US-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: 'Need 2 weeks to hit all Iran targets' - Trump after Tehran replies to US proposal

The Syria government has voiced “full solidarity” with Bahrain following Manama’s announcement that it had arrested operatives linked to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency.

Damascus said it fully supports Bahrain in “preserving its security and stability”.

Bahrain said on Saturday that authorities had arrested 41 individuals allegedly connected to Iran’s IRGC.

Earlier, Egypt and Kuwait also expressed support for Bahrain over the arrests.

More than a year has passed since Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam last met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the regional landscape has shifted significantly since then.

The visit is aimed at rebuilding ties and exploring cooperation on several key issues, particularly against the backdrop of the broader regional conflict, Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, and its continuing operations and presence in southern Syria.

Top of the agenda are border and security concerns. For years, Lebanon and Syria have struggled with the smuggling of drugs and weapons across their shared border, especially as Syria had long served as a key land corridor linking Iran to its ally Hezbollah.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is willing to transport and store Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

Addressing a news conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia had previously moved enriched uranium out of Iran in 2015 and was ready “to repeat this experience”.

He said all sides involved in the conflict had initially agreed to relocate the uranium outside Iran. “But then the United States hardened its position and demanded that the uranium be transported exclusively to US territory. Iran then hardened its position,” he said.

Putin added that Moscow would stay in contact with both Washington and Tehran, expressing hope that the conflict would end “as quickly as possible”.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards threatened Saturday to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran's response to its latest negotiating position.

"Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships," the Guards said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

US President Donald Trump had said on Friday he was expecting Iran's answer to Washington's latest proposal for a peace deal "supposedly tonight".

But if Tehran sent Pakistani mediators a response, there was no public sign of it, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly questioned the reliability of US leadership.

"The recent escalation of tensions by American forces in the Persian Gulf and their numerous actions in violating the ceasefire have added to suspicions about the motivation and seriousness of the American side in the path of diplomacy," he said in a call with his Turkish counterpart, according to Iran's ISNA news agency.

On Friday, a US fighter jet fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers that Washington accused of challenging its blockade of Iran's ports. An Iranian military official told local media the navy had responded with strikes.

That incident followed another flare-up the night before in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital international sea lane that Iran is seeking to control in order to extract tolls and wield economic leverage over the United States and its allies.

Israel carried out strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least nine people in the south according to authorities, with raids also targeting a highway not far from Beirut outside of Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

The fresh attacks were some of the most intense since the start of a three-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that has done little to halt daily exchanges of fire, mostly in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said Saturday that it had targeted troops in northern Israel with drones on at least two occasions in response to the continued strikes.

The Israeli military said "several" explosive drones were launched into Israeli territory, with one army reservist severely wounded and two others moderately injured in one of the attacks.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA), meanwhile, reported a series of Israeli strikes across the south, including one on the town of Saksakiyeh.

The health ministry said that raid "resulted in an initial toll of seven martyrs, including a girl, and 15 wounded, including three children".

The Israeli military said it struck "Hezbollah terrorists operating from within a structure used for military purposes" in Saksakiyeh.

It added it was "aware of reports regarding harm to uninvolved civilians in the structure in which the terrorists were struck. The details of the incident are under review."

The health ministry reported that another Israeli strike on a motorbike in the city of Nabatieh hit "a Syrian national and his 12-year-old daughter".

"After they managed to move away from the site of the first strike, the drone attacked a second time," killing the father, the ministry said, adding the drone then targeted the girl "directly for a third time".

The girl was undergoing life-saving surgery, it added.

In the southern town of Bedias, the health ministry said one person was killed in an Israeli strike and 13 wounded, including six children and two women.

Israel's military had called on residents of nine villages to evacuate, saying it would act "forcefully" against Hezbollah, though neither of the two locations of the fatal strikes were included in the warnings.

NNA also reported that the "Israeli enemy launched two strikes on the Saadiyat highway", referring to a location around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Beirut and outside areas where Hezbollah has traditionally held sway. It later reported a third strike nearby.

- 'A new phase' -

Under the terms of the ceasefire released by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks".

Earlier on Saturday, its military said it had struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the past 24 hours.

Its troops are also operating inside an Israeli-declared "yellow line", running around 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Lebanon along the border, where residents have been warned not to return.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Saturday warned of "a new phase, in which the resistance (Hezbollah) will not accept a return to pre-March 2".

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Even before then, Israel had carried out regular strikes targeting the group -- accusing it of seeking to rearm -- in spite of a 2024 ceasefire intended to end the last war between the foes.

Until March, Hezbollah had largely refrained from firing back.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday warned that any further attacks on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a “heavy assault” on American military assets and ships in the region, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington in the Persian Gulf.

In a statement posted on X, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command said, “Warning! Any aggression against Iran's oil tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy assault against one of the American centres in the region and the enemy's ships.”

Shortly afterward, the IRGC Aerospace Force claimed that Iranian missiles and drones were already targeting US military assets and naval vessels in the region.

“IRGC Aerospace Force missiles and drones have locked onto American targets in the region and the enemy aggressor's ships. We are awaiting the order to fire,” the post read.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard on Saturday threatened to target US sites in the region and "enemy ships" if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported.

"Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships," it said, a day after US attacks against two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (local time) described the ongoing hostilities between the United States and Iran pertaining to the West Asia region as a "very difficult conflict" while asserting that there is no evidence suggesting Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

Speaking to the media after the Victory Day Parade here, Putin said Russia maintains good relations with both Iran and other Persian Gulf nations and continues to engage with both sides to seek a resolution to the ongoing crisis.

"As for Iran and the United States, it's a very difficult conflict. It puts us in a difficult position because we have good relations with Iran and with the Persian Gulf nations. We maintain contact with both sides. I hope that this conflict will be brought to an end as soon as possible. I believe no one is interested in keeping it going," Putin said, adding that compromises remain possible.

Speaking on Iran's alleged ambition to acquire a nuclear weapon and its border nuclear programme, Putin highlighted Russia's past cooperation in 2015 and emphasised that ongoing projects, including the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran, remain focused on peaceful energy purposes.

"We had already once done it in 2015. And then Iran fully and not without reason trusted us. We continue the nuclear programmes in Iran; we completed the construction of Bushehr. Our work on peaceful atoms is not susceptible to the current situation. We did it in 2015, and it was a foundation for signing the treaty among all interested countries and Iran. It played a very positive role. I said once again that we are ready to repeat just that," the Russian President said.

Putin further noted that Russia has never found evidence of Iran seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

"If everybody agrees to it, Iran can be fully confident that it will export these materials to a friendly country that has cooperated and will continue to cooperate on the peaceful atom, and it doesn't strive to weaponise it. We have never once said that there is any evidence about Iran's striving for nuclear weapons. And all other participants, in my view, also could be interested," he added.

Putin recalled previous initiatives to manage Iran's uranium program, including proposals to process uranium in joint ventures under international supervision, emphasising that all operations would be overseen by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).


He added that Russia's offers remain on the table to ensure Iran's nuclear materials are handled safely and peacefully.


"Our offers are still on the table," Putin said.


"First, we could see how much uranium there is. Second, it would all be under the control of the IAEA. And third, the work would be organised under the supervision of the IAEA. We just want to make a possible contribution. If this doesn't suit anyone, then so be it," he added.


Iran's nuclear programme has always remained a central issue in ongoing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran as part of the negotiations in order to achieve a complete solution to the hostilities in West Asia.


The US has been demanding firm limits on Tehran's nuclear enrichment, while the Islamic Republic insists it has the right to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has stated that Iran’s advanced missiles and aerospace drones are fully locked on American targets and enemy ships across the Persian Gulf region, with forces standing by for the final order to strike.

“The missiles and aerospace drones are locked on the enemy and we are waiting for the firing order,” Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi said in a statement posted on social media on Saturday evening.

The senior IRGC commander’s statement comes amid escalating US provocations in the Persian Gulf and sends a crystal-clear message that the Islamic Republic will not tolerate further American aggression.

This firm warning follows the IRGC’s recent decisive response to hostile American actions. After US forces launched strikes on Iranian ships and tankers near Jask, the IRGC Navy swiftly mounted a precise and overwhelming counter-operation using anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and high-explosive drones.

The Iranian strikes inflicted heavy damage on enemy assets and forced the US vessels to flee the area in disarray.

Iranian officials have condemned these reckless US maneuvers as a dangerous threat to regional maritime security and international navigation.

The IRGC Navy has stressed that the only safe and authorized corridors for transit through the strategic Strait of Hormuz are those designated by the Islamic Republic. Any deviation or hostile move by foreign forces will be met with firm, immediate, and decisive confrontation.

Iran on Saturday termed the US' claims of seeking peace and simultaneously issuing threats of a nuclear attack, "grotesque absurdity".


Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, on Saturday pointed out the nuclear threat issued by US President Donald Trump.


In a post on X, he said, "It is a grotesque absurdity that they claim to seek peace and prevent a nuclear crisis, yet their proposed solution is "one big glow." HOWEVER... (just watch Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964)."

https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2052847896756732283?s=20


Trump signaled late on Thursday (local time) that the US-Iran ceasefire agreement is still in play, despite a fresh exchange of fire between the two sides in the Strait of Hormuz, as per The Hill.


" If there's no ceasefire , you're not going to have to know. You're just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran ," Trump told reporters, referring to the US's latest drafted peace proposal. "And they better sign their agreement fast."


US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Washington should receive a response from Iran on Friday to a US proposal to end the war.


Iran on Saturday said it was still reviewing the United States' proposal linked to ongoing negotiations over the West Asia conflict and would respond "at the appropriate time", according to a report by Al Jazeera.


The report said expectations had grown that Tehran would issue a response on Friday after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was expecting an answer from Iran.


Baghaei said the proposal remains under review and dismissed pressure from Washington over deadlines.


"The deadlines set by American politicians mean nothing; we do our own work, and we do not concern ourselves with deadlines or ultimatums," Baghaei was quoted as saying.


According to Al Jazeera, one reason behind the delay is the highly technical nature of the proposal, with Iranian negotiators closely examining every provision in the document before finalising a response.

A tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding a day after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, while Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s regional headquarters, said Saturday it arrested dozens of people it alleged had links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Friday's attacks cast doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the US has insisted is still in effect. Washington, meanwhile, is awaiting Iran's response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

The US military said Friday its forces disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.

On Saturday, the small Persian Gulf island of Bahrain said it had arrested 41 people it said are part of a group affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The interior ministry said investigations confirmed they were in contact with the Guard and collected funds “with the aim of sending them to Iran” to support its "terrorist operations.”

Bahrain is led by a Sunni Muslim monarchy but, like Iran, has a majority Shiite population. Rights groups have said the kingdom has used the war between Iran and the US, which bases its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as an excuse to crack down on dissent.

Iran issued a warning to Bahrain. “Siding with the US-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER," Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission of Iran’s parliament, said on social media.

Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the US and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing a global spike in fuel prices and rattling world markets.

The US has imposed its own blockade of Iran’s ports. US Central Command said on Saturday its forces had turned back 58 commercial ships and “disabled” four since the blockade began April 13.

Britain’s defense ministry said it was deploying a warship to the Middle East to join a potential mission to protect commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.

The ministry said the HMS Dragon will “preposition” in the region, ready to join a UK- and French-led security plan. France announced this week it was moving its aircraft carrier strike group into the Red Sea in preparation.

Britain and France have led meetings involving several dozen countries on a coalition to reestablish freedom of navigation in the strait. But they stress it won’t start until there is a sustainable ceasefire and the maritime industry is reassured ships can go through the strait safely.

US President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding but has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.

On Friday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the country was not paying attention to “deadlines,” according to state-run IRNA.

Also on Friday, a top Iranian official said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was in “complete health” and eventually would appear in public. Khamenei hasn’t been seen or heard in public since the war began, fueling speculation about his status.

Mazaher Hosseini, affiliated with the office of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was Mojtaba's father, made the comment at a pro-government gathering. Hosseini said Mojtaba had suffered knee and back injuries in the war's opening attacks but they’ve largely healed.

Diplomacy continues. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country has been in contact with the US and Iran “day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and reach a peace deal.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Saturday that it, as well as Saudi Arabia, was calling for diplomatic efforts to reach a “sustainable, long-term agreement” to end the war.

Egyptian and Qatari top diplomats reiterated that diplomacy is the sole path to a solution, according to a readout of a Saturday phone call between the two foreign ministers.

Iran questioned the seriousness of US diplomacy on Saturday in the wake of renewed naval clashes in the Gulf, while keeping Washington waiting for a response to its latest negotiating position.

US President Donald Trump had said on Friday that he was expecting Iran's answer to Washington's latest proposal for a deal "supposedly tonight".

But if Iran sent Pakistani mediators a response, there was no public sign of it, and Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called into question the reliability of the US leadership in a call with his Turkish counterpart.

"The recent escalation of tensions by American forces in the Persian Gulf and their numerous actions in violating the ceasefire have added to suspicions about the motivation and seriousness of the American side in the path of diplomacy," he said, according to an Iranian account of the call published by the ISNA news agency.

In an incident on Friday, a US fighter jet fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers that Washington accused of challenging its blockade of Iran's ports. An Iranian military official told local media the navy had responded with strikes.

That incident followed another flare-up the night before in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international sea lane that Iran is seeking to control in order to extract tolls and wield economic leverage over the US and its allies.

The US says it is unacceptable for Tehran to control the key oil route.

Washington has sent Iran, via Pakistani mediators, a proposal to extend the truce in the Gulf to allow for talks on a final settlement of the conflict, launched 10 weeks ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

A reporter for French broadcaster LCI, Margot Haddad, said Saturday that Trump had told her in a brief interview he still expected to find out Iran's answer "very soon".

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said Friday that the proposal was still "under review".

Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Friday and discussed the Pakistani-led efforts to broker a permanent peace.

Iran has attacked sites in Qatar during the war, pointing to the wealthy emirate's role as the host of a major US air base.

Meanwhile, satellite images have shown that an oil slick is spreading off the coast of Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export terminal for the Islamic republic.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the apparent spill, which was off the island's west coast and appeared to cover more than 20 square miles (52 square kilometres), according to global monitor Orbital EOS.

A UK-based non-governmental organisation, the Conflict and Environment Observatory, told AFP that by Saturday the slick was "much reduced", and may have been caused by leaking oil infrastructure.

Kharg Island is at the heart of Iran's oil export industry, a lynchpin of its battered economy, and lies in the Gulf far north of the narrow Strait of Hormuz.

Following the start of the war on February 28, Iran largely closed the strait, throwing global markets into turmoil and driving up oil prices.

The US later imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports in response, and Trump this week abandoned a short-lived US naval operation designed to reopen the strait to commercial shipping.

Britain said on Saturday that it was sending a naval destroyer to the region as part of "prudent planning" for a British- and French-led coalition to facilitate shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once a durable ceasefire is reached.

The British defence ministry said HMS Dragon would strengthen the confidence of commercial vessels and support mine clearance efforts.

A parallel ceasefire on the war's Lebanon front is also under strain amid daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Authorities said eight people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, while state media reported air raids targeting a highway south of Beirut, outside the militant group's traditional strongholds.

An AFP correspondent saw two destroyed cars and emergency workers along the road about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the capital.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said that it launched a drone at soldiers in northern Israel in retaliation for ceasefire violations.

The Israeli military reported several explosive drones launched into Israel, saying an army reservist was severely wounded and two others moderately injured in one of the attacks.

The fresh strikes come as Lebanon and Israel, officially at war since 1948, are to hold direct negotiations in Washington next week, which Hezbollah vehemently opposes.

Bahrain’s ​interior ​ministry said on Saturday ​it had arrested 41 people it said were ‌linked ⁠to ⁠Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), ​the state news agency reported.

The ​ministry said security authorities uncovered a group ​linked to ⁠Iran's IRGC, ‌adding ​that ​investigations by the ⁠public prosecutor had also involved ​cases related to ​sympathy with Iranian attacks.

Iran fired at targets in Bahrain and other ‌Gulf Arab states where the US ​has military ​bases ⁠after the US and Israel launched a war against ​Iran on February 28.

A state of relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, after days of sporadic ​flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran's response to ​its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks.


US Secretary of State Marco ​Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But a day later, there was no sign of movement from Tehran on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.


With US President Donald Trump due to begin a long-awaited visit to China next week, there has been mounting ‌pressure to draw a line ⁠under the ⁠conflict, which has thrown energy markets into turmoil and posed a growing threat to the world economy.


Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz ​since a ceasefire began a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.

On Friday, there were sporadic clashes between Iranian forces and ​U.S. vessels in the strait, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported. The Tasnim news agency later cited an Iranian military source saying the situation had calmed but warning more clashes were possible.


The U.S. military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, with a US fighter jet hitting ​their smokestacks and forcing them to turn back.


Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the strait since ⁠the war ‌began with US-Israeli airstrikes across Iran on February 28. Before the war, one-fifth of the world's oil supply passed through the ​narrow waterway.

The US imposed ​a blockade on Iranian vessels last month. But a CIA assessment indicated Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from ⁠a US blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a US​official familiar with the matter, raising questions over Trump's leverage over Tehran in a conflict that has been ​unpopular with voters and US allies.

A senior intelligence official characterised as false the "claims" about the CIA analysis, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

Clashes extended beyond the waterway. The UAE said its air defences engaged with two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran on Friday, with three people sustaining moderate injuries.

Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host US military bases. In what the UAE called a major escalation, Iran stepped up attacks this week in response to Trump's announcement of "Project Freedom" to escort ships in the strait, which he paused after 48 hours.

Trump said on Thursday the ceasefire, ‌announced on April 7, was still holding despite the flare-ups, while Iran accused the US of breaching it.

"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday.

The US ​has found little international support in the ⁠conflict. After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rubio questioned why Italy and other allies were not backing Washington's efforts to reopen the strait, warning of a dangerous precedent if Tehran were allowed to control an international waterway.


Speaking in Stockholm, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said European countries shared the aim ​of stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and said they were working to bridge differences with Washington.


While pursuing diplomacy, the US also ratcheted up sanctions to pressure Iran.


Days before Trump travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping, the US Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, for aiding efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons and raw materials used to build Tehran's Shahed drones.


Treasury said in a statement it was prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions including those connected to China's independent oil refineries.

Israeli strikes continue to hit southern Lebanon, with multiple attacks reported across the region, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Obaida Hitto reporting from Tyre.

A large explosion was heard in Tyre a few minutes ago, with reports indicating the strike hit the town of Bydas near Abbassiyeh. Fighter jets and multiple drones have been flying over the city for most of the day.

The death toll from an earlier strike on Saksakieh, which hit a building housing displaced people, continues to rise as Lebanese civil defence teams recover more bodies from the rubble.

Following alerts activated in the Ramat HaGolan area, a launch fired from Lebanese territory toward Israeli territory was identified, the Israel Defense Forces said in a tweet.

The launch fell in an open area, with no casualties reported. The IDF described the incident as a violation of ceasefire understandings by Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces tweeted that alerts were activated in the Re'am area, with details under review.

Further information is awaited.

Israeli forces have carried out a new wave of air strikes across southern Lebanon in the past hour, according to reports.

An Al Jazeera correspondent said attacks hit Safad al-Battikh in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as the town of Budyas in the Sour district. Lebanon's National News Agency also reported that Israeli warplanes struck the al-Bayad neighbourhood in Nabatieh for the second time in less than an hour.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties.

Three Israeli soldiers were wounded after a Hezbollah drone detonated in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, according to the Israeli military. One of the injured is in serious condition, Haaretz reported.

The Israeli army said several explosive drones entered Israeli territory on Saturday, with some falling inside the country. It added that air defences intercepted multiple projectiles launched towards troops operating in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army has launched multiple raids across Lebanon today, killing at least 17 people despite the three-week ceasefire, with the toll now rising to at least 18 dead.
Casualty breakdown so far:

Two killed in Nabatieh — a Syrian man and his daughter

Three killed in Nahrain

Three killed in Saadiyat

Three killed in Haboush

Seven killed in Saksakiyeh, including a child

The Israeli army has also issued forced displacement orders for nine towns and villages in southern Lebanon, warning residents to evacuate immediately. Despite a ceasefire announced on April 17 and extended until May 17, Israeli forces continue daily strikes across Lebanon. Reported by Al Jazeera.

A British Royal Navy warship is being sent to the Middle East to be ready to join an international mission to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Defence Ministry spokesperson quoted by the Press Association news agency.

"We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson said.

The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of "prudent planning" to ensure the UK is ready as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France to secure the strait when conditions allow. The warship is being sent from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus. Reported by Al Jazeera.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry has arrested 41 people linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the state news agency BNA .
The kingdom has also intensified a domestic crackdown amid the conflict, with authorities recently stripping citizenship from dozens of individuals accused of supporting Iranian attacks .

A man and his daughter have been killed in a triple-tap Israeli drone attack in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

The victims were riding on a motorcycle near Al-Sabah High School when the first drone attack struck them, followed by two more strikes. Reported by Al Jazeera.

Lebanese media reports three dead in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that the strike hit a car on a road between the towns of Burj Rahal and Aabbasiyyeh.
NNA reports several more strikes near the towns of Nabatieh, Kafra, Haris, and Mansouri.

Isolated and traumatised by drones and missiles, seafarers in the Gulf face grave mental suffering after more than two months stuck on board in the Middle East war, maritime charities warn.
From captains to cooks, engineers and other officers, the workers who keep global freight flowing have found themselves not just stranded but in some cases right in the firing line of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

"We hear stories of how frightened they are. It's pretty scary," said Gavin Lim, head of the Crisis Response Network for the Sailors' Society, a UK-based seafarers' charity, who spoke with one crew whose vessel was hit. "They thought: 'We were going to die'."

Trade vessels have been struck by projectiles and fired on by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in dozens of incidents, according to the British maritime security monitor UKMTO.

At least 11 seafarers have been killed, according to the International Maritime Organization.

"They see drones flying, they see missiles flying, and then we see instances where the ships get hit," said Lim. "You can imagine that anxiety and fear building up. 'Are we just bait? Are we going to be a victim so that someone can make a point?'"

The Seafarers' Charity cites hypervigilance, burnout, fatigue, loneliness, depression and anxiety as some of the mental strains facing the 20,000 seafarers stranded by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since February 28.

The US Treasury Department on Friday announced sweeping new sanctions targeting individuals and companies accused of helping Iran procure weapons, UAV components and missile-related materials as part of the US President Donald Trump administration's "Economic Fury" campaign.

In a statement, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said it sanctioned 10 individuals and companies operating across West Asia, Asia and Eastern Europe that allegedly supported Iran's military procurement networks, including efforts linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran's Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile programme.

According to the Treasury Department, the sanctions targeted procurement networks linked to the Center for Progress and Development of Iran (CDPI), previously known as the Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation (CITC), which Washington accuses of coordinating Iranian technology and weapons acquisitions.

"While the surviving IRGC leaders are trapped like rats in a sinking ship, the Treasury Department is unrelenting in our Economic Fury campaign," said US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

"Under President Trump's decisive leadership, we will continue to act to keep America safe and target foreign individuals and companies providing Iran's military with weapons for use against US forces," he added.

Iran on Saturday said it was still reviewing the United States' proposal linked to ongoing negotiations over the West Asia conflict and would respond "at the appropriate time", according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The report said expectations had grown that Tehran would issue a response on Friday after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was expecting an answer from Iran.

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the proposal remains under review and dismissed pressure from Washington over deadlines.

"The deadlines set by American politicians mean nothing; we do our own work, and we do not concern ourselves with deadlines or ultimatums," Baghaei was quoted as saying.

According to Al Jazeera, one reason behind the delay is the highly technical nature of the proposal, with Iranian negotiators closely examining every provision in the document before finalising a response.

The report added that several Iranian institutions and senior officials must also approve the response before it can be finalised.

Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire through military actions near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the UN Security Council, Iravani said alleged US military action against two Iranian oil tankers near Jask Port and the Strait of Hormuz, along with attacks on Iranian coastal areas, constituted "a clear violation of the ceasefire" and "a gross violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter".

He warned that continued US military activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could have "catastrophic consequences" extending beyond the region and threatening international peace and security.

"The United States will bear full responsibility for the consequences of these actions," Iravani said in the letter, as cited by IRIB.

The Iranian envoy also called on the United Nations and the Security Council to "unequivocally condemn" what he described as "illegal" US actions, including a naval blockade against Iran, and urged Washington to comply with international law and avoid further escalation.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said that US naval forces disabled two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as part of the ongoing US blockade measures against the Islamic Republic, while also redirecting 57 commercial vessels in the region.

The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate on Saturday ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act against it forcefully," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, listing nine villages.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 metres to open areas," he added.

Despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since mid-April, Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon.

In an earlier statement, the Israeli military said it had struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites "from the air and on the ground" in the past 24 hours.

It said these included weapon storage facilities, launchers, and structures used by Hezbollah "to advance terrorist activities against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers".

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran remains committed to expanding friendly relations with other nations based on mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting the policy of "colonialism and exploitation".

In a post on X on Friday, Pezeshkian said, "The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to expand friendly relations based on mutual respect and shared interests."

He added that "the policy of colonialism and exploitation will have no place in the future world".

The Iranian President also emphasised Iran's historical identity, saying tolerance is deeply rooted in Iranian culture, while resistance against oppression has long been part of the country's history.

"Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land, " Pezeshkian said, adding that this identity "will continue for the exaltation of Iran's name".

US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack.

The attacks cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait and roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.

According to the report, the proposed draft includes Iran's nuclear programme, reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible arrangements for transferring Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country. However, several major issues remain unresolved.

One of the main sticking points is the scope of potential sanctions relief for Tehran, which the report said could complicate or delay progress in the talks.

If negotiations advance, the initial one-month dialogue period could reportedly be extended by mutual agreement.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said his administration was expecting a response from Iran later in the day regarding Washington's proposal aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Speaking to reporters before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said, "We'll hear from them supposedly tonight," when asked whether Washington had received any response from Tehran.

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a central role in shaping Tehran's war and negotiation strategy alongside senior Iranian officials, even as uncertainity persists over his health and exact level of authority, according to a CNN report citing US intelligence assessments.

The news report said US intelligence believes Khamenei has become a key figure directing Iran's approach to negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the conflict that followed recent US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. However, officials reportedly acknowledge that authority inside Iran's leadership remains fragmented after the war and the deaths of several senior military commanders.

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since he was reportedly injured during the attack that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with top Iranian military leaders at the start of the conflict. His absence has fuelled speculation about his health and his ability to fully control the government.

According to CNN, US intelligence agencies have been unable to visually confirm Mojtaba Khamenei's whereabouts since he assumed leadership days after the strike. One source told the network that the secrecy surrounding his condition and communications has created an atmosphere resembling "Wizard of Oz meets Weekend at Bernie's".

The news report said Khamenei is avoiding electronic communications entirely and is instead relying on trusted couriers and face-to-face meetings to relay instructions. Sources familiar with the intelligence assessment told CNN that he remains isolated while receiving medical treatment for serious injuries, including burns affecting one side of his body, including parts of his face, arm, torso, and leg.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said his administration may consider reviving the now-suspended maritime security initiative, "Project Freedom", aimed at helping the passage of commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions in the Gulf.

If a deal is not reached with Iran, Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called "Project Freedom plus."

Speaking to reporters at the White House before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said that he might "go back to Project Freedom" if a deal is not reached, but it would be "Project Freedom plus", noting that the initiative would be the same as its predecessor, "plus other things".

"We'll go a different route if everything doesn't get signed up, buttoned up," Trump said.

"I think Project Freedom is good, but I think we have other ways of doing it also. We may go back to Project Freedom if things don't happen, but it'd be Project Freedom plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things," he added.

This comes after Trump on Tuesday declared that "Project Freedom" will be temporarily paused while the naval blockade of Iran's ports remains in place.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision was taken following requests from Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator to broker a peace deal between Washington and Tehran, and other countries.

Satellite images appeared to show an oil slick spreading off the coast of Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export terminal for the Islamic republic.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the apparent spill, which was located off the small Gulf island's west coast.

Orbital EOS, which monitors oil spills, told The New York Times that the spill appeared to cover more than 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) as of Thursday.

The Conflict and Environment Observatory, a non-governmental organization, said on X that the "original source remains unclear, meanwhile it's drifting south and seems unlikely to be addressed appropriately."

Kharg Island is at the heart of Iran's oil export industry, a lynchpin of the country's battered economy. It sits off Iran's Gulf coast, hundreds of kilometers northwest of the narrow, strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran largely closed the strait at the start of its conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28. The United States has since imposed a blockade of Iranian ports, stranding many tankers in the area.

Kharg Island has Iran's largest oil terminal, oil pipelines, storage tanks and related infrastructure.

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and companies, including entities based in China and Hong Kong, accusing them of helping Iran procure weapons components and raw materials used in its Shahed drones and ballistic missile programme.


The sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department, come days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to travel to China for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the conflict involving Iran.

In a statement, the Treasury said it remained prepared to take economic measures against Iran’s military-industrial network to stop Tehran from rebuilding its production capabilities.

The department also warned it was ready to act against foreign companies involved in illicit Iranian trade, including airlines, and could impose secondary sanctions on financial institutions assisting Iran, particularly those linked to China’s independent “teapot” oil refineries.

Brett Erickson, managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said the sanctions were aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and regional allies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes, after the US and Israel carried out strikes on multiple Iranian targets on February 28. Shipping activity through the strategic waterway has nearly halted since the conflict began, triggering a sharp rise in global energy prices.

According to the British government-funded Centre for Information Resilience, Iran has the capacity to manufacture around 10,000 drones a month.

Erickson, however, said the sanctions remained narrowly targeted, giving Iran time to redirect procurement operations through alternative suppliers. He added that the Treasury had not yet targeted Chinese banks that continue to support Iran’s economy.

Among the entities sanctioned were China-based Yushita Shanghai International Trade Co Ltd, accused of helping Iran purchase weapons from China, and Dubai-based Elite Energy FZCO, which allegedly transferred millions of dollars to a Hong Kong-based company involved in procurement operations.

The sanctions list also included Hong Kong-based HK Hesin Industry Co Ltd and Belarus-based Armory Alliance LLC for allegedly acting as intermediaries in procurement deals, as well as Hong Kong-based Mustad Ltd for facilitating weapons procurement for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran-based Pishgam Electronic Safeh Co was accused of procuring drone motors, while China-based Hitex Insulation Ningbo Co Ltd was sanctioned for allegedly supplying materials used in ballistic missiles.

US President Donald Trump said he was “expecting a response from Iran soon” on Washington’s latest proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, as renewed clashes in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to destabilise a fragile month-long ceasefire.

According to reports, the one-page US proposal suggests that Iran’s acceptance could bring an end to the 10-week war, which has killed thousands across West Asia and driven global energy prices higher. However, both sides would still need to continue negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said that Washington is expecting a response from Iran on Friday to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as Iran accused the US of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.

In recent days there have been the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the contested strait of Hormuz since the informal truce began. The rise in violence followed Donald Trump’s announcement – then rapid pause – of a new naval mission aimed at opening the strategic waterway.

On Friday US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers that attempted to violate the American blockade of Iran’s ports, the US military said.

Despite the clashes diplomatic efforts continue, with the mediators Pakistan passing to Iran a brief memorandum that the US has said could act as a basis for a more solid ceasefire allowing new talks.

During a visit to Rome, Rubio said: “We’re expecting a response from them today at some point … I hope it’s a serious offer, I really do … The hope is it’s something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”

There have been wild swings from hope to despair in recent days, as the US and Iran test each other’s resilience and will, seeking leverage in any talks through belligerent rhetoric, defiance and sporadic violence.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, accused the US of breaking the ceasefire, posting on X on Friday: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

Araghchi also boasted that Iran’s ballistic missile stocks and launcher capacity had not only been repaired and restocked during the pause in hostilities, but expanded.

Control of the strait and the threat to restart attacks on nearby countries’ oil and other infrastructure in the Gulf are the two main cards Iran can play in negotiations. The US has blockaded Iran, stopping all Iran-linked shipping trying to leave the Gulf, to put pressure on Tehran.

The elimination of Iran’s missile armoury and production facilities were repeatedly stated as a key objective by US officials early in the war. Their restriction is also likely be a demand during any negotiations.

An Iranian official said on Friday that US attacks overnight in and near the strait of Hormuz struck an Iranian cargo vessel, wounding 10 sailors, with five others missing. It was not immediately clear whether the vessel was directly targeted.

US Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones and small boats at three US warships overnight but that none were hit, while US forces destroyed the incoming threat and retaliated against land bases in Iran.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said it had responded to another Iranian missile barrage on Friday. The UAE’s defence ministry said three people were wounded after air defences engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted. The authorities told people to stay away from any fallen debris.

Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the UAE during the war, frequently hitting civilian infrastructure, including oil facilities and luxury hotels.

Trump said on Thursday that the ceasefire was holding, but hopes earlier this week that an “interim” deal between Tehran and Washington might be agreed before the US president travelled to China next week now look premature.

Efforts to end the war between the US and Iran appeared to stall as the two ​sides traded fire in the Gulf on Friday, while ​a US intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for another four months.


The CIA assessment also ​concluded that the US bombing campaign of Iran, hailed as a success by US President Donald Trump, has also failed to force Iran's leaders to capitulate, according to a US official familiar with the analysis, which was first reported by the Washington Post.


The analysis indicated that the conflict may not come to a close any time soon, ‌despite Trump's efforts to ⁠wrap up ⁠the conflict, which has proven unpopular with US voters.


Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago, ​and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.


Washington is awaiting Tehran's response to a US proposal that would formally end the war before talks ​on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.


"We should know something today," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Rome earlier in the day. "We're expecting a response from them."


Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response, and none was reported by mid-afternoon in Washington, ​just before midnight in Tehran.

Washington has revised its proposed UNresolution demanding Iran halt attacks and mining in ​the Strait of Hormuz but the ​changes are unlikely to avert Chinese and Russian vetoes, diplomats said on ​Friday.


A Chinese veto would be awkward ahead of US President Donald Trump's trip to China next week, where the Iran war is likely to be high on the agenda.


An updated draft shared with Security Council members on ‌Thursday afternoon and ⁠seen ⁠by Reuters removed a clause invoking Chapter VII of the US Charter, which allows the council to impose measures ranging ​from sanctions to military action.


However, tough language against Iran remained, as well as a clause that in ​the event of non-compliance the council would "meet again to consider effective measures ... including sanctions measures, in order to ensure the freedom of navigation in the area."


It was unclear when the council might ​vote on the resolution.


While the text does not explicitly authorize ⁠force, it ‌does not rule it out, and "reaffirms the right of member States ... to ​defend their vessels ​from attacks and threats, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms."


A ⁠previous resolution backed by the United States that appeared to open ​a path to legitimizing US military action against Iran failed last ​month after Russia and China exercised their vetoes in the 15-member U.N. Security Council.


Diplomats said the original version of the current resolution, drafted by the United States and Bahrain, and submitted to council members for review this week ran into strong Chinese and Russian objections.


A UN diplomat said that despite dropping the Chapter VII reference, which was also done with the last ‌month's resolution, the new draft did not address Chinese and Russian objections.


China's UN mission said it had no comment on the new draft, and the Russian ​mission did not ​immediately respond.


A statement from ⁠Russia's mission on Thursday said Security Council members should refrain from "pushing through one-sided and confrontational draft resolutions" that could "trigger a new wave of escalation in the Middle East."


"It is precisely for this ​reason that on April 7, Russia, along with China, blocked the adoption of a draft resolution on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz," it said.


On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the proposed resolution a test of the utility of the United Nations and urged China and Russia not to veto it.