Iran news highlights: US military launches strikes against Iran, Tehran says ‘won’t leave attack unanswered'

Iran news LIVE: Reports of conflict and difference of opinion between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have emerged several times amid the ongoing Iran-US negotiations. Israel is a key player to these talks, having assisted the US in carrying out a surprise attack in Tehran in February that soon escalated into a war. Israel's strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon later complicated matters further.

However, Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pushed back on reports that Trump pressured Netanyahu into agreeing to cease firing, telling Fox News’ “Special Report” that conversations between the two leaders were cooperative and accusing journalists of playing up a misleading narrative.

“They have a deep friendship that goes back some 40 years, and sometimes lovers have a spat, and sometimes the tension in the room and on the conversation can get a little heated,” Leiter reportedly said.

Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump renewed his claims of momentum toward ending the conflict with Iran, after brokering a halt to hostilities between Israel and the Islamic Republic and easing tensions that had threatened to derail broader peace efforts.

“We’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” Trump told reporters in New York on Tuesday. “We could have at least an idea one or two days from now.”

The US president spoke hours after Iran and Israel agreed to halt strikes on each other following a flare-up that saw both countries launch waves of ballistic missiles. He has repeatedly spoken of an interim agreement to end the war that began when the US and Israel started bombing Iran in February. A ceasefire has been in place for about two months, but sporadic fighting among the US, Iran and Israel has continued, underscoring the risk of a return to full-scale war in the absence of a lasting peace deal. (Bloomberg)

Iran news LIVE: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, in an interview with CNN, asked Israelis, “Aren’t you fed up with war since 1948?”

Iran news LIVE: Reports of conflict and difference of opinion between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have emerged several times amid the ongoing Iran-US negotiations. Israel is a key player to these talks, having assisted the US in carrying out a surprise attack in Tehran in February that soon escalated into a war. Israel's strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon later complicated matters further.

However, Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter pushed back on reports that Trump pressured Netanyahu into agreeing to cease firing, telling Fox News’ “Special Report” that conversations between the two leaders were cooperative and accusing journalists of playing up a misleading narrative.

“They have a deep friendship that goes back some 40 years, and sometimes lovers have a spat, and sometimes the tension in the room and on the conversation can get a little heated,” Leiter reportedly said.

Iran news LIVE: Israel struck the historic port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killing at least eight people, the Lebanese health ministry said, after an Israeli evacuation order for the entire city was issued for the first time.

The deaths followed a single strike on the city's eastern edge, the ministry and state media said, in one of the deadliest Israeli bombing raids on Tyre since the war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah erupted on March 2.

A video of the aftermath, in a location verified by Reuters as being in the neighbourhood of the strike, showed debris strewn across the length of a road. In a smoke-filled alleyway, a crane could be seen operating near a damaged building.

Iran news LIVE: The decision to halt strikes, taken by Israel and Iran, was also announced by Donald Trump in a Truth Social post on Monday. "Final negotiations on “Peace” are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way," a part of his post read.

The US President also said that the US blockade of Strait of Hormuz continues until a "final" deal is reached, adding that developments should happen quickly.

Iran news LIVE: Israel's latest strikes on Iran have not only ignited fears of a full-fledged resurgence of war -- they run the risk of damaging the close ties between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

Despite Trump's seeming aversion to the prospect of the war reigniting, both Israel and Iran have leaned into the volatile adversity that has long threatened the ceasefire, launching their first exchange since it began in April.

Following Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, Iran responded with a barrage of missiles towards Israel, where some officials in turn called for a relentless response.

"Tonight Tehran must burn!" demanded firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Against the backdrop of US efforts to prevent a retaliation -- and reports of Trump's increasing exasperation with Netanyahu -- the Israeli premier yet again brandished the "right to self-defence".

Iran news LIVE: More than two months have passed since US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran and expressed confidence that a broader agreement between the two sides was within reach.

Including statements made before the ceasefire announcement, Trump has made at least 37 public claims—through social media posts, speeches, and media interactions—indicating that a deal was on the verge of being concluded or that Tehran was seeking to negotiate, according to a CNN report.

Iran news LIVE: Former senior Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas has said that the relationship between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is increasingly drifting apart. Speaking to CNN, Pinkas remarked that the two leaders are “diverging” and are “not even on the same book at this point.”

Iran news LIVE: Iran and Israel agreed to ease strikes against each other after a flare-up in violence threatened to derail peace negotiations and led President Donald Trump to appeal for de-escalation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement Monday that Israel would hold its fire in Iran for now but would respond should Tehran attack again. Earlier, local TV station N12 reported that strikes in south Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, would continue at full force.

Iran had earlier announced an end to its military operations against Israel. But its central military command warned that if Israel continued to attack, including in southern Lebanon, “much harsher and more crushing actions than before will be on the way,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing a statement. (Bloomberg)

Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said negotiations over a peace deal to end the Middle East war were in their final stages, after Iran and Israel halted attacks that threatened to reignite the months-long conflict.

Iran fired missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to strikes against Lebanon's Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, before Israel struck back despite Trump's efforts to dissuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from doing so.

The Israeli leader said of Iran that the "fire on that front is contained" hours after Tehran said it had stopped its military action, while both sides warned they could resume hostilities despite diplomatic efforts gathering pace.

Iran and Israel "were going back and forth and now they both agreed through me to stop and we're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal," the US leader told reporters on his return from an NBA Finals game.

Iran news LIVE: Iranian state television on Tuesday said at least two members of the army's air defence force were killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier in the Middle East war's latest exchange of fire, which both sides said they have halted.

"These esteemed martyrs of the Army Air Defense Force attained martyrdom while carrying out their mission of defending the country's skies during yesterday's (Monday) aggression by the Zionist regime," state television said.

Iran news LIVE: Oil declined after Israel and Iran agreed to end attacks against each other, while US President Donald Trump renewed his claims of momentum toward ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Brent crude slipped below $93 a barrel after closing slightly higher on Monday, and West Texas Intermediate traded near $90. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is holding fire against Iran for now, but will respond should Tehran attack again. Iranian media conveyed similar sentiment.

Trump told reporters in New York on Tuesday that “we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal. We could have at least an idea one or two days from now.” In earlier comments during a virtual campaign rally, he said the US will declare “total victory” in the war over the next two weeks.

The flare-up in hostilities put wider negotiations to end the war in the Middle East at risk, prompting President Donald Trump to appeal for de-escalation. A fragile ceasefire remains in place, but the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed by a double blockade maintained by Tehran and Washington, choking off supplies of crude, fuels and natural gas to global customers. (Bloomberg)

Iran news LIVE: On Monday, the US CENTCOM said it disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. According to Bloomberg, ship-tracking data showed PV Marivex, the vessel that was fired upon by a US jet, trying to sail past the US’s blockade line that runs from the easternmost tip of Oman to the Iran-Pakistan border.

“An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from US forces,” the US CENTCOM post said.

Iran news LIVE: Emirates president Tim Clark has reportedly said that the airline had no plans to cut operations and was continuing to route large numbers of passengers through its Dubai hub to destinations including India.

Iran news LIVE: The Emirates airlines is reportedly expecting a strong demand in flights to and from Berlin in Germany, despite the ongoing Middle East conflict affecting operations because of a hike in jet fuel.

According to Reuters, Emirates president Tim Clark has said Emirates had no plans to cut operations and was continuing to route large numbers of passengers through its Dubai hub to destinations including India and Australia, while taking precautions such as carrying extra fuel.

Iran's football federation on Tuesday said the United States has revoked its allocation of tickets for its World Cup group games, accusing the co-host of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row.

The US has presented a number of bureaucratic hurdles for Iran at the global football spectacle, including refusing to issue visas for some of its support staff, as the two countries remain at war after the US and Israel attacked the country in late February.

"With less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup... the United States has once again acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team's three group stage matches," the federation said in a statement.

The Iranian football body said FIFA regulations dictate that it should be allocated eight percent of tickets for each match, which are given to participating federations for distribution to their supporters through official channels.

According to the statement, Iran had already begun ticket sales for group stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt -- all to be held in the US -- after receiving its quota, with some fans having already made necessary arrangements.

"However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team," it said.

At least eight people have been killed after an Israeli airstrike on a popular housing area in the city of Tyre, the civil defence in southern Lebanon told Al Jazeera Arabic.

The attack comes shortly after the Israeli military issued forced displacement orders for the city of Tyre.

Iran news LIVE: It remains unclear what caused the US Army helicopter to crash near the Strait of Hormuz. While Donald Trump confirmed the crash and said the pilots aboard were safe, he didn't say what led to the incident. On the other hand, some Iranian publications also acknowledged it, with no details on what caused it.

Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump kept up his warning on the Strait of Hormuz blockade to continue, saying nothing would pass the waterway till a deal, which he predicted would happen soon, is finalised. He said it would be beneficial for Iran to agree to a deal if they want the Strait of Hormuz passage to resume.

In an earlier post on Monday, Trump had said: “Final negotiations on “Peace” are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”

Iran news LIVE: In his latest remarks on the Middle East conflict, Donald Trump said that Iran and Israel have agreed to stop fighting for a week or so, on his request.

“He (Netanyahu) was hit (by Iran), and he hit back. I can't blame him for that. Now they've called it quits. So they're gonna leave each other alone for another week or something... They both agreed, through me, to stop,” Trump said.

Iran news LIVE: Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal and his Pakistani counterpart Asim Munir met in Pakistan amid suspense over a possible deal between Iran and the US.

According to AFP, the two discussed "matters of mutual interest, (the) evolving regional security environment, defence cooperation and prospects for enhancing bilateral military relations".

Iran news LIVE: Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents in Lebanon's Tyre to evacuate ahead of possible strikes.

"Urgent warning to the residents of the city of Tyre, including the Christian quarter, and the camps and surrounding neighbourhoods," read a message posted on X by the official.

Iran news LIVE: Brent crude slipped below $93 a barrel on Tuesday after Iran and Israel announced they would be halting strikes. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate traded near $90.

Iran news LIVE: The Israeli military has reportedly issued an evacuation order for Lebanon's Tyre city, including its Christian quarter, ahead of possible strikes, Reuters reported.