US-Iran war highlights: Hormuz heats up as Iran blocks 4 tankers passing with US help; 2 tankers on fire

Bahrain's Ministry of Interior issued an advisory to people as air raid sirens were activated amid escalations between the US and Iran early Friday morning. The advisory asked residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”

IRGC said in a statement that its Navy command at the Strait of Hormuz has blocked four ships trying to pass through the region with US Navy's support. A combined drone operation enabled the IRGC to stop the ships "in place."

In the statement, IRGC warned vessel owners to abide by the warnings issued by them, despite the US assurances. The statement asked vessel owners to "not be fooled by the baseless support of the US terrorist army, like the leaders of some countries in the southern Persian Gulf”.

Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Friday that two oil tankers passing through a mine-laden area in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz have caught fire. The report also noted that the Iranian Navy has issued a warning to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz that it is “extremely unsafe and completely closed” amid the ongoing conflict.

The US Central Command said in a post on X early Saturday morning: "CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction."

IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei told state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) that the MoU with Iran is now "dead" after the recent violations by the US and Israel.

“The failure of the Israeli regime to withdraw from southern Lebanon, the creation of an illegal alternative route in the Strait of Hormuz despite the existence of a legal Iranian route, the lack of respect for Iran’s sovereignty with attacks on Iranian territory, and the failure to release Iran’s assets, are all US violations of the MoU,” he told IRIB.

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and other Gulf States "unacceptable."

Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported citing an unnamed official that Iranian Navy attacked a Thailand-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The official said that the ship was targeted for passing the Strait without permission, despite being warned not to do so.

The extent of damage to the ship is unclear.

The strikes by the Iran on Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries on Friday drew sharp condemnations. Among the nations that have released statements are Qatar, who urged a return to dialogue; UAE called it a “flagrant violation...of sovereignty.”

Jordan called it “blatant breach of international law” and Kuwait called it a “direct threat to the security of their people.”

US-Iran LIVE: Oil prices rose by 3% on Friday after the U.S. and Iran stepped up attacks across the Gulf, with shipping threatened by a potential Red Sea closure on top of the restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures rose by $2.49, or 2.96%, to $86.72 a barrel by 11:50 a.m. ET (1550 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $2.48, or 3.14%, at $81.43.

For the week, both benchmarks were headed for a 14% increase, with Brent on track for a third consecutive weekly gain and WTI set for its second.

Diesel refining margins hit record highs on Friday, with low-sulphur gasoil futures touching $66.25 over Brent crude.

(Reuters)

US-Iran LIVE: The US military said its forces destroyed the surveillance tower at Iran's Chabahar Shahid Kalantari Port on July 16, describing the strike as a successful operation.

US-Iran news LIVE: China and Pakistan's foreign ministers on Friday called on the United States and Iran to end fighting and return to the negotiating table, after they met in Shanghai, according to a government statement.

China's Wang Yi and Pakistan's Ishaq Dar jointly "expressed concern over the deterioration of the current situation, calling on the involved parties to immediately cease hostilities... (and) return to dialogue", the statement by Beijing's foreign ministry said.

(AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: The commander of the Aerospace Force in Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed Friday that Tehran would not halt its attacks in the region until the US stopped striking Iran's southern coastline and the Strait of Hormuz.

In a social media post, Majid Mousavi said "Tehran and the south are one and indivisible as Iran", adding that "effective and targeted strikes from across Iran against the enemy will continue" until attacks on "the southern coastline and the Strait of Hormuz" cease.

(AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on Friday and Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure.

In the contested Strait of Hormuz, where the renewed conflict has again cut off global energy supplies from the Middle East, U.S. Marines boarded a tanker and another ship was reported to have been hit by a projectile.

Another vessel was boarded by armed men off Yemen, though one maritime security source said the incident appeared to be an act of Somali piracy rather than linked to the Iran conflict.

Washington and Tehran have been testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week, raising the prospect of a return to all-out war.

(Reuters)

US-Iran news LIVE: Oil prices rose by about 2% on Friday after the U.S. and Iran stepped up attacks across the Gulf, with shipping threatened by a potential Red Sea closure on top of the restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures rose by $1.53, or 1.82%, to $85.76 a barrel by 0951 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures gained $1.69, or 2.14%, to $80.64.

Both benchmarks have climbed nearly 13% this week, with Brent on track for a third consecutive weekly gain and WTI set for its second.

The broken truce between the U.S. and Iran has resulted in a drop in oil flows out of the strait. Iran, meanwhile, has pressed the Houthi movement to close the Red Sea route if the U.S. strikes Iran's power infrastructure.

Transit through the Red Sea has increased significantly since the start of the Iran war because of rerouted Saudi oil exports away from Hormuz, Commerzbank analysts wrote.

"Should a blockade of the Strait of Bab al-Mandab occur in the wake of further escalation, the price of oil in particular is likely to rise further," they wrote.

Iran said it launched fresh strikes on U.S. facilities in the Middle East on Friday, including the first direct attack in Syria, after a sixth straight night of U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities.

U.S. ​Central ​Command said on Thursday that American forces had begun a new wave of strikes against Iran to further degrade Iranian military capabilities.

(Reuters)

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran attacked Kuwaiti water and power plants in counterstrikes against the US, underscoring how the conflict in the Middle East is worsening and threats on civilian sites are increasingly under threat.

Kuwait’s government said on Friday a desalination and electricity plant was hit, with many power-generation units sustaining damage.

Although such facilities in Kuwait were hit at the height of the US-Iran war between March and early April, this is Tehran’s first targeting of power infrastructure during the most recent escalation between the warring countries.

The Gulf Arab state’s authorities are trying to bring the damaged units back online and have already put out a fire caused by the strikes, the Ministry of Electricity and Water said on X.

The ministry urged residents to ration electricity to ease pressure on the grid, which would already typically be under high load on a summer day in one of the hottest countries in the world. Kuwait is bracing for temperatures of as much as 50C (122F) this weekend.

(Bloomberg)

US-Iran news LIVE: The United States and Iran traded attacks on Friday, with Tehran targeting American assets across the Middle East in the biggest escalation since the two foes returned to outright war.

A month after the two sides agreed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict that began in February, Iran accused US forces of hitting civilian and energy infrastructure on Friday including an airport, a railway station and two bridges, with state media reporting at least eight dead and 20 wounded in overnight attacks.

It signalled an apparent expansion of American strikes with a focus on Iranian infrastructure, which US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to hit, but there was no immediate comment from US officials.

The Iranian energy ministry on Friday told citizens to reduce their electricity use and switch off air conditioners in peak hours -- even as temperatures in some areas soared -- after the power grid came under strain from what it said were US strikes on energy facilities in the south.

(AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran acknowledged "attacks on power infrastructure" during the US airstrike campaign for the first time Friday, showing the escalation in the American campaign.

Iran's Energy Ministry issued a call for people to use less power in southern provinces.

It said those areas "are currently experiencing extreme heat and attacks on power infrastructure".

The ministry did not elaborate on whether it was power plants, transmission lines or other equipment that had been attacked.

US President Donald Trump had threatened to go after bridges and power plants as America vies with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

(AP)

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran has asked its ally, Yemen Houthis, to be ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The sources said the Houthis had been informed recently of Tehran's request, which has not been previously reported.

Oil prices have rallied up after US and Iran stepped up attacks across the Gulf, with their broken truce limiting oil flows out of the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures rose $1.05, or about 1.25%, to $85.28 a barrel by 0118 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose $1.03, or 1.3%, to $79.98 a barrel, erasing losses from the previous session, Reuters reported.

US-Iran news LIVE: The conflict between the United States and Iran entered its sixth straight night on Friday, with fresh military action reported on both sides and tensions spreading across the wider Middle East.

According to Iranian state media, US airstrikes targeted bridges in the southern port city of Bandar Khamir, killing at least seven people. The strikes came as Washington continued its military campaign against Iran.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at US-linked targets in neighbouring countries. Air defence systems in Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan intercepted the incoming attacks, according to reports.

Separately, an Iranian strike reportedly hit a desalination and electricity facility in Kuwait, while Tehran is also said to have instructed Yemen's Houthi rebels to prepare for possible disruption of shipping in the Red Sea.

US President Donald Trump also welcomed the release of a US citizen. However, Iranian authorities denied that any American prisoner had been freed.

Meanwhile, maritime security concerns intensified after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that a commercial vessel travelling east through the Gulf of Aden was boarded by "unauthorized personnel" about 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The agency said the incident remains under investigation by the relevant authorities.

(With inputs from DW)

US-Iran news LIVE: The United States hit Iran on Friday, with Tehran accusing US forces of striking civilians sites and drawing Iranian threats of reprisals on regional infrastructure.

A battle over the strategic Strait of Hormuz has rekindled the war in the Middle East and the foes have traded fire for six days running.

The US military reported hitting "dozens of Iranian military targets" in response to attacks on commercial shipping, its latest strikes after a preliminary deal with Tehran fell apart.

Early on Friday Iran announced attacks on an airport and railway station in Iran, and strikes on two bridges that killed seven people.

"I officially declare that if the Americans strike the infrastructure of the Islamic Republic, then all infrastructure across the region will become legitimate targets for Iran," Iranian state TV quoted a senior armed forces spokesperson as saying late Thursday.

The renewed fighting comes a month after the signing of a preliminary deal that aimed to end the conflict, which broke out in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

(AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar called for a ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue between the United States and Iran, the Chinese foreign ministry said, citing talks between the ministers in Shanghai on Thursday.

Wang urged all parties to fulfill their commitments and abide by the ceasefire memorandum of understanding, the foreign ministry said.

(Reuters)

US-Iran news LIVE: Kuwait said Friday that a power and water plant had been damaged by an Iranian attack, as the war in the Middle East escalated.

"One of the power and water distillation plants was the target of an attack as part of the Iranian aggression... resulting in a fire, damage, and the impairment of several production units," the electricity ministry said in a statement, urging users "to ration their electricity consumption during this exceptional period".

(AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: Here are the latest developments:

Tanker damaged near Oman

A commercial tanker was struck overnight by an "unknown projectile" off the coast of Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. The vessel suffered "minor structural damage", but all crew members were reported safe. The incident came as fighting intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

Iran reports fresh casualties

Iran's health ministry said US strikes carried out since June 22 have killed 38 people and injured more than 400. According to the IRNA news agency, overnight attacks alone left eight people dead and 20 others injured.

Missiles and drones target Gulf states

Jordan's military said it intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles, adding that there were no casualties or damage.

Iran said it had targeted US military infrastructure in Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities said they were responding to missile and drone attacks. Bahrain and Qatar also reported strikes early on Friday. Qatar said a child was injured by falling debris after it intercepted a missile attack.

Iranian Kurdish opposition group reports deaths

An Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group based in Iraq's Kurdistan region said eight of its members were killed in strikes, blaming the attack on Iran.

China and Pakistan call for talks

The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan met in Shanghai and jointly appealed to both Washington and Tehran to halt the fighting and return to the negotiating table.

Iran claims to have destroyed US radar sites

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had "targeted and destroyed" two US radar sites in Oman. According to the Guards, one facility was used for maritime surveillance and the other for air surveillance.

Iran announces strike on Al-Tanf base

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked the Al-Tanf military base in Syria.

"The IRGC announces a surprise attack on the enemy's Special Operations Command Center in Syria's Al-Tanf region in retaliation for the blood of the martyred Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr," the state broadcaster wrote on Telegram.

US says forces boarded vessel in Gulf

The US military said American forces boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman as part of Washington's renewed blockade of Iranian ports.

US Central Command also said it had "redirected" three vessels attempting to bypass the blockade after it was reimposed following the renewed conflict.

Explosions reported in southern Iran

Iranian state television reported two explosions in Bushehr, home to the country's only civilian nuclear power plant.

State media also reported US strikes targeting an airport, a railway station in Bandar Abbas and two bridges in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz.

US launches sixth consecutive night of strikes

The US military said it carried out strikes against Iran for a sixth straight night.

The strikes, which began at 1800 GMT on Thursday, were launched to "further degrade Iranian military capabilities", US Central Command said in a post on X.

Ship hit near Iraq's Basra

A security official told AFP that a drone struck a ship near an oil terminal in Iraq's southern Basra province. The vessel was reportedly carrying American-branded cars after arriving from the United Arab Emirates.

Separately, Iraq's oil ministry said an unspecified object had fallen near a tanker.

White House says Trump remains open to diplomacy

Despite the continued military operations, the White House said US President Donald Trump was still willing to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran.

"The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

(With inputs from AFP)

US-Iran news LIVE: The United States and Iran traded attacks on Friday, with Tehran targeting American assets across the Middle East in the biggest escalation since the two foes returned to outright war.

A month after they agreed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict that began in February, the two sides have intensified fighting with strikes on targets around the region.

Iran on Friday accused US forces of hitting civilian infrastructure including an airport, a railway station and two bridges, with state media reporting at least eight dead and 20 injured in overnight attacks.

It signalled an apparent expansion of American strikes with a focus on Iranian infrastructure, but there was no immediate comment from US officials.

Iran had previously threatened to retaliate against any infrastructure attacks, and on Friday launched strikes across the region in what appeared to be the largest exchange of fire since the deal was signed last month.

(AFP)