US-Iran war highlights: US forces shoot down Iranian attack drones over Strait of Hormuz

US-Iran war highlights: A person sits in shallow water as cargo and commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran.

US-Iran war highlights: The United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement to resolve their conflict, though negotiations have not yet crossed the finish line, a senior US official said on Friday, adding that Washington expects a deal to be signed in the coming days. "The negotiating team has got us in a very good spot, but let's see here, we're not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close," the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

The official said the terms agreed upon meet US President Donald Trump's key objectives and "gets it in a very, very good place at the end of it."

Pakistan PM on US-Iran deal

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said that a “final, agreed upon text” of a US-Iran peace deal has been reached amid ongoing mediation efforts by Islamabad. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” was closer than ever to completion. He added that Iran would share full details with the public once the agreement was signed.

Media reports earlier released details of a proposed peace agreement with the US. The draft reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets and a 60-day period of negotiations on nuclear issues. Donald Trump and JD Vance dismissed these reports as “fake.”

Iran pushed back against reports that it would give up control of the strategic waterway, insisting that the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian authority even if shipping resumes. Iranian officials have also stressed that no final agreement has been reached yet, despite US President Donald Trump's claims of a breakthrough in talks.

‘Iran won’t have nuclear weapons as long as I am PM': Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran will not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, even as Trump signals that a deal with Tehran may be close. “As long as I am the prime minister of Israel – Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said in a statement from his office, adding that he and Trump are in “full agreement” on the issue. He also claimed Iran would already have developed nuclear bombs to target Israel if not for his efforts to prevent it, reiterating, “As long as I am the prime minister of Israel this will not happen.”

Trump on Thursday said he cancelled a third consecutive day of strikes on Iran, claiming a deal is close and that a “time and place of the signing” are “to be announced shortly.” Earlier, he had warned Iran would be hit “very hard” and threatened US strikes on oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island.

A senior Iranian official reportedly said a proposal for a memorandum of understanding with the US is “under consideration” by top leaders, though the timing of any agreement remains uncertain.

Iran’s IRGC said it carried out retaliatory attacks on US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan after US strikes on Iran, and announced the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported Israeli attacks have killed 3,711 people and injured 11,483, while Israeli forces continued bombardments in southern Lebanon.

US-Iran peace deal

Hopes over a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States grew on Friday after Trump said a deal could be signed as early as this weekend. However, Iran said it has not yet taken a final decision on the proposed deal.

If finalised, the agreement would mark the biggest diplomatic step so far towards ending the three-month conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and pushed global energy prices higher.

Trump says ‘great’ Iran deal could be signed ‘very soon’

Trump announced what he described as a "great settlement" to end the war with Iran and said he expected the agreement to be signed in Europe, possibly this weekend.

"We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The two sides would, "subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done over the next few days, probably have a signing, maybe in Europe. It's a great thing."

Trump said he believed Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had personally approved the agreement, adding that Iran had accepted it because they had "taken a pounding."

He also said the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments that Iran claims to have closed, would reopen once the agreement is signed.

Iran says haven't made final decision on deal

Iranian media quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying that much of the draft text being negotiated has been completed, but Iran would not give up its red lines.

"We have not reached a final conclusion on this matter," he said. "This is a very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies."

Qatar, UAE, Pakistan pushed Trump to back away from Iran strikes?

The leaders of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan spoke to US President Donald Trump after he warned that Iran could be hit “very hard tonight” and urged him not to take any action, Politico reported, citing officials and a diplomat.

These countries hold influence in Tehran and over Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. According to one administration official, their message that an initial agreement was close helped persuade him to step back from plans for an attack.

India condemns attack on vessels that killed Indian seafarers

India said on Thursday that three merchant ships carrying Indian crew members were attacked by the American military off the coast of Oman over the past four days, resulting in the deaths of three Indian nationals. New Delhi has formally protested to the United States over the incidents.

"We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at an inter-ministerial media briefing.

"We summoned the US Charge d'Affaires and he was conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest," he said.

Jaiswal said the attacks "must stop".

"We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law," he said.