US fires on Iranian tanker as Trump warns Tehran over war deal
US President says bombing could resume if Iran rejects proposed ceasefire framework
Tensions in West Asia remain high after the US struck an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, despite an ongoing ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. US President Trump warned Iran to accept a proposed deal to end the war or face renewed bombing. As Tehran reviews a reported 14-point US framework, China has urged the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel launched fresh strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs for the first time since last month’s ceasefire. Follow all the latest developments here:
A senior commander from Hezbollah's elite force was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, the first on the area in nearly a month, a source close to the group said.
At least 11 other people were killed in strikes across the south and east, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military had targeted "the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan force".
The source close to Hezbollah told AFP on condition of anonymity that "Malek Ballout, the operations commander in the Radwan force" was killed.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency had reported that "Israeli warplanes launched an attack, targeting Ghobeiri" in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
An AFP correspondent saw a building covered in rubble following the strike, as people left the area with their belongings.
Many of the southern suburbs' residents had already left after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March, and have not returned despite the truce in force since April 17.
A Lebanese security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the strike hit an apartment in which Radwan leaders were holding a meeting.
Beirut and its southern suburbs had been spared Israeli attacks since April 8, when massive Israeli strikes across the country killed more than 350 people.
Wednesday's attack came as US President Donald Trump said there was "a very good chance" of sealing a peace deal with Iran.
Australia will look to stave off energy shortages by forcing major gas exporters to set aside a fifth of their fuel for domestic use, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday.
The country is one of the world's largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a key fuel source in hot demand as war in the Middle East upends global energy markets. In a bid to shield the nation from "global price volatility", Australia's largest gas exporters will be forced to set aside 20 percent of their export production for sale at home.
"We've been acting to shield Australians from global energy shocks by investing in reliable, sovereign renewables and keeping more of the gas we need onshore," Bowen told reporters. Australia is a major supplier of LNG throughout Asia, where prices have soared since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February.
Some 40 percent of Japan's LNG comes from Australia, according to the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association. Bowen sought to soothe any concerns that the decision could hurt trading partners, saying: "We will not disturb any existing contracts."
He added: "We have consulted closely with trading partners to ensure that it's well understood around the world that Australia will always be a reliable supplier of energy."
Geographically isolated and with only two oil refineries, Australia is heavily exposed to disruptions to global fuel supplies.With Iran halting a fifth of world fuel shipments through its effective closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, Australia has moved to shore-up its fuel security.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday that Canberra would establish a national fuel stockpile of one billion litres.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi has strongly condemned and rejected what he described as false and unacceptable allegations contained in a statement issued by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs against the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement issued in Riyadh, Al Budaiwi said these “misleading allegations” reflect “the escalatory and provocative approach pursued by Iran towards the countries of the region.” He added that Iran “has not only carried out reckless attacks targeting the territory of the United Arab Emirates, but has also continued its attempts to distort facts, in clear violation of international norms and laws.”
Iran denied on Thursday that its armed forces had been involved in an explosion that struck a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz this week.
Tehran "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz", its embassy in Seoul said in a statement.
Asian shares jumped, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gaining 5.7% on Thursday, as investors waited to see if the U.S. and Iran will strike a deal allowing tankers to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 3,402 points to 62,915.87 as markets in Tokyo reopened following “Golden Week” holidays.
Elsewhere in Asia, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 1.2% to 26,531.35.
The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia was up 1.2% at 8,870.90.
In South Korea, the Kospi slipped 1.4% to 7,281.37 and traders sold to lock in profits after the benchmark jumped nearly 7% a day earlier to barrel past 7,000 for the first time.
Taiwan's Taiex surged 1.7%.
On Wednesday, markets rallied worldwide after President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz could be “OPEN TO ALL” if Iran accepts a reported agreement that the U.S. president did not detail.
Oil prices fell nearly 8% and the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% for its best day in nearly a month, setting a fresh record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 2%.
Early Thursday in Asian trading, Brent crude oil rose $1.06 to $102.29 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $1.20 to $96.28 a barrel.
Southeast Asian leaders plan to issue a contingency plan that upholds international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation in what could be seen as a veiled rebuke to the United States, Israel and Iran over the Middle East war which has impacted their region, according to a draft declaration seen Thursday by The Associated Press.
The declaration is set to be issued by the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations when they meet in an annual summit on Friday in the central Philippine island province of Cebu.
It also outlines a crisis plan to deal with the energy shortages and other global problems caused by the war.
This year's host, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has said the summit with 10 other national leaders and a lower-level representative from Myanmar will focus on the region's energy security, food supply and the protection of its people, including more than a million Southeast Asian workers and seafarers in the Middle East.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country is ready to pursue diplomatic paths to end the war with the United States and Israel, while insisting on safeguarding the Iranian nation's rights.
In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian expressed deep distrust of the United States, citing recent hostile actions, including two attacks on Iran during bilateral talks, which he described as "stabbing Iran in the back," according to a statement published on the website of his office.
The phone conversation came as Axios reported earlier in the day that the United States and Iran are closing in on a one-page memo to end their war, reports Xinhua news agency.
It said a potential deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, and the United States agreeing to lift sanctions, with both sides lifting restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is expected to convey its response to the United States' proposal aimed at ending the ongoing crisis in West Asia and to achieve a complete solution to the issue through mediators on Thursday, according to a regional source cited by CNN.
According to CNN, the development comes as Tehran continues to review the US-backed proposal, with sources indicating that both sides are moving closer toward a possible agreement to bring an end to the crisis.
This comes after negotiations between Washington and Tehran are reportedly advancing towards a preliminary accord aimed at halting the current crisis and establishing a framework for expansive nuclear talks.
According to an Axios report, which cited several American officials and sources acquainted with the negotiations, the progress is being viewed as the most significant development since the onset of the conflict, though a definitive resolution has not yet been secured.
Iran is reviewing a new US proposal aimed at ending the conflict that erupted earlier this year, with officials on both sides signaling cautious optimism that negotiations may soon produce a memorandum of understanding to halt hostilities and reopen broader diplomatic talks.
According to Reuters and Axios, negotiators are discussing a short framework document — reportedly a one-page memorandum containing around 14 points — that could serve as the basis for a ceasefire, sanctions relief, and future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities and regional security issues.
China has pressed Iran against resuming war, and urges the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz ahead of Trump-Xi summit China.
The Xi government has called for a "prompt resumption of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," though that point was absent in Iran's statement.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had called for an "immediate and full ceasefire" over the situation in West Asia involving Iran and the US while urging all sides to prioritise dialogue and avoid any further escalation in the region, as reported by Xinhua.
The US military fired on an Iranian oil tanker Wednesday as President Donald Trump sought to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal to end the war. The Islamic Republic said it was reviewing the latest American proposals.
A fighter jet shot out the rudder of the tanker in the Gulf of Oman as it tried to breach the American blockade of Iran's ports, US Central Command said in a social media post.
The attack occurred as Iran and the US are officially in a ceasefire. Trump threatened Tehran with a new wave of bombing if a deal is not reached that includes opening the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Trump posted on social media that the two-month war could soon end and that oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict could restart. But he said that depends on Iran accepting a reported agreement that the president did not detail.
"If they don't agree, the bombing starts," Trump wrote.
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