War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Seven people were killed in US attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir, a port city in southern Iran, IRNA reported, citing the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Reuters reports.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reports that a US missile strike has hit the Chabahar maritime control tower.

The attack marks the third time a US strike has hit the facility over the past week, it added.

Iran said it had targeted US military infrastructure in Kuwait in response to American attacks, AFP reports.

Iran said it had deployed drones in Kuwait to target “the deployment sites of US forces and the logistical support centers of the ‘terrorist’ and ‘child-killing’ US military”, Iranian state TV reported.

“The attacks were in response to the crimes of the arrogant enemy and in revenge for the blood of the martyrs of the homeland,” it added.

Qatar’s interior ministry says that a child was injured by falling shrapnel following an attack from Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

“Based on received reports and field findings, the Ministry confirms that one child was injured by falling shrapnel resulting from the interception operations; the child is currently receiving the necessary medical care,” it said.

Qatar says it had intercepted a missile attack, after AFP journalists in the capital Doha reported hearing several blasts.

“The Ministry of Defence of State of Qatar announces that armed forces intercepted missile attack which targeted State of Qatar,” the defence ministry writes on X.

Oil prices inched higher after the US and Iran stepped up attacks across the Gulf, with their broken truce limiting oil flows out of the Strait of Hormuz and with Tehran asking the Houthi movement to stand ready to shut the Red Sea export route, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures rose $1.05, or about 1.25 per cent, to $85.28 a barrel by 0118 GMT, and US West Texas Intermediate futures rose $1.03, or 1.3pc, to $79.98 a barrel, erasing losses from the previous session.

Both benchmark contracts have climbed nearly 12pc this week, with Brent on track for a third consecutive weekly gain and WTI for a second weekly gain.

The US military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran that were carried out at President Donald Trump’s direction and marked a sixth consecutive night of American strikes, Reuters reports.

“US forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities,” the US Central Command said in a statement.

AFP journalists in Doha reported hearing several blasts, as Iran attacked US allies in the renewed Middle East war.

A public safety alert warned the security threat level was “elevated” and urged residents to take shelter.

Deadly US strikes overnight hit an airport, a railway station and two bridges in Iran, killing three people, AFP reports, citing Iranian state media.

A US strike on two bridges in Hormozgan province killed three people and wounded nine, state TV wrote on Telegram, updating an earlier toll.

“Three explosions were heard around the airport and at least one American enemy projectile hit Iranshahr airport,” in the southeast, state television IRIB said on Telegram.

“A few minutes ago, the Bandar Abbas Railway Junction Station was targeted by the American enemy. According to this report, two Iranians were injured in the attack,” the Mehr news agency said on Telegram.

Another US attack wounded one person in the western port city of Bushehr, Iranian state media posted on Telegram.

Kuwait says it was responding to missile and drone attacks, a day after the Gulf nation faced aerial attacks from Iran, according to AFP.

“Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missiles and drone attacks following the nefarious Iranian aggression,” the army wrote on X.

In Bahrain, the interior ministry said that a siren had been sounded, urging citizens to take shelter.

Iranian state media said the Islamic republic’s army was targeting US helicopters and planes at an air base in Bahrain “in response to the enemy’s hostile action in targeting urban infrastructure and innocent people”.

Dubai has warned of “necessary measures” against any media publishing false news, after Reuters reported sounds of explosions in the city centre of the UAE’s financial hub, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement published on X, Dubai Media Office warns that “action will be taken against media outlets that publish false news or unverified information about Dubai, in accordance with local and federal laws and regulations”.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has criticised the US and Israel for voting against key UN anti-terrorism resolutions, including a resolution from earlier this month on global counterterrorism, Al Jazeera reports.

“Aren’t they revealing?” Baghaei says in a post on X.

US arms deliveries to Estonia which were temporarily suspended due to the Iran war are now expected to arrive in the Baltic country in the coming months, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur tells public broadcaster ERR, Reuters reports.

Estonia’s President Alar Karis said in late April that his country had been informed of delays related to HIMARS rocket systems.

“At the moment, logistical details are being agreed upon when it will be possible to send the plane to pick it up,” Pevkur tells ERR.

But while most of the agreed arms supplies are now expected to take place, US-made ATACMS missiles are still pending as these are closely related to US operations in Iran, Pevkur says.

Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster reports that three explosions have been heard west of Bandar Abbas, accordign to Anadolu.

United States Central Command (Centcom) has confirmed that it launched strikes against Iran at 2pm Eastern Time (11pm PKT) to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities”.

Asked about contradictory statements on negotiating with Iran by US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt says they are “on the exact same page”.

“I can tell you that the president and the vice president are on the exact same page about where we are right now in this conflict,” she tells reporters.

Leavitt adds that US military action was effective because it has left Iran’s leadership divided and unable to communicate with each other.

Qatar has “categorically rejected” Israeli media reports that the country agreed to participate in military action against Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

“The State of Qatar will not allow such misleading allegations to undermine its active diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end,” a statement issued by Qatar’s International Media Office reads.

Asked if negotiations with Iran would be worthwhile at this point, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt noted that Tehran’s economy and military have suffered “devastating blows”, but that the president is open to diplomacy.

“The president is always open and willing to diplomacy,” she tells reporters. “After Operation Epic Fury … we did move forward into a diplomatic phase, if you will, but unfortunately, Iran has violated that.”

She adds that US President Donald Trump has proven that Washington can strike Iran at any time and that it is unable to defend itself.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has said that the US launched strikes on Iran after the latter violated the memorandum of understanding by firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, though she notes that Tehran is still talking to Washington.

“I’ve spoken with the president about this … Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and express that they want to make a deal with us because they are suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military,” she says in response to a question.

“The reason for the recent strikes over the course of the last several days is because Iran violated the memorandum of understanding that we struck with them,” she adds. “Specifically … they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and unfortunately, they have made the tragic decisions for them to do that.

Leavitt says, “President Trump is not going to sit by and allow these active acts of terrorism to take place in the strait without ensuring Iran pays consequences for that.”

Asked why US President Donald Trump is refusing to accept responsibility for the Minab school strike, which left 168 people dead at the start of the Iran war, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the matter remains under investigation.

“All I can speak to is what the president has said, as I speak on his behalf. The investigation continues and we would defer you to the Department of War for further questions,” she replies.

Pressed on why Trump continues to deny that the US was responsible, Leavitt reiterates that the matter is under investigation.

“I think the president feels that way because he knows that our military always acts in good faith and never targets civilians and children, unlike the other side in this conflict, Iran, which is well-known for killing women and children and innocent people in their country for a long time,” she adds.

Israeli forces have “carried out a large explosion operation” near the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyyeh in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reports citing Lebanon’s NNA.

The Bahrain coastguard has imposed new restrictions on vessel traffic within the country’s territorial waters, Al Jazeera reports citing an official announcement.

The directive prohibits the movement of all vessels starting at 6:30pm (8:30pm PKT) and ending at 4am (6am PKT).

Iran’s top negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the country has “no choice but to rely on our own strength and become stronger”, adding that the US “seeks to hit Iran and advance its interests whenever it can”, Al Jazeera reports.

“This is not limited to war, negotiations, or just this current US president,” he says in a statement issued on social media. “So our view of war or negotiations must be based on national interests and security, realistic and long-term; therefore, we have no choice but to rely on our own strength and become stronger.”