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

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US-Iran war live updates: Here's a recap of the developments so far:

• The United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement to resolve their conflict, though negotiations have not yet crossed the finish line, reports said.
• US forces shot down several Iranian one-way attack drones that were heading towards the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that upon finalisation, a draft deal with the United States would be signed "remotely", which could happen “in the coming days.”
• Pakistan's prime minister said on Friday that the United States and Iran had agreed on the wording of an agreement aimed at ending the conflict.
• The United Arab Emirates denied media reports claiming that it had transferred money to Iran, rejecting the allegations amid heightened regional tensions.

US-Iran war live updates: Israel has not taken part in the negotiations, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would not be a party to the agreement.

Netanyahu has been at odds with Trump in recent weeks over US calls for Israel to limit its military operations in Lebanon, as Washington seeks to secure a deal with Tehran.

Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi said the agreement would bring an end to the war in Lebanon, suggesting that Israel would withdraw from occupied areas.

However, Israel's defence minister said the country would not pull out. A senior Israeli official told news agency Reuters that Israel expects to maintain its freedom to act against any threats.

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that a draft deal with the United States included ending a naval blockade of Iranian ports and arrangements on managing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"The naval blockade must be completely lifted. That is the first point mentioned in the agreement," Araghchi said in an interview with state television.

"Iran has made a firm decision that the administration of Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same as before," he noted, adding that discussions were ongoing with Oman on the matter.

US-Iran war live updates: The United States has deported an Iranian pro-democracy activist to Central African Republic, her lawyer said on Friday, describing it as a "super dangerous" transfer to a country with which the activist has no connection.

The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund (IALDF) said on Thursday that three Iranian women who fled persecution were at risk of deportation, including one who had converted to Christianity.

In the end, only the activist was on the flight which took off from Louisiana on Thursday night, said her lawyer, Emily Trostle, while not ruling out that the others could potentially be deported later.

The plane landed in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, shortly before 10 p.m. local time (2100 GMT), after a stop in Ghana's capital Accra, according to the ICE Flight Monitor managed by Human Rights First.

(Inputs from Reuters)

US-Iran war live updates: US forces shot down several Iranian one-way attack drones that were heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

This comes at a time when both Washington and Tehran have cited progress in ongoing peace negotiations.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drones had posed a threat to commercial traffic.

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that upon finalisation, a draft deal with the United States would be signed "remotely", which could happen "in the coming days."

"As soon as the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced. The signing will initially take place digitally. Each side will sign remotely. After that, it will be announced that this memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties," said Araghchi in an interview with state television.

"This could happen in the coming days. I am very hopeful."

US-Iran war live updates: 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.”

US-Iran war live updates: Pakistan's prime minister said on Friday that the United States and Iran had agreed on the wording of an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, with mediators currently working with both sides to finalize the deal.

According to three regional officials, the emerging agreement is expected to pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

US-Iran war live updates: The United Nations' atomic watchdog will make verifying the full scope of Tehran's nuclear capabilities its top priority as Iran and the United States move closer to a possible agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, according to the agency's chief.

"We will have to be looking at everything there, everything," International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters in Vienna on Friday.

US-Iran war live updates: Pakistan's prime minister said on Friday that the United States and Iran had agreed on the wording of an agreement aimed at ending their conflict in the Middle East, with mediators working with both sides to finalize the deal.

According to three regional officials, the emerging agreement is expected to pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

US-Iran war live updates: The United Arab Emirates denied media reports claiming that it had transferred money to Iran, rejecting the allegations amid heightened regional tensions.

The denial came in response to reports suggesting funds had been moved to Tehran.

The UAE said no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred or moved through the country, according to a statement.

US-Iran war live updates: Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, citing a local official, reported that blasts heard at Sirik port were linked to warning shots fired in the Strait of Hormuz.

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that a draft agreement with the United States would be signed remotely once negotiations are finalised, adding that the process could be completed "in the coming days."

"As soon as the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced. The signing will initially take place digitally. Each side will sign remotely. After that, it will be announced that this memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties," Araghchi said in an interview with state television.

"This could happen in the coming days. I am very hopeful."

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran believed the only way to deal with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium is dilution in the country.

"Our position has always been that the only way to deal with the stockpile of enriched material is to dilute it inside Iran," said Araghchi in an interview with state television.

US-Iran war live updates: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and conveyed India's strong protest over the US Navy attacks in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners.

"Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening. I reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified," Jaishankar wrote on X.

US-Iran war live updates: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel is attempting to derail a potential agreement between Tehran and Washington.

US-Iran war live updates: Gold was on track for a second consecutive weekly decline on Friday as expectations of higher interest rates weighed on the non-yielding metal ahead of next week's US Federal Reserve meeting.

Spot gold rose 0.3% to $4,227.17 an ounce by 2:15 p.m. ET (1815 GMT), but was down 2.3% for the week. US gold futures climbed 3% to settle at $4,238.80.

"I think that the inflation is going to linger for some time, even if oil prices do come down... we've heard this story before and there's some degree of scepticism," said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.

US-Iran war live updates: The conflict involving Iran is pushing up jet fuel prices and worsening supply pressures for African airlines, prompting carriers to reassess routes and raising concerns over the resilience of the continent's aviation network.

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) said the crisis has highlighted the sector's heavy reliance on imported refined jet fuel, leaving airlines exposed to global disruptions.

According to AFRAA, African carriers were already paying about 17% more for jet fuel than the global average before the Iran conflict, with fresh price pressures adding to already thin margins across the industry.

US-Iran war live updates: Former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant raised questions about the location of Iran's uranium stockpile, asking, "Where is the uranium?"

US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump said he had sought a public clarification over Iranian state media reports claiming Tehran would receive billions of dollars in frozen assets immediately after signing the agreement, according to an Axios report.

Trump also said Iran had privately "apologized for putting out false information," though it remained unclear how any such message had been conveyed. The president added that he still believed a deal could be signed over the weekend or on Monday.

US-Iran war live updates: Iran has committed to never developing a nuclear weapon, reaffirming that it will not pursue nuclear arms.

US-Iran war live updates: 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 U.S. 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."

US-Iran war live updates: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said no comment could be made on the time or location for signing the memorandum of understanding, stressing that any such details would only be disclosed after a decision is formally reached in Tehran.

US-Iran war live updates: Iran's decision making bodies are meeting about the memorandum, says Iran foreign ministry