US renews attacks amid Hormuz and Oman flashpoints; Trump vows 'very hard' strike and Kharg Island seizure, then cancels and touts Europe peace deal signing

Day 103: Iran strikes Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan

Day 102: US Apache helicopter crashes near Strait of Hormuz

Day 101: Iran and Israel suspend strikes after Trump’s request

Day 100: Iran says it targeted Israeli air base with missiles

Day 99: Iran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes

Day 98: Trump hails ‘great success’ with Iran, offers no new details

Day 97: UN peacekeeper killed in south Lebanon shelling

Day 96: US: Iran's Kuwait attack was 'deliberate & calculated'

Day 95: Rubio says Iran's Khamenei alive and 'increasingly engaging'

Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State, received His Excellency Javier Colomina, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, and the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood.

Her Colomina’s visit followed a productive phone call in March between UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as a series of discussions between senior officials from the UAE and NATO on ways to deepen and strengthen cooperation.

During their meeting in Abu Dhabi, the two sides discussed the evolving geopolitical landscape in Europe and the Middle East, underscoring a shared interest in advancing cooperation to enhance the resilience, flexibility, and sustainability of defense supply chains with trusted partners, strengthen interoperability, and explore new areas of collaboration.

Hundreds of people rallied on Wednesday evening in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, in support of Iran and its allies in the Middle East war, AFP correspondents said.

The rally came despite the ongoing war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, with Israel pounding south and east Lebanon daily and still occasionally striking Beirut's southern suburbs, known locally as Dahiyeh, most recently on Sunday.

Some held images of Iranian leaders, including the current supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 at the start of the Middle East war.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who just walked out of the US Central Command Headquarters in Florida, said the US military will be "busy tonight" because of fresh Iran strikes. "Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard — and we will be!" "They've been 'tap, tap, tapping' on the deal? Instead, they're gonna have tap, tap, tap, bombs dropping on key facilities from the United States of America."

US Central Command forces began "additional self-defence strikes" against multiple targets in Iran late on Wednesday and into Thursday at the direction of US President Donald Trump, the military said, amid escalating hostilities sparked by the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.

The strikes started at 5:15 p.m. ET (1:15 AM Gulf Standard Time on Thursday), according to a CENTCOM statement posted on X. They come in response to “Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression,” the command said.

The latest action follows U.S. strikes on Tuesday that targeted Iranian air defence, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Those earlier strikes were a direct response to Iran’s downing of a US Apache helicopter on Monday during a patrol in the region.

The US military has launched new attacks on multiple targets in Iran.

Iranian state media reported "naval clashes" between Iranian and US forces south of Iran, near the Hormuz Strait.

The reports did not provide further details on the scale of the confrontation or any casualties.

Explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Minab, Sirik, Kargan as US launches new attacks on multiple targets in Iran.

Iran has announced the "closure" of the Strait of Hormuz to all ships and oil tankers as tensions in the region flared following Iran’s downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter on Monday during a patrol in the region.

Tensions between the US and Iran have intensified in recent days amid broader regional conflict, including efforts to enforce blockades, protect commercial shipping and counter Iranian-backed actions. Iran has denied responsibility for unprovoked attacks and accused the US of aggression, while the US has described its operations as proportional and defensive.

President Donald Trump renewed threats against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), signalling renewed US military strikes as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.

"We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them again hard today," Trump said, referring to recent US military operations against Iranian-linked targets.

The president also expressed frustration over stalled negotiations with Tehran, claiming the two sides had been close to reaching an agreement before talks broke down.

"We were really close to a deal — but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers because, you know what? They dealt with some very stupid Presidents," Trump said.

The remarks came less than a day after the United States launched what officials described as retaliatory strikes following the reported downing of a US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important maritime corridors.

Trump's comments were followed by reports of blasts in Bandar Abbas and several other sites in Iran, marking a sustained pressure campaign combining military action with diplomatic demands aimed at forcing Tehran back to the negotiating table.

Sirens sounded across Bahrain early on Thursday after authorities issued a security alert, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported, citing the Interior Ministry.

Officials urged the public to follow safety instructions as authorities monitored the situation. The brief warning comes amid heightened regional tensions in the Gulf, where countries have periodically activated civil defence systems in response to missile threats, drone activity, or wider instability linked to conflicts in the Middle East.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Authorities said further information would be released once verified. Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

The US Central Command has confirmed that Iran did not close the Strait of Hormuz, and zero US warships were struck, in a counterpoint to IRGC claims. "Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that Iranian leaders telephoned him directly and asked him to stop a bombing wave that was under way, Fox News reported.

Trump told Fox News in an interview that US forces had hit Iran with 49 Tomahawk missiles in its latest bombing raid early Thursday Iran time.

If Iran does not accept US terms for ending the war, "we'll bomb the S- out of them tomorrow night," Trump said, according to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards however quickly denied that Tehran had asked Trump to halt the bombing, the IRNA state news agency reported.

"Trump's claim that Iranian officials have contacted him is strongly denied and is a cover for escaping war," the Guards said.

Iranian media reported on Thursday that Iran had attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, after US strikes on its territory.

"In this wave of army drone strikes, communication antennas and radar facilities of the Patriot system of the 5th Fleet were targeted," the Mehr and Fars news agencies posted on Telegram.

An air raid alert was issued in Bahrain and residents have been urged to "remain calm and head to the nearest safe place" the Gulf country's interior ministry said on X.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said the death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 3rd March had risen to 3,696 by Wednesday, with 11,413 others injured.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday that they had struck bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the latest US strikes.

"During two waves of operations, eighteen important targets belonging to the US Army in the bases of Ali and Ahmad Ahmad Air Force (were hit)," the Guards said in a statement quoted by state-run IRNA, adding that they also "hit and destroyed Sheikh Isa air bases".

Iranian media earlier reported that Iran had attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The Kuwaiti army said it was dealing with ongoing missile and drone attacks. Authorities urged the public to follow security and safety instructions issued by the relevant agencies and to rely on official sources for updates.

Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had temporarily closed the country's airspace from 4.50am on Thursday and diverted flights to alternative airports as a precaution to ensure the safety of air navigation and passengers.

The move came amid escalating regional tensions following what Kuwait described as Iranian aggression. Authorities said they were closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant agencies and would reopen the airspace once the risks had subsided. Passengers and airlines were urged to follow official updates and comply with instructions issued by the aviation authority.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday it had fired ballistic missiles at a US command centre in Jordan, according to state media.

This "punitive operation against the aggressor" targeted "Al-Azraq Air Base and its control center, using 12 ballistic missiles", the Guards said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency, claiming to have destroyed these facilities "and a large number of fighter aircraft".

The United States has issued a warning over attacks in Jordan, with reports indicating missiles, drones or rockets in Jordanian airspace.

Authorities urged people to seek overhead cover, shelter in place immediately, remain indoors and follow local announcements and alerts.

The US Embassy in Jordan said it would continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates as needed.

Kuwait Airways announces suspension of all flights temporarily due to airspace closure, after authorities shut the country’s skies early Thursday amid escalating regional tensions following Iranian attacks.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the closure took effect at 4.50am local time to safeguard air navigation and passenger safety.

Kuwait reopened its airspace to commercial traffic on Thursday after the latest volley of Iranian attacks caused a brief shutdown, its civil aviation body said.

"Air traffic in Kuwaiti airspace has returned to normal," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

An Indian official said Thursday that three Indian mariners were killed on board a tanker targeted by the U.S. military over allegedly violating America's blockade on Iran.

Sarbananda Sonowal announced the three mariners' killing on X in the attack on the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello.

"Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after two bodies were recovered," he wrote. It wasn't clear where the third body was.

The U.S. military's Central Command had accused the Settebello of having "violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran." It fired into the ship's engine room to stop it.

Read more here.

An 11-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and homes and cars were damaged in Iranian attacks on Bahrain on Thursday, the interior ministry said.

Falling shrapnel from drone interceptions "due to the sinful Iranian aggression" caused "the burning of vehicles and damage to homes", the ministry posted on X, with photos of scorched cars and buildings.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday the country's leaders would continue mediation efforts to end war between the United States and Iran despite a surge in conflict, calling for a "negotiated settlement".

"Pakistan remains deeply concerned at the situation in the region marked by recent escalation... we are of the view that diplomacy and dialogue should be the guiding principles for achieving a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues," foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told journalists.

A tanker near the blockaded Strait of Hormuz suffered a fire in its engine room, a marine monitoring agency said on Thursday, without revealing the cause of the blaze.

"Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in the engine room," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. The incident happened 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in Oman, it added.

An Indian-linked vessel, MT Jalveer, with more than 20 sailors onboard, came under attack off the coast of Oman on Thursday, the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), said.

The Embassy of India in Oman also said it was aware of an incident and was coordinating with the local authorities. "We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today . We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details," the Embassy said in a statement.

The Jordanian army on Thursday intercepted and shot down 20 missiles launched from Iran towards central-eastern Jordan, stressing that it remains on "the highest level of readiness" amid regional tensions.

In a statement, the army said that falling debris caused no injuries or material damage as  engineering teams were deployed to deal with missile remnants to ensure they did not contain explosive materials.

The army added that it is closely monitoring developments in the region and will not allow any violation of Jordanian airspace by any party whatsoever.

Iran's foreign ministry condemned on Thursday the latest US strikes on the country, saying the attacks rendered the nearly two-month ceasefire "practically meaningless".

In a statement, the ministry said "the illegal and criminal attacks perpetrated by the United States in recent hours not only constitute a flagrant violation... but also render the ceasefire practically meaningless".

It added that the "responsibility for the extremely serious consequences of this criminal act lies with the leaders of the United States".

Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday confirmed a complete closure order for the strategic waterway until further notice, after the Revolutionary Guards announced the move overnight.

"Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice," the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in a post on X.

"Applicants who have been granted a transit permit are asked to be patient and wait for instructions from the PGSA."

Iran's armed forces will continue their response to what Tehran described as US aggression, according to a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency on Thursday.

The statement, issued by the Khatam Al Anbiya Central Headquarters, came after recent US military strikes on locations in southern Iran. It said Washington's decision to halt attacks, as announced by the US president, was the result of what it described as a "powerful and crushing response" by Iranian forces, adding that another defeat had been inflicted on the US military.

Saudi Arabia condemned on Thursday overnight Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, and called for renewed negotiations under Pakistani and Qatari mediation to end the Middle East war.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry called for "de-escalation and restraint, urging all parties to prioritise wisdom by returning to diplomatic efforts and resuming the constructive negotiations sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, along with the efforts of the State of Qatar".

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile missile and drone attacks by Iran that targeted the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the three brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability.

Kuwait has strongly condemned treacherous Iranian attacks targeting Bahrain and Jordan, expressing solidarity with both countries following the incidents.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kuwait denounces the attacks and the resulting material damage to civilian property, calling them a violation of the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of both nations.

The ministry said the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure represents a clear breach of international law and international humanitarian law, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks and attacks on non-military targets.

Kuwait reaffirmed its full support for Bahrain and Jordan and said it stands in solidarity with both countries in any measures they take to protect their security and stability.

Three Indian-flagged vessels were attacked by the US Navy, India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

In a statement, the ministry said the three vessels came under attack by the US Navy. It added that two of the ships are subject to sanctions, while the third is classified as a non-compliant vessel.

Meanwhile, India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said 13 Indian-flagged ships are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's national football team walked out of their hotel in Tijuana to cheers on Wednesday, with Mexican supporters hoping to lift the spirits of a side whose World Cup campaign has been partly overshadowed by war.

"Vamos Iran! Vamos Iran!" chanted around 30 fans, who asked Iranian footballers for autographs as though they were supporting their own national team.

Jose Leyva, a 28-year-old pizzeria worker, waited several hours by the fence to get a signature from Mehdi Taremi, Iran's star striker.

"I feel bad for them," Leyva told AFP. "In my view, politics shouldn't be mixed with sports."

This year's World Cup -- co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada -- has felt the impact of the Middle East war, which began in February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Japan will secure the same volume of crude oil imports in July as it did the year prior, its leader said Thursday, crediting alternative sources obtained despite the Middle East war's impact.

Japan relied on the Middle East for over 90 percent of its oil imports but has significantly diversified its supply chain, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a special meeting of her ministers. 

The United States expanded its exports tenfold and Japan also managed to approach other oil producers, she said.

"In addition to the United States, from which shipments arrived from Alaska last week, imports have been secured from Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia and Africa, as well as, most recently, Canada," she said.

Israeli authorities on Thursday denied entry to French reporter Alice Froussard, who has been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for French public service broadcasters Radio France and Radio France Internationale.

The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said that Alice Froussard, "who sought to return and work in Israel on a permanent basis," was "deported this morning and put on a flight back to France" on the ministry's recommendation. The minister accused the reporter of supporting Hamas. 

Iranian state television said Thursday that a blast was heard in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of the southern port city Sirik, with the cause unknown. 

"A few minutes ago, an explosion was heard in the Sirik area at sea," a state television reporter said from the area, without providing further information.

US forces struck and disabled a third commercial oil tanker attempting to bypass their blockade of Iranian ports this week, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday, adding that it was the ninth such attack since the blockade began.

American forces "acted against Guinea-Bissau flagged M/T Jalveer as it attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM said. "A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces."

Kuwait's air defences engaged a fresh wave of Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, countering 24 UAVs in the latest assault, according to the Army General Staff. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence on 11 June 2026 and published through the state news agency KUNA show that since the start of what Kuwait called the Iranian aggression against the state, its forces have detected and destroyed 893 drones, 379 ballistic missiles and 15 cruise missiles.

US President Donald Trump vowed fresh strikes on Iran Thursday, adding that US forces would soon seize the country's key oil infrastructure.

The US military will hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

"At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," he added.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed Thursday to use Iranian funds to pay for damages that the country causes on Gulf allies, warning of sharp economic consequences from Tehran's attacks.

"Any damage it inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian Accounts," Bessent wrote on X.

He also added that "any tolls paid to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority will be offset by funds extracted from their accounts."

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Thursday that he would "rather not" hit Iran's civilian infrastructure, as he vowed to step up American strikes on the Islamic Republic.

"Yeah, but I'd rather not do it, because once you do that, the people suffer," Trump said when asked if the United States would start attacking power plants and bridges as he has previously threatened.

Wholesale prices in the United States rose sharply in May, registering their highest 12-month increase in more than three years, as surging energy prices due to the war on Iran course through the world's largest economy.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 6.5 percent for the 12 months ending in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said on Thursday, the highest level since November 2022.

Month-on-month prices rose by 1.1 percent, which was higher than market expectations.

The United States has been battling stubbornly high inflation since the Covid-19 pandemic, with President Donald Trump's signature tariffs and the US-Israel war on Iran piling pressure on prices.

Europe's leading nations and their G7 allies will seek to narrow differences with Donald Trump at a summit from Monday in France chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron but expected to be dominated by the US leader's presence.

Participants on the shores of Lake Geneva will be looking to put the sparkle and fizz back into relations with the United States, in the French spa resort of Evian-les-Bains famed as the home of Evian mineral water.

The G7 summit will be one of the first major international gatherings since the United States and its ally Israel began a war against Iran in late February, upending the Middle East and widening transatlantic tensions.

Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, President of the Arab Parliament, affirmed that the Iranian attacks targeting a number of Arab countries, and the threats they pose to their security, stability and sovereignty, represent a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law, the United Nations Charter and the principles of good neighbourliness.

He stressed that the Iranian regime’s persistence in repeating such attacks reveals an aggressive approach that undermines prospects for achieving security and stability in the region.

His remarks came in a speech delivered during the 39th session of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, which was held virtually under the chairmanship of Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, Speaker of the Saudi Shura Council and President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, under the theme “Arab Parliamentary Vision for a More Stable and Sustainable Future.”

Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), affirmed that the Arab and Gulf regions are passing through a critical and pivotal stage in their contemporary history that requires strengthening joint Arab action and consolidating the foundations of security, stability and development.

He stressed the importance of building a regional security system based on respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

His remarks came during his address to the 39th virtual meeting of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, held today under the chairmanship of Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, with the participation of speakers and members of Arab parliamentary delegations and in the presence of Dr. Ahmed bin Alawi Baabood, Secretary-General of the Union

European and US stocks rose Thursday while oil prices wavered following the latest flare-up in the Middle East war, with investors also assessing the outlook for US and European interest rates as inflation rises.

The European Central Bank, as widely expected, raised interest rates for the first time since 2023 after the Iran war sent oil and gas prices soaring as the Strait of Hormuz was cut off to Gulf tanker traffic.

"The rate hike should be seen as an insurance move to reinforce the ECB's inflation fighting credibility, not as the beginning of an aggressive tightening cycle," said Stefan Gerlach, chief economist at EFG Bank in Zurich and a former deputy governor of Ireland's central bank.

The increase made the ECB the first of the world's major central banks to lift borrowing costs in response to the energy shock unleashed by the US-Israeli war against Iran.

A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility's director told AFP, as Israeli raids continue in the country's south.

All three of the historic city's hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.

"An area located around 15 metres (50 feet) from the hospital was targeted, and 10 members of the medical and administrative staff were wounded," said Dr Salman Aydibi, who runs Hiram hospital.

The International Monetary Fund warned Thursday that the energy price shock from the Middle East war, now in its fourth month, would drag down eurozone growth more than it previously expected, while pushing up inflation further.

Even if surging oil and gas prices are "temporary", the fund said consumer confidence would weaken amid more persistent energy market disruptions, raising the risk of spending pullbacks.

Eurozone growth is now forecast at 0.9 percent this year, down from its April forecast of 1.1 percent, before increasing to 1.2 percent in 2027.

Inflation meanwhile will reach 2.8 percent this year, above the April forecast of 2.6 percent and an increase of 0.8 percentage points from before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February.

The son of a Hamas co-founder said that Israeli authorities released his father in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after holding him without trial for more than two years.

Hassan Yousef, 71, was "freed near the southern West Bank city of Hebron" and taken to a hospital in Ramallah where he resides, his son Owais Yousef said.

Yousef is a senior leader of Hamas in the West Bank, having co-founded the group in the 1980s along with Sheikh Ahmad Yassine and other Palestinian members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Yousef had been held in Israeli administrative detention since October 2023, shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

In a graphic posted on X, US Central Command said it has established safe corridors for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the waterway open for transit. According to the post, the routes are available to any vessel that is not breaching the blockade on Iran, and hundreds of ships have already passed through over the past two months. CENTCOM added that US forces are positioned to defend against Iranian aggression and emphasized that Iran does not control the strait.

Iran's top military commander warned on Thursday that any renewed US attacks on his country would trigger a tougher response and plunge the wider region into a new round of instability.

General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned in a statement that "if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it will receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching".

Israeli construction has destroyed irrigation systems on an agricultural plain near Tubas in the north of the occupied West Bank, causing fields to dry up and livestock to go thirsty, farmers told AFP.

Three farmers said the Israeli army had, for several months, been building a 22-kilometre military road linking the villages of Ein Shibli and Tayasir.

The construction work destroyed their water pipes that watered their fields and livestock.

They complained that the Israeli army often prevents them from accessing their land and had installed a metal barrier restricting movement.

The military said the work in the area was part of a project responding to a "clear security necessity".

US President Donald Trump said he was calling off strikes on Iran on Thursday and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have... cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

"Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly," added Trump.

Kuwait said the Iranian strikes that targeted its territory on Thursday morning had damaged an airport radar and caused injuries.

"The airport's radar was targeted this morning," Kuwait's civil aviation body said in a letter addressed to the International Civil Aviation Organization. 

It added that the attack "injured people and caused significant material damage and losses affecting radar facilities, equipment and air traffic management systems".

Iran's Fars news agency, citing an unnamed source, said on Thursday that Tehran has not yet approved a text for any deal with the United States. 

"No text has been approved for an initial memorandum of understanding with the United States," said Fars, quoting what it said was an informed source close to Iran's negotiating team.

US President Donald Trump had earlier said he had called off planned strikes on Iran and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran. 

"Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have... cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening," Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a "great settlement" with Iran to end the Middle East war, saying he expected a deal to be signed in Europe in the coming days.

"We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, saying that they would "subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done, over the next few days, probably have a signing, maybe in Europe."

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz would reopen once what he described as a “great settlement” with Iran is signed, possibly as early as this weekend in Europe. Trump said the proposed agreement would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and would end the latest phase of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. "

According to Trump and US officials cited in recent reports, the emerging framework would include:

• Reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

• Extension of the current ceasefire.

• New negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

• Guarantees of unrestricted maritime traffic through the waterway.

• Broader regional coordination involving Gulf states and other Middle Eastern leaders.

Trump said he had spoken with leaders from Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Turkey as part of the diplomatic effort.

Robert Satloff, executive director of the U.S.-based think tank The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested that the “deal” President Donald Trump has repeatedly referenced may not be a sweeping peace agreement but rather a more limited arrangement centered on extending the current ceasefire. Speaking during a Washington Institute discussion on the US-Iran crisis, Satloff indicated that the most realistic near-term outcome could be a continuation of the truce while negotiations continue on broader issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Satloff said: "'Unconditional surrender', as the president proclaimed, is not on the table. Regime change is not on the table. We're talking about much, much less than what the President said at various points earlier in the conflict... Missiles, unlikely; proxies, unlikely. At most, what we're really talking about is an extension of the ceasefire, to allow for something else to happen, maybe talks about nuclear issues."

Despite US President Donald Trump's optimism, Iranian officials have publicly pushed back on claims that a final agreement has been "approved". Sources in Tehran told Axios that key issues remain unresolved and that Iran's leadership has not yet given final authorisation to any memorandum of understanding with Washington.

This means the announcement remains largely a US claim until formally endorsed by Iran.

We are closing this live coverage now. For the latest updates, click here.