US-Iran war highlights: US struck Qeshm Island radar sites in ‘self-defence’ after Tehran's ‘drone threat’, says CENTCOM

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The Israeli army said it intercepted what it described as a “hostile aircraft”, while two others targeted an area where Israeli forces were stationed in southern Lebanon.

The statement added that no casualties were reported.

US-Iran war news LIVE: US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones launched towards the Strait of Hormuz. They said that the drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.

It added that US forces later struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to prevent further attacks. CENTCOM said American forces remain vigilant and are positioned to respond to what it described as unjustified Iranian aggression in self-defence.

“US forces subsequently struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to defend against further attacks,” they wrote on X.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Explosions and air defence systems have been activated at Kharg Island, with preliminary reports claiming US strikes in the area. The situation is not verified independently by HT.

US-Iran war news LIVE: At least 15 members of the Iranian national football team’s coaching, technical, and executive staff have reportedly been denied US visas ahead of the World Cup, according to sources cited by Al Jazeera. Some of those affected are officially recognised by FIFA as part of the team’s technical setup.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has rejected Israel’s claim that the 2023 strike in Lebanon that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and injured six others was a “mistake.”

Israel’s ambassador to France said the journalists were mistakenly believed to be “terrorists,” but CPJ questioned this explanation, arguing that the group was clearly identifiable as press and had been working in plain sight. CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa director Sara Qudah said Israel has not answered why journalists were repeatedly targeted, and called for the release of evidence and full investigation findings.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Hamas has condemned the “heinous” killing of seven-month-old Palestinian infant Sam Fahd Abu Haikal in the occupied West Bank. They said the incident reflects “the true face” of Israel’s “brutality” against Palestinians. In a statement, the group said the killing represents “the criminal mentality” governing Israeli forces and accused them of showing “disregard for Palestinian blood.” Hamas also urged the international community to pressure Israel to “stop its ongoing crimes” against Palestinians.

US-Iran war news LIVE: The Israeli military said its troops opened fire after believing a vehicle was accelerating toward them near Hebron, but an initial investigation indicated those shot were “uninvolved civilians.” The statement came after a seven-month-old Palestinian infant was killed and his parents wounded in the incident. The military said the shooting is under investigation.

US-Iran war news LIVE: A seven-month-old Palestinian infant, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, died after being critically wounded when Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on his family's car in Tel Rumeida, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

According to Palestinian health authorities, the infant was shot in the jaw, while his father was wounded in the hand and his mother was also injured. The family was reportedly travelling to visit the child's grandmother at the time of the incident.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he does not see “any provocations on the part of Iran” and noted that Iran's nuclear programme had previously been “under control” before circumstances changed. Highlighting Russia's ties with both Iran and Gulf countries, Putin said Moscow has urged Tehran to avoid striking neighbouring states, but Iranian officials argue they are “forced to respond” after being attacked. Putin also backed US President Donald Trump's decision to halt combat activities, saying, “This ceasefire will lead to a very long-term peace” and adding, “If we can do anything, we are absolutely ready to do that.”

US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump said his administration is having “great success” with Iran but did not provide new details about ongoing negotiations. Reiterating his longstanding position, Trump said, “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They’re in no position to have a nuclear weapon.” Iran has consistently denied accusations that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.

US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump said “a lot” of oil tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz under his administration and expressed confidence that the crisis “shouldn’t take long” to resolve. He added that “when it’s all straightened out, you’re going to have oil prices drop down to maybe even lower than they were.” His remarks come amid rising fuel prices in the US ahead of the midterm elections.

US-Iran war news LIVE: A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials and mediators on implementing the first phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire. The discussions will also focus on stopping ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and advancing to the agreement’s second phase, which includes demilitarisation, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Qatar has condemned the attack on the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant at an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Qatari envoy Jassim Yaqoub Al Hammadi called the incident a violation of international law and emphasized that the UAE’s security is closely tied to the security of Gulf states and the wider region. The UAE has accused Iran-aligned Iraqi groups of carrying out the attack.

US-Iran war news LIVE: Israeli forces reportedly carried out multiple airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting the towns of Mifdoun and Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatiyeh district, according to reports from Al Jazeera Arabic.

US-Iran War News LIVE: Warning against return to war, Mohsen Rezaei said that Iran will “drag the war” beyond the Persian Gulf if the US resumes the conflict, potentially expanding military operations from the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. “We will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have been attacking so far,” he said, adding that “the possibility of war is low.”

-CNN

US-Iran War News LIVE: On US releasing frozen Iranian funds, supreme leader's adviser Mohsen Rezaei said, “If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump – this is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened,” he said. “This is our own money, not America’s money," CNN reported.

US-Iran War News LIVE: A potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran depends on the Trump administration releasing $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, Iran's supreme leader advisor told CNN.

He also warned that Washington would “enter a dark corridor” if it chose to resume military action against Tehran.

“The negotiations are at a deadlock and (US President Donald) Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN in an exclusive interview in Tehran. “The ball is in Trump’s court.”

US-Iran War News LIVE: Iran's supreme leader adviser Mohsen Rezaei ruled out any chances of Mojtaba Khamenei meeting US President Donald Trump.

In an exclsuive interview with CNN, Rezaei said, “This will not happen, right now we are in the first stage of negotiations and Mr. Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill. This will not happen.”

This comes after Trump said he and Khamenei “seem to be getting along well” and that he would on be “honored” to meet him.

US-Iran War News LIVE: A day after US President Donald Trump said he would “honored” to meet Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's embassy in Kenya called it a “defeat.”

“Trump went from screaming “regime change” in Iran… to now saying he’d be “honored” to meet our Supreme Leader. This is what defeat looks like,” it said in a post on X.

“Iran does not negotiate from weakness.”

US-Iran War News LIVE: The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on a network of individuals, companies, and vessels accused of helping Iran export hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by disguising it as Omani-origin fuel.

According to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the network used front companies in the UAE and China, foreign bank accounts, and Iran’s “shadow fleet” to evade US sanctions and conceal the cargo’s Iranian origin. The US said the move aims to disrupt a key revenue source for Iran and expose those facilitating the trade.

US treasury Scott Besent said, “Iran’s economy is floundering and its military is decimated. Through Economic Fury, Treasury will continue to sever Iran’s shadow fleet, shadow banking networks, and access to global trade.”

US-Iran War News LIVE: Here are the key issues between the two nations as they seek an agreement to end the conflict.

Opening of Strait of Hormuz

The United States has long asked for toll-free re-opening of the crucial waterway Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also been asked to remove all mines from the strait within 30 days of the deal coming into effect.

Washington will lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports in accordance with the restoration of shipping. Which means that if any movement is restricted, the US Navy will continue to block Iran.

Enriched uranium

The deal also adds that during the 60-day negotiation period, the US will discuss sanctions relief for Iran, including the release of certain frozen funds. Furthermore, a mechanism to allow Iran to receive humanitarian aid will also be discussed.

Officials have stated that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran will also feature a commitment from Tehran not to pursue a nuclear weapon.

US-Iran War News LIVE: Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that Iran is using his war-torn nation as a bargaining chip in its conflict with the United States and Israel. He demanded that Tehran stops interfering in Lebanese affairs, CNN reported.

Addressing Iran, he said, “You are not trying to help us … the people of Lebanon are paying the price … for the sake of your own interest,” adding, “our interests … do not coincide with your interests.”

He also turned his fire on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force, saying, “It’s not your country, it’s our country.”

US-Iran War News LIVE: US Central Command on Friday denied claims that Iranian navy fired shots at its warship.

Taking to X, the central command said, “Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at U.S. Navy warships. Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire. U.S. forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing blockade against Iran.”

US-Iran War News LIVE: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that he survived an attack on the office of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the initial hours of the US-Israeli conflict against Iran. He stated that he emerged from the “rubble” of the targeted building while fearing for the Supreme Leader’s safety, according to news agency ANI, citing Iranian state media outlet Press TV.

In an exclusive interview with Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television, as reported by Press TV, Araghchi said he was inside Ayatollah Khamenei’s office when it came under attack in the early hours of the conflict on February 28.

“At the moment of his martyrdom, I was in the office that was attacked,” Araghchi said, adding that his first thought was concern for the Supreme Leader’s condition.