the United States. They claimed recent American strikes on southern Iran had severely undermined diplomatic efforts to prevent the all out war.

A senior spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces warned that if the US and Israel bombed Iran again, the response would be “much heavier and stronger” that could “extend beyond regional borders”, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Internet access partially restored

Iran’s vice president Mohammad Reza Aref also confirmed that the country had taken the “first step” towards restoring full internet access after weeks of shutdowns and restrictions.

Internet access in Iran has begun to recover following a months-long blackout. Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that online activity had been partially restored after weeks of heavy restrictions across the country.

Israel-Lebanon updates

At least 31 people were killed in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday, according to the country's health ministry. The attacks was one of the deadliest days since a ceasefire came into effect in April, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli forces razed the ground north of their self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon, according to an Israeli military official. As Israel continued to bomb the territory and troops pushed deeper, residents across southern Lebanon fled in large numbers. Israeli forces also issued numerous displacement orders to towns and villages in the south and east of the country.