A forward-looking infrared radar image shows the moment before a US aircraft disabled the empty Iran-bound crude oil tanker with a Hellfire missile hit to its engine room.
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Iranian missiles and drones target Bahrain, Kuwait; US says threats ‘successfully defeated’
US CENTCOM denied IRGC claims of striking the US Fifth Fleet HQ in Bahrain
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USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Arabian Sea as the aircraft carrier continues to support the US blockade against Iran.
The US military said it had 'successfully defeated' a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Gulf and carried out self-defense strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island. US CENTCOM also rejected Iranian claims that the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and another regional air base had been hit. Several Iranian ballistic missiles fired toward regional neighbors failed to reach their targets. CENTCOM later reported that an additional wave of Iranian drones targeting US forces in Kuwait was unsuccessful, with multiple drones shot down. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates.
Japan's govt backs $19 billion to dampen Iran war impact
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government backed on Wednesday $19 billion in additional spending to help Japanese households struggling with soaring everyday costs driven by the Iran war.
The budget could reportedly be passed as soon as Friday in the legislature that is dominated by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and allies of Takaichi, who said previously the money would go toward easing petrol, electricity and gas costs.
The extra budget was "decided" at a cabinet meeting, the prime minister's office said on its website.
Top government spokesman Minoru Kihara told reporters at a news conference the cabinet had allocated 3.1135 trillion yen ($19 billion).
That includes 2.5 trillion yen for a newly established "contingency reserve" for the situation in the Middle East, he said.
"Amid ongoing uncertainty in the situation in the Middle East, we have formulated this budget from the standpoint of minimising risk," Kihara said.
He added that the budget would allow for a "robust financial readiness" and that the government would closely monitor future price trends "so that the daily lives of the public and economic activity are not disrupted".
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Oil prices rise on Iran peace worries, stocks build on tech rally
Oil prices extended gains Wednesday as Middle East peace talks stuttered, though stocks mostly rose on the back of continued demand for all things linked to artificial intelligence.
Despite Donald Trump's assurances that the United States and Iran are edging closer to ending their three-month-long war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, crude investors appear unmoved as they await solid progress.
Unease on trading floors has risen this week after reports in Iran said it had broken off contact over Israel's attacks on Lebanon, which the US president denied on Tuesday.
Iranian drone attack on US Forces in Kuwait foiled
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said an additional wave of Iranian drones targeting American forces in Kuwait failed to reach their intended targets.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said US air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple drones, adding that no American personnel were injured and no military assets were damaged.
CENTCOM: Iranian claims of strikes on US forces in Bahrain false
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed today that it struck the US 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a regional air base with missiles and drones.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) labeled these claims false, confirming that all Iranian attacks on American forces failed. CENTCOM said US forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against any aggression.
US military says it has 'defeated' Iran missile, drone attacks on neighbours
The US military that it had "successfully defeated" a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks on its regional neighbours, and conducted self-defence strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island.
"Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbours; however, all failed to hit their intended targets," US Central Command said in a statement.
"Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart enroute, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by US and Bahrain air defence forces."
Bahrain emergency sirens activated, residents urged to head to safe location
Bahrain's Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the siren has been sounded. "Citizens and residents are requested to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels."
Bahrain has also shut its airspace and grounded civilian flights as threat over the Gulf intensifies.
Significant air defence activity is "ongoing", as the Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says they’re targeting US bases.
Kuwait military says air defences responding to missile, drone attacks
Kuwait's military said on Wednesday its air defences were intercepting "hostile" missile and drone attacks, as the sounds of sirens rang out.
"Any sounds of explosions heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting these hostile attacks," the military said on X, without specifying their origin.
Kuwait's state-run news agency KUNA reported that the sirens were heard for the second time that night.
Ministry of Interior urged the public not to approach or touch any shrapnel, suspicious objects, or debris, warning of potential danger or explosion risks, and called for immediate reporting via emergency hotline.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on south kill 5, wound 48, including hospital staff
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed five people, including a child, and wounded 48, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Those wounded in the strikes across the south included "a doctor and five employees of Tebnine Governmental Hospital, which sustained damage in yet another episode of the series of attacks carried out by the Israeli enemy against hospitals and health centres", the ministry said in a statement.
US blockade: Missile cripples crude oil tanker, preventing it from reaching Iran's Kharg Island
The US military has disabled an empty oil tanker after it ignored repeated warnings and attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf, US Central Command said. A US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, preventing it from reaching Kharg Island, CentCom said in a statement.
US forces have now disabled six commercial vessels and redirected 122 others since the blockade took effect. The M/T Lexie was transiting international waters when it was intercepted.
Kharg Island, a small coral island in the northern Persian Gulf, serves as the terminal for roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports. Its deepwater berths allow supertankers to dock and load directly, making it the centerpiece of Iran's petroleum export infrastructure, and a focal point of the ongoing US enforcement effort.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on south kill 5, wound 48, including hospital staff
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed five people, including a child, and wounded 48, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Those wounded in the strikes across the south included "a doctor and five employees of Tebnine Governmental Hospital, which sustained damage in yet another episode of the series of attacks carried out by the Israeli enemy against hospitals and health centres", the ministry said in a statement.
US‑Israel war on Iran: Recent developments
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