War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has exchanged views on regional and international developments with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Office (FO) has said in a post on X.

The two ministers particularly focused on the “evolving situation in the region and efforts to promote peace and stability”, the FO said.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says in his seven-hour meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader emphasised “maintaining national unity and cohesion and paying attention to the people’s livelihood”, according to Al Jazeera.

His remarks have been reported by Iran’s Fars news agency.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “completely healthy”, according to ISNA news agency.

“Someone who can sit and discuss for seven to eight hours cannot have any health problems,” the president said, noting that he had held a “very good” meeting with Khamenei.

United States Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker has appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in navigating the regional conflict and its economic implications while maintaining economic and financial stability, in a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

According to the ministry of finance, Baker called on Aurangzeb to discuss Pakistan-US economic relations and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

Aurangzeb briefed her on measures the government was taking to manage the evolving situation, including the recent move towards daily price revisions for petroleum products to align domestic prices more closely with international market conditions.

“Baker reaffirmed US support for Pakistan’s economic reform agenda and appreciated the government’s efforts to stabilise the economy amid challenging circumstances,” the ministry said.

Sanae Takaichi has urged the resumption of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during a phone conversation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Al Jazeera reports.

Haitham bin Tariq responded that Oman would consult with and respect the views of countries that use the waterway, Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo, according to Kyodo News.

According to Muscat Daily, the two leaders exchanged views on regional developments, during which the Japanese PM expressed appreciation for Oman’s ongoing efforts to support dialogue, de-escalation, and international peace and security.

They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields in pursuit of their mutual interests, as well as regional developments, the newspaper said.

The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States deployed its most advanced military technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in the war against Iran, but ultimately failed to overcome the country’s institutional resilience, ideological cohesion, unity and national resolve, according to Press TV.

Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi said that artificial intelligence was the coordinating element of a major part of a network of technologies used by the US to identify targets, assess damage and track human resources.

The IRGC spokesman said the US brought its latest military capabilities into the battlefield but “failed in these areas”.

“AI analysed targets based on data received from various sources, but it could not monitor the institutional and ideological power of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Mohebi said.

He also highlighted Iran’s technological capabilities, saying the country had used its missile and drone capabilities to disrupt parts of the enemy’s network of power.

Oman says it is working to contain an oil spill off its southern coast after a tanker ran aground in June inside a protected marine area, triggering calls for action by environmentalists, according to AFP.

It follows an investigation by AFP that found the ship had been stranded for weeks near al-Qibliyyah island after it was rocked by explosions. The Oman Environment Authority says the ongoing spill has affected roughly 390 square kilometres, according to its most recent analysis.

A report in the state-backed Oman News Agency quoted an official with the transport ministry as saying authorities were conducting aerial surveillance and had deployed divers. The official said authorities were in the early stages of developing a plan to transfer the vessel’s oil cargo.

Omani authorities have not yet identified the cause of the spill. But British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was rocked by explosions in early June as it sailed off the coast of Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.

Iranian member of parliament Ali Nikzad has said that the route determined by the armed forces in the Strait of Hormuz is the “only route” for ships to pass through, according to ISNA news agency.

“The Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions,” he said, adding that the US and Israel must “submit to the new regional order”.

The Foreign Office (FO) has said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed developments in the region with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in a telephone call.

They discussed matters of mutual interest, including multilateral cooperation and regional developments.

They also underscored the importance of “continued close coordination and cooperation, both bilaterally and at multilateral forums”, the FO said.

The Azerbaijani president has thanked his Iranian counterpart “for his kind and sincere words” after the latter said that Baku sent Iran aid during the war, Al Jazeera reports.

“The peoples of Azerbaijan and Iran have always stood by each other’s side in narrow and difficult days,” Ilham Aliyev has said on X.

He has added: “Against the backdrop of the recent events that have taken place in our region, Azerbaijan has once again demonstrated that it stands by its brotherly Iranian people.”

Pezeshkian had made remarks about Azerbaijan’s help to Iran, particularly in resolving issues on routes for delivering aid.

Hans Grundberg has expressed concern over recent attacks by the Houthi movement on al-Makha (Mocha) in Yemen, and called for a de-escalation of tensions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, Al Jazeera reports.

In a written statement on X, the UN envoy for Yemen has said the recent attacks “come amid the most significant intensification of military activity since the 2022 UN-brokered truce, sharply increasing the risk of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen”, adding that they have also put civilians “at grave risk”.

“This escalation must stop, and civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” he added, calling for “maximum restraint”.

Yemen’s army said the attack on al-Makha killed seven people – four soldiers and three civilians – and wounded at least 30 others.

Ali-Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, has congratulated Mohsen Rezaei on his appointment as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), saying his strategic outlook and revolutionary spirit will help protect Iran’s security and national interests, IRNA reports.

In a post on social media, Velayati said appointing experienced figures with backgrounds in difficult management roles reflects foresight amid major geopolitical changes in the region and the world.

He said that he and Rezaei, whom he described as a longtime friend and colleague, had gained extensive experience during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war while serving the country in different capacities but pursuing a shared objective.

Velayati said that, based on his longstanding friendship and familiarity with Rezaei, he was confident Rezaei’s strategic outlook and revolutionary spirit would effectively contribute to safeguarding Iran’s security and national interests.

Ali Nikzad, Iran’s deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has said the Strait of Hormuz is not going to return to its pre-war condition, Al Jazeera reports.

Addressing the assembly on the current conditions in the region, he said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran tried to inform the aggressor and deluded enemy of the fact that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to return to the pre-war conditions during the days of the war.”

“Unfortunately, they tried to pretend not to know, but the passage of time is the greatest teacher for deluded people, and today the American-Zionist enemy, with a strong fist of armed forces, has practically realised that the opening of the Strait of Hormuz has no military solution and must submit to the new order in the region,” Nikzad said.

He added that Iran’s most important priority currently, however, is to reduce the country’s economic problems.

Iranian foreign ministry’s Esmaeil Baqaei has emphasised that resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz requires redressing the “violations” of the Islamabad MoU committed by the US, IRNA notes.

Responding to a query about compensation plans for shipping via Hormuz, Baqaei recalled that FM Abbas Araghchi was “referring to the fact that the current focus of the negotiations with Oman is on reaching an understanding on a safe shipping route, and this issue is separate from the discussion of opening the Strait of Hormuz”.

Baqaei asserted that the “Strait of Hormuz is insecure for other reasons, and resolving this situation requires compensating for all the violations that the United States is committing, such as the naval blockade that we are still facing”.

Tehran has said Iranians had shown “they are professional chess players” in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump comparing his dealings with Iran to the board game, AFP reports.

“Lights out or lights on, Iranians showed they are professional chess players,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press conference.

Trump had earlier been quoted by news outlet Axios as saying he was “low-keying it” with Iran.

“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” he said.

“It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” Trump added.

Baqaei also reiterated that “as long as the US naval blockade continues… as long as other violations by the US continue, the necessary conditions for saying that the Strait of Hormuz has become a safe waterway will not exist”.

Iran notes that bilateral ties between Islamabad and Tehran have become “even more important than before” since the war began, with Pakistan serving as the key mediator.

Asked about Pakistan’s invitations to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and FM Abbas Araghchi to visit Pakistan, the spokesperson said, “This visit will take place whenever the time is right. Bilateral relations are mainly considered.

“The relationship between Iran and Pakistan is a very important one,” Baqaei said, stressing that such “visits are a natural part of the good relationship between the two neighbours”.

On another question during the press briefing, Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran was “not negotiating with the United States” currently, according to IRNA.

He added, “Of course, it is natural to exchange messages through mediators on current issues, but what the next step will be depends on the circumstances. Currently, we are focused on negotiations with Oman to determine the shipping route.”

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has said that negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz are ongoing in a “very smooth and constructive manner”, IRNA reports.

“I had previously said that an understanding has been reached regarding the traffic map, and there are still some technical points that are being discussed regarding the joint statement, but the negotiations are taking place in a very smooth and constructive manner,” he said.

“We are not discussing such details at this stage. Discussions are still ongoing,” Baqaei replied when asked if the transit fee will be divided between Iran and Oman.

He continued: “What is clear is that mechanisms will be created that, in addition to monitoring the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, will provide cooperation on environmental issues, provide maritime services, and combat crime. As a rule, when you provide maritime services, you must receive compensation from us.”

Esmaeil Baqaei also paid tribute to the journalists killed in Iran, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, Al Jazeera reports.

“During the last two years, we have lost so many of your colleagues in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. They have lost their lives for the sake of doing their jobs. We have lost so many of our loved ones,” he told a press conference.

“We send a big salute to all of our martyrs who have lost their lives for the sake of our country and for the sake of the mission of journalism,” he added.

“This region doesn’t need players from outside and this development in itself must attract attention,” Iranian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says, Al Jazeera reports.

“The region must not be left under the illusion of achieving security through America. America is part of the lack of security in the region,” he was quoted as saying.

He further said that the US creates the conditions for Israel to wage war with impunity.

“The Americans are supporting the Zionist entity politically and on the security level; without the Americans, the Zionist entity will never be able to do what they did and continue their crimes.”

He added that no one can hold them accountable “or take them to court”.

Iran foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has said that the joint defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye shows a “change in perception” towards the US, AFP reports.

He further said that Iran has “deep ties with Turkiye, Pakistan, and even Saudi Arabia, and there is no reason to be concerned about the Makkah Pact”, according to Fars.

Fars quoted him as saying that regional countries have “realised over the past three years that security is not a commodity to be purchased from false brokers”.

“Any plan that is based on facts and correctly identifies the enemy and the threat will contribute to regional security and prevent instability from the Zionist enemy,” he added.

Oil prices are little changed after surrendering earlier gains, as optimism over talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was tempered by Iran’s insistence that the United States satisfy several demands before the waterway could reopen, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures stood at $83.54 a barrel, off 1pc, by 11:43am PKT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 15 cents, or 0.2pc to $78.03 a barrel.

Both benchmarks had fallen more than 7pc last week on hopes that Iran and Oman were close to reaching a deal that would result in a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil before the war.

Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s economic operation “is devastating the Iranian economy”, claiming that the Iranian side keeps coming to the negotiating table asking for cash, Al Jazeera reports.

“When Iran is coming to the table with our negotiators, they are talking about cash, cash, cash. Because they’ll absorb the bombings,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News. “I say this jokingly but seriously as well – the Iranians are more afraid of Secretary Bessent than they are of [Defence] Secretary Hegseth right now.”

The US envoy claimed that Iranian leaders “don’t care about” their military or the Iranian people. Instead, they mainly care that “their currency is tanking” and that “inflation is the highest [it has been] in 80 years”, he said.

“They are constantly asking for access to cash, access to their assets that we have frozen … that’s the squeeze. That, coupled with the blockade, that’s what’s going to eventually get the Iranians to move.”

Israeli forces have opened fire using machine guns this morning towards the southern Lebanese town of Wadi al-Salouqi, Al Jazeera reports, citing Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

It said Israeli forces also fired shells at the town of al-Mansouri overnight.

The report did not say whether there were any casualties or injuries.

The Israeli military issued a forced displacement order for the town of al-Mansouri on Wednesday, marking its first displacement directive in weeks.

US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has said that President Donald Trump has “lost this war” with Iran, arguing that continued fighting is weakening the US while strengthening Tehran, according to Anadolu Agency.

“America is weaker. Iran is stronger,” Murphy told NBC, saying he would support even a “bad deal” to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the cost of reopening the strategic waterway was rising as negotiations remained stalled.

“The war needs to end because every day that the war continues, America gets weaker, Iran gets stronger, and people here in the United States get screwed as prices go up and up and up,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he would oppose funding to continue the war but would support replenishing US munitions after the conflict ends.