US launches strikes on Iran after civilian vessel attacked in Strait of Hormuz

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The US military said it has launched a new round of strikes against Iran, after Tehran "blatantly attacked" a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

It was the third round of strikes against Iran this week, US Central Command said in a statement, "after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

"The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait," CENTCOM said, adding that the strikes were being carried out at the direction of President Donald Trump.

Oman and Iran held talks in Muscat on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to ensure its safety and freedom amid recent regional developments and their repercussions, according to the Oman News Agency. The two sides agreed to continue discussions at both the technical and political levels to reach the necessary understandings in line with international law.

A prominent Democratic US lawmaker from California, Ro Khanna, said Saturday he was "detained" by armed Israeli settlers along with other Americans during a visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank -- and accused the military of being complicit.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) denied Khanna's claim that they were involved in blocking his path on Wednesday, in a statement to AFP.

"Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine," Khanna said in a post on X.

When the Israeli military arrived at the scene, he added, "they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake."

A Lebanese official told AFP on Saturday that his country would take part in planned talks with Israel next week in Rome, after Beirut had previously conditioned participation on Israel withdrawing from certain areas it occupies in the south.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "Lebanon will participate" without offering further details, as a US military delegation visited the country to discuss implementing a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held separate telephone calls with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, and Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, to discuss the latest developments in the region.

The two calls reviewed overall regional developments following the Iranian aggression targeting the brotherly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with missiles, as well as the Iranian attack on the Qatari tanker "Al Rekayyat" while it was passing near the Strait of Hormuz.

Brigadier General Majid Ebn al-Reza said in a post on his X account on Saturday, according to Mehr News Agency, that he had reiterated these points during a joint meeting with Parliament's National Security Commission.

He said the recent war showed that Iran's technological expertise and investment in advanced capabilities remain the most critical pillar of the country's defence strength. He added that not only did defence production continue without interruption throughout the conflict, but drone manufacturing capacity actually tripled during that period.

US Navy sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) carried out nighttime flight operations as the vessel continued sailing through regional waters, according to US Central Command. The exercises are part of the carrier's ongoing operations in the region.

Iran warned that it would no longer be bound by a deal with the US aimed at ending the Middle East war if Washington's violations of the agreement continued, state TV reported on Saturday.

Referring to the deal struck with the help of Pakistani mediation, Tehran's UN ambassador said in remarks in New York on Friday "that if the United States continues to violate its obligations under the Islamabad Understanding, Iran will no longer consider itself bound by its commitments under that understanding", according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

A US military delegation has met with Lebanon's army in Beirut to discuss the implementation of Israel's withdrawal from one of the "pilot zones" in occupied territory, a Lebanese military official told AFP on Saturday.

Under a framework agreement reached on June 26, Israel will gradually withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon where it has sent troops as part of its military campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shia movement that has long battled Israel.

As part of the agreement, the long-disempowered Lebanese military will take full control of two small areas dubbed pilot zones.

"The American military delegation arrived and began meetings with the Lebanese army command to discuss the mechanisms for implementing the first pilot zone from which the Israelis will withdraw, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy," the official said, requesting anonymity.

"This is the main objective the American military delegation is bringing to Lebanon... it is the translation and implementation of the framework agreement."

Mediators were trying to salvage diplomacy aimed at ending the Middle East war after US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over, with a Qatari delegation in Iran and Tehran's top diplomat travelling to Oman.

An exchange of fire this week rocked an already fragile agreement that was supposed to help pave the way for a permanent end to the conflict, which broke out in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

While there have been no direct talks between Tehran and Washington since last month, Iranian media reported that a delegation from mediator Qatar travelled to Iran on Friday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed “revenge” for the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accusing the US and Israel of being responsible.

In a statement carried by state-linked Fars news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei said revenge was a demand of the Iranian people and would be carried out. He warned that those responsible would face consequences, adding that the matter did not depend on his leadership or other officials.

The statement came hours after US President Donald Trump warned Iran of severe retaliation if it attempted to target him. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since being appointed Iran’s new supreme leader.

Two members of Iran's security forces were killed in an attack in the northeast city of Mashhad, where the funeral of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei was held, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

The two people killed were "members of the Basij forces", a paramilitary force affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Iranian military, Tasnim said.

Tasnim did not specify the date of the incident or the identity of the attackers, but said that "the perpetrator or perpetrators of this act will be punished".

According to the agency, the two men were killed while "patrolling in the city of Mashhad, about fifteen kilometres (nine miles) from the shrine" of Imam Reza, the holiest site for Shia Muslims in Iran, where Ali Khamenei was buried early Friday.

"A pedestrian was also wounded by the attackers and taken to hospital," the Iranian agency added.

The UAE field hospital in the Gaza Strip hosted a high-level delegation from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory during a field visit to assess the hospital’s medical and humanitarian services.

The visit highlighted the UAE’s efforts to support Gaza’s healthcare sector and provide assistance to patients and the injured. Both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation and coordination between the UAE mission and the UN to strengthen humanitarian efforts and address growing medical needs.

Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is expected to release a message in the coming hours, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The message is expected to mark the recent funeral of his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to have been injured in a February attack by Israel and the US that killed his father, mother and wife, has not appeared in public since the incident and has communicated only through written statements.

Iran has reopened a railway bridge in Aqqala County, Golestan province, that was damaged in an earlier US strike, according to the country’s Radio and Television News Agency.

Golestan Governor Ali Asghar Tahmasbi said the reopening of the bridge less than 24 hours after the attack was “the province’s practical response to the threats and actions of the enemies.”

Iran’s Ministry of Health said 17 people were killed and 115 others injured in US airstrikes across six Iranian cities on Tuesday, according to CBS News.

The ministry said 14 surgeries had been performed and 102 patients were discharged after receiving medical treatment. The strikes came after a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran collapsed following a series of attacks, including Tehran’s strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices settled lower on Friday, with Brent crude futures falling by 29 cents, or 0.38 percent, to close at US$76.01 a barrel.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined by 67 cents, or 0.93 percent, to settle at US$71.41 a barrel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat on Saturday for talks with his Omani counterpart on developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency has reported.

According to CNN, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the visit is part of ongoing consultations between Tehran and Muscat on regional developments, with a particular focus on security and stability in the Strait of Hormuz.

The two foreign ministers are expected to discuss mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said.

Araghchi’s visit comes as diplomatic efforts continue to revive negotiations following recent strikes involving the US and Iran, which have heightened regional tensions.

Iran’s deputy president for science, technology and knowledge-based economy, Hossein Afshin, said the country’s research infrastructure suffered around $300 million in damage during the war.

Afshin said Iran’s emerging technology projects, which he claimed had no military applications, were targeted as part of efforts to undermine the country’s scientific and technological capabilities.

“The scientific and technological authority of Iran will be rebuilt with strength,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.

He added that Iran aims to become a global science and technology powerhouse, saying countries that invest in these fields will achieve success.

Iran has told US officials that an “errant” group of hardliners carried out attacks on commercial ships earlier this week in an attempt to disrupt ongoing negotiations, CBS News reported.

According to senior US officials cited by the network, Iranian representatives acknowledged the incident during discussions, saying: “We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking.”

The comments came as diplomatic efforts continue to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington following the attacks, which threatened to derail negotiations.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the country’s armed forces are closely monitoring “enemy movements” across its coasts, islands, borders and other strategic locations.

In a post on X, Baqaei said Iran’s military personnel remain “vigilant and watchful” while safeguarding the country’s security and stability. He added that the armed forces continue to protect Iran through their ongoing operations and readiness.

Trump said the United States would "completely decimate" Iran if it attempted or succeeded in assassinating the sitting president.

"1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Orders have already been given, and the US Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran," he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran had "kept its word" on a ceasefire with the United States, after Donald Trump insisted the truce was over but that he had agreed to further negotiations with the Islamic republic.

"Iran has so far kept its word, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary who is violating Para 9 of the MoU," Araghchi posted on X, referring to part of the memorandum of understanding about the United States not deploying additional forces in the region.

Iran’s lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said Tehran would not surrender to the United States and remains prepared to defend itself if Washington withdraws from their understanding.

“We have never stopped preparing to defend our country, and if the Americans breach the agreement at any moment, we are ready for full-scale defence,” Ghalibaf said.

He added that while ending the war remains a priority for countries around the world, the conflict would not end through Iran’s surrender.

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump said on social media that Washington and Tehran had agreed to continue talks, but declared that the ceasefire was “over”.

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from US President Donald Trump on Friday, with the two leaders discussing bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen Saudi-US relations across various sectors.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the talks covered regional and international developments, including ongoing US-Iran negotiations. The leaders stressed the importance of safeguarding maritime security, protecting vital shipping routes and supporting efforts to enhance regional stability.

The discussion comes as global attention remains on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy and shipping corridor that has been at the centre of recent military and diplomatic tensions involving Washington and Tehran.

Both sides highlighted the need to maintain the security of key sea lanes amid growing concerns over regional stability and international trade flows.

Separately, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the latest regional developments.

The two officials reaffirmed the importance of continued coordination and consultations between Riyadh and Washington to support security and stability in the region.

Fresh satellite imagery indicates Iran may be moving to restore parts of its nuclear infrastructure damaged during recent US airstrikes, raising new questions about the effectiveness of the military campaign and the prospects for reviving negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

A visual investigation by CNN, based on commercial satellite images, found signs of renewed activity at several nuclear and missile-related sites across Iran. The images show construction equipment, excavation work, heavy vehicles and newly disturbed earth at facilities that were struck during the conflict, suggesting Tehran has begun recovery efforts despite continuing military pressure.

The apparent rebuilding comes as the US and Iran remain locked in a fragile diplomatic standoff following the collapse of a ceasefire and renewed US strikes on Iranian military targets. According to CNN's analysis, satellite images captured in recent days show work underway at several facilities associated with Iran's nuclear and missile programmes, including sites previously targeted during US operations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Oman on Saturday leading a diplomatic delegation for talks on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, state-run IRNA reported. The report provided no further details about the planned meetings or the officials Araghchi is expected to meet.

Day 133: US swaps strikes with Iran while keeping nuclear talks alive

Day 132: Israel vows stronger military action against Iran

Day 131: Trump tempers fury to end NATO summit on high note

Day 130: Iran reports explosions on sites around Hormuz Strait

Day 129: Body of Khamenei arrives in Qom ahead of procession

Day 128: Massive turnout at Khamenei funeral