War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

A Houthi drone attack on Yemen’s Marib province killed three members of government forces and wounded another four, a Yemeni military source told AFP.

“Three killed and four wounded in a preliminary toll from the Houthi drone attack on the Harib area, in the south of Marib,” the source said.

Oil has extended gains amid further concerns around the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran, working with Oman, suggested banning vessels deemed hostile from the strait and heavily fining those which violated the proposed rules, Reuters notes.

Brent crude futures were up 85 cents, or 1.03pc, at $83.34 a barrel by 11:34am PKT. US West Texas Intermediate futures rose 52 cents, or 0.67pc, to $77.81.

Oil futures settled up more than $3 a barrel yesterday as an Iranian lawmaker said a parliamentary committee is reviewing a preliminary bill to ban US, Israeli and other vessels deemed hostile from the Strait of Hormuz, and fine violators of the proposed restrictions up to 20pc of cargo value, according to the Fars news agency.

Analysts said the events that have unfolded this week signalled that the hostilities between Iran and the US are not yet over.

Saudi Arabia expects imminent coordinated attacks from the north and south by Iran-aligned Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthis, Reuters reports, citing an unnamed senior Saudi official.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence reports from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional countries indicated civilian and economic sites could be targeted, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports.

Saudi Arabia had also observed drones and missiles being moved, suggesting coordinated operations from both directions, the official said.

The official said the reported threats were particularly alarming as Riyadh continued to pursue de-escalation and a negotiated settlement, adding that contacts with all parties, including Iran, and mediation efforts appeared to be moving “in the right direction”.

The official said the planned attacks could be intended to disrupt those diplomatic efforts.

The official said Saudi-US cooperation remained “very high” at all levels, including operationally with US Central Command.

Israeli artillery struck the town of Al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon, Press Tv reports.

US President Donald Trump has ordered new investigations into the disclosures of the Pentagon’s munitions stockpile, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing administration officials.

Describing the move as an effort to “battle damaging revelations about the Iran war”, WSJ reported that the order came after multiple media reports on depleted munitions levels associated with the war, “despite administration assurances that the US has what it needs to fight Tehran and world powers such as Russia and China”.

“Trump has privately vented to cabinet officials and aides about the reports on munitions levels because he says they would embolden the Iranian regime and weaken the US position in trying to cap Tehran’s nuclear programme,” the WSJ report read.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has criticised his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan for accusing Israel of “destabilising Syria”, claiming that Türkiye is undermining Israel’s security by establishing military bases in Syria, Al Jazeera reports.

“What Minister Fidan wants is for Israel to stop protecting itself from threats to its security. This will not happen,” he wrote on X.

“Israel will continue to take all measures necessary to defend its citizens against any threat,” the minister said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, in a telephone conversation have discussed bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, IRNA reports.

During the phone call, Araghchi briefed his Mauritanian counterpart on Iran’s ongoing diplomatic initiatives to de-escalate regional tensions following recent illegal military actions by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran.

The two foreign ministers reaffirmed their mutual commitment to enhancing bilateral ties and strengthening cooperation between the two nations within international organisations.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled to 33 vessels from Monday to Thursday this week, data showed, versus 50 in the week-ago period, as markets watched talks between Iran and Oman for signs of progress in reopening the key waterway, Reuters reports.

Four vessels transited the strait a day earlier, including a very large crude carrier, Nissos Kea, carrying about 2 million barrels of Basrah crude loaded in Iraq, Kpler data showed.

Of the rest, two were laden with liquefied petroleum gas, and one was a minor bulk carrier.

Just six crude oil tankers have exited the strait this week, Kpler data showed. A total of 21 vessels have entered it so far, mostly via the Iranian route.

Several Chinese and Indian refiners have sought vessels this week to enter the strait and load crude at Iraq’s Basrah Oil Terminal, attracted by steep discounts, shipping sources said.

However, no vessels have been fixed so far as shipowners are wary of entering the waterway, they said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has discussed the situation in the Middle East and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea with French President Emmanuel Macron during a phone call, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

It said that the two leaders discussed joint efforts to enhance stability in the region and achieve security following attacks on Saudi targets by Yemen’s Houthis.

US President Donald Trump told reporters that he believed the war with Iran would be over soon and said the armed forces were experiencing issues with supplies of some weapons, Reuters reports.

“I think it’s going to end pretty soon. I don’t think they can go much longer,” Trump said in the Oval Office in a reference to Iran.

When asked about the status of munitions stockpiles, Trump said the country had an almost unlimited supply of certain weapons but acknowledged inventories of others were limited.

“We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful, that we have unlimited, virtual unlimited supply. We have others where it’s a little bit tighter,” Trump said.

Oil continued its rise amid further concerns around the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as Iran, working with Oman, suggested banning vessels deemed hostile from the strait and heavily fining those who violated the proposed rules, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures rose 99 cents, or 1.2 per cent, to $83.48 a barrel by 0010 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate futures rose 85 cents, or 1.1pc, to $78.84.

Yemen’s Houthis killed at least 58 government troops in missile and drone attacks, a military source said, in one of the deadliest days of the country’s civil war in four years, AFP reports.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels attacked government positions with ballistic missiles and drones in response to an alleged military buildup backed by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Israel has refused to withdraw from more areas of south Lebanon unless the Lebanese army has full control of an initial two “pilot zones”, a Lebanese presidential source tells AFP.

The seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel has been held in Rome under US auspices.

The Lebanese source tells AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the talks had “not yielded definitive results regarding the pilot zones”.

While the outlook from Beirut is dim, a US State Department spokesperson tells AFP that the talks were “productive”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia tomorrow, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Anadolu reports citing Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.

A proposed deal between Iran and Oman that aims to give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is not easily workable due to US sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on any payments, four industry sources tell Reuters.

Control of the strait has been the biggest sticking point in efforts to end the Middle East War.

Under the latest proposal, Tehran will be able to intervene if necessary with any inbound traffic, while outbound traffic would follow a route between Iran and Oman, with exit clearance granted through Oman after notifying Iran, a senior Iranian source has told Reuters this week.

The ability of merchant ships to navigate international waterways “safely, predictably and without unnecessary impediment is fundamental to resilient supply chains, economic stability and energy security,” the world’s leading shipping associations have said in an open letter this week.

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Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has assailed the US for using “bullying, broken promises [and] fake news as leverage” during negotiations.

“‘Massive attack coming … wait, never mind, they want to negotiate,’” he writes on X, in an apparent jibe at Washington’s qattitude throughout the peace process. “That’s theatre diplomacy on loop.”

Calling the US approach a “failed strategy”, he urges Washington to acknowledge facts and fulfil its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

“We don’t need more theatre.”

US Central Command (Centcom) says that 49 commercial vessels have been redirected, two disabled and two boarded as part of a naval blockade of Iran.

The Iranian parliament is reviewing the initial text of an agreement governing the Strait of Hormuz banning “vessels from hostile countries” from accessing the waterway, Al Jazeera reports citing state broadcaster IRIB.

The broadcaster adds that countries and individuals that “have caused damage to Iran” will not receive permission to pass until they pay for compensation.

US President Donald Trump has rejected media reports claiming there is a rift between him and his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump writes that he is “extremely happy” with Hegseth and that “everything has been extraordinary”.

“Iran, where the country has been decimated for the purpose of not allowing it to ever have a nuclear weapon, is going very well! Pete is highly respected within the military, and has made tremendous improvements, including getting rid of DEI, and increasing recruitment to historic levels,” he adds.

“This rumour was started by The Washington ComPost [sic], one of the worst media outlets in the business, despite our telling them their story is completely false. In actuality, I really believe their fake ‘reporting’ is treasonous!”

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports that Israel carried out a drone attack on Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district, though no casualties have been reported, according to Al Jazeera.

A Lebanese official has told Anadolu that the latest round of direct talks with Israel included the initial exchange of prisoner lists, with Beirut pressing for the first release as soon as possible.