Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “long and painful strikes” against U.S. positions if Washington resumed attacks, while also reasserting its claim over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans to form a coalition to reopen the waterway.
Two months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.
Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse, with a ceasefire in place since 8 April. However, Iran still blocks the strait in response to a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's oil exports, Tehran's economic lifeline.
U.S. President Donald Trump was to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes on Iran to compel it to negotiate an end to the conflict, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Such options have long been part of U.S. planning, but reports of the proposed briefing first published by Axios late Wednesday initially drove oil prices higher, with Brent crude briefly topping $126 a barrel. It later slipped back to around $114.
Air defence sounds were heard in some areas of Iran's capital Tehran late on Thursday, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported, and the Tasnim news agency said air defences were engaging small drones and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles.
On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates said it had banned its citizens from travelling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged those currently in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments.
Trump reiterated to reporters on Thursday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and that the price of gasoline- a key concern for his Republican Party in the November midterm elections would "drop like a rock" as soon as the war ended.
While repeating allegations of serious rights violations by Iran, Trump said he was "OK" with it playing in the upcoming soccer World Cup in the United States, after FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted the country would take part.
A senior official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said any new U.S. attack, even if limited, would trigger “long and painful strikes” against U.S. positions in the region.
Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi added that Iran had seen what happened to U.S. bases and warned the same would apply to American warships.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message to Iranians that Tehran would eliminate "the enemies' abuses of the waterway" under new management of the strait, indicating that Tehran intended to maintain its hold over it.
"Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometres away ... have no place there except at the bottom of its waters," he said on Thursday in a written statement.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that if the disruption caused by the closure dragged on through mid-year, global growth would fall, inflation would rise and tens of millions more people would be pushed into poverty and extreme hunger.
"The longer this vital artery is choked, the harder it will be to reverse the damage," he told reporters in New York.
Trump faces a formal U.S. deadline on Friday to end the war or make the case to Congress to extending it. However, analysts and congressional aides said they expect him to either notify Congress that he plans a 30-day extension or simply disregard the deadline.
Trump reiterated on Thursday that Iran's economy was "a disaster," but analysts say that if he expects Iran to blink first in a game of economic chicken, he may be waiting a while.
The conflict has aggravated Iran's dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but it looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now, despite a U.S. blockade that has cut off energy exports.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in St Petersburg on Monday after visits to Pakistan and Oman for talks on bilateral ties and regional developments, including a fragile ceasefire, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and stalled peace negotiations with the U.S.
Minval Politika has released further footage it says shows former International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged funding behind campaigns linked to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Washington via Pakistani mediators on Friday (1 May).
Dubai chef Shaw Lash at Mexican restaurant Lila Molino flies in her avocados and tomatillos, small, tart green fruits native to Central America that are a staple of Mexican cuisine and key for her colourful and spicy dishes.
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly" before targeting Europe and the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Washington via Pakistani mediators on Friday (1 May).
U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities against Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated after renewed warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that military action against Iran has not been ruled out, alongside claims that Iranian leadership is eager to reach a deal.
The Iranian leaders have commemorated the National Day of Persian Gulf stressing Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran’s southern ports, a fragile ceasefire, and stalled negotiations.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
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