War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

The Iraqi Embassy in Washington, DC, says the country’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has “reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to confining arms and decisions of war and peace exclusively to the hands of the state” during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, the mission says, “The foreign minister expressed Iraq’s deep appreciation for the United States and the International Coalition for the support and sacrifices they provided in defeating the ISIS organisation.”

The US Secretary of War has directed the Pentagon’s chief technology officer to commission a study of future battlefields and the weapons and technology needed to dominate them, Al Jazeera reports citing a Pentagon memo published on X, which says US operations in Iran “showcased not only the skill and bravery of our warfighters, but also our unmatched technological prowess”.

The memo orders Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael to set up ‘Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare’ through a partner organisation.

‘Meridian’ will identify the capabilities US forces need and propose solutions for developing, testing and fielding them.

The memo cites rapid advances in AI, autonomy, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology, which it says “will profoundly alter the character of warfare”, adding that the US Department of War “must not take our current advantages for granted”.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels says it has intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by the group towards the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, according to Reuters.

Israeli warplanes have struck the town of al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reports citing the official National News Agency.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim that Saudi forces launched 94 strikes against areas under their control in the past 24 hours, as the group and the Saudi-led coalition clash in the country’s revived civil war, AFP reports.

The group claims that the number of Saudi strikes on its positions has reached 1,350 since the start of the renewed fighting, adding that they targeted areas across Houthi-held territory.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II, in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has called for a comprehensive de-escalation agreement that guarantees the security and sovereignty of Arab states, Al Jazeera reports.

According to a statement released by Amman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the king stresses the “pivotal role” of the United States in supporting regional stability.

He also points to the outcomes of the latest round of the Aqaba Meetings held recently in France, which aim to mobilise international support for the Lebanese army so it can preserve the country’s security and stability.

Oil prices have started to fall after a decision to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel reserves, Reuters reports citing remarks by International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol.

“We took a step today on diesel. We held a meeting with world leaders and announced that we would start releasing 100 million barrels of oil again,” Birol says at a press meeting in Istanbul. “Prices are starting to fall.

“I hope this will be a beneficial step both for the world and for Turkiye,” he adds.

Bahrain has strongly condemned an alleged attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on an electricity distribution station in Madina, terming it a flagrant violation of the “sanctity of Islamic holy sites and an assault on the sentiments of Muslims around the world”, Al Jazeera reports.

Shura Council representatives have also expressed Bahrain’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supported its right to “safeguard its sovereignty, security and stability”.

The statement adds that Saudi Arabia’s security is an “integral part” of that of Bahrain.

During an emergency meeting, the G7 has again denounced Iran’s attacks on neighbouring countries amid Washington’s war on Tehran, Al Jazeera reports.

Iraq has announced an agreement allowing Iranian airlines to operate 40 flights daily to and from Najaf International Airport, excluding Mahan Air, Al Jazeera reports citing a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, which adds that flights focused on moving tourists and pilgrims will resume.

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a small fire and a blackout onboard, Reuters reports citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO).

UKMTO says the fire was extinguished and no casualties or environmental damage were reported.

A $8.4 billion oil recovery project mentioned by President Donald Trump is not part of a strategic investment agreement between the US and South Korea, Reuters reports citing South Korean news agency Yonhap, which cites an industry ministry official.

The official says an inquiry has been sent to the US side through communication channels, according to the report.

Mohsen Rezaei, Chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has mocked US President Donald Trump, calling him the worst president in American history and adding that while he keeps talking, “his words have even outrun his own fantasies”.

“You can win every day in your own imagination. But reality is shaped by Iran — by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles,” he writes on X.

China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sun Lei says, “Iran’s legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy should be respected,” according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the G7’s decision to release 100 million barrels of oil in coordination with partner states and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“We welcome the decision of G7 countries not to impose any export bans on allies and the continued solidarity between partners [and] we support an IEA-coordinated release of fuel stocks,” she writes on X. “Our citizens need and deserve affordable energy.”

The hunger crisis in Yemen threatens to become “absolutely devastating” as renewed fighting grips the country, the UN’s World Food Programme has warned, AFP reports.

The WFP said that unless the international community stepped up its efforts to help, the outlook was bleak.

“Hunger in Yemen today is accelerating before our eyes,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s assistant executive director for programme operations.

The latest flare-up “threatens to be absolutely devastating” for food security in the country, he told a press conference in Geneva, speaking from Rome.

“We are scaling up as the WFP, but we’re doing so with very limited resources and access to areas that we need to get into,” he said, warning that the crisis could compound “far beyond” Yemen’s borders.

Syria has condemned “in the strongest terms” an attack by Yemen’s Houthis on an electricity distribution station in Madina, describing it as a “flagrant violation” of Saudi sovereignty and international law, Al Jazeera reports.

Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, calling for an immediate end to the targeting of civilian sites and holy placea, says Damascus stands “fully” with Riyadh in “all legitimate measures” to protect its security, stability and territorial integrity.

Following a meeting of the G7, French President Emannuel Macron says the group will work together to reduce the prices of petroleum products — particularly diesel — and has agreed to release 100 million barrels within four months, in coordination with partners and the International Energy Agency.

In a post on X, Macron writes that the G7 has also agreed to make production more flexible to produce at the maximum capacity of its refineries, alongside taking no measures to restrict the exchange of energy and petroleum products between partner nations.

US President Donald Trump has announced in a post on Truth Social that Europe has agreed to release a “massive amount” of its diesel oil stocks and that the process “will begin immediately”.

US President Donald Trump says a deal with South Korea includes an $8.4 billion oil recovery programme, amid global shortages caused by the Iran war.

“Producing more oil and gas means American energy dominance and energy security in the world for the future!” Trump writes on his Truth Social platform.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the telephone and expressed condolences for the death of his sister, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

“The prime minister expressed his deepest sympathies to Foreign Minister Araghchi and his family and offered prayers for the departed soul, praying that Allah Almighty may grant her eternal peace and give strength and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss,” it reads.

The PMO adds that Araghchi thanked PM Shehbaz for the call and for sharing in his grief.

Oil prices have fallen more than $3 after reports of talks in Europe on additional diesel and crude stock releases, easing concerns over tight global energy supplies, Reuters reports.

Brent is down $3.06, or three per cent, at $99.25 a barrel as of 1409 GMT (7:09pm PKT). West Texas Intermediate has dropped $3.95, or 4.25pc, to $88.92 a barrel.

A US energy department electrical engineer has been arrested for allegedly supporting Yemen’s Houthi rebels by purchasing materials for homemade explosives and drones and travelling to Yemen, Anadolu reports citing US local media.

“Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested [on] Thursday and is due to make his first court appearance Friday,” CBS News reports, citing the US Justice Department.

Ellaboudy sought to help the Houthis enhance their communications capabilities and travelled to Yemen last September, CBS News, citing a claim by the FBI.

“Ellaboudy used a passport issued to him when he was working at the US Army Corps of Engineers to make his way to Oman, then bordering Yemen,” CBS News quotes the Justice Department as saying.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto says contributions to an EU naval mission protecting Red Sea shipping remain insufficient, as Rome presses allies to do more to safeguard traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Reuters reports.

In a statement issued after meeting in Rome with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Crosetto welcomes a decision by some member states to contribute additional assets to Aspides, without identifying the countries involved.

“However, those contributions are still not enough to guarantee the safe passage of merchant vessels,” Crosetto said.

The European Union’s Aspides mission was launched in 2024 to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with diplomats saying six warships are currently deployed.

The 277th Corps Commanders’ Conference in Rawalpindi has condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.

“It (the forum) strongly resented Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, expressed solidarity with the kingdom and affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the security and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain,” the Inter-Services Public Relations says in a statement.