United States forces said they have attacked missile launch sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran, in what a US military spokesman described as “self-defence” strikes. Earlier, Iranian media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
A senior spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that any fresh aggression against Iran would trigger a “much harsher” response, extending beyond the region.
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, Shekarchi said that if another war breaks out, Iran’s retaliation would go beyond regional boundaries and be more intense and destructive than previous attacks.
This has happened at a time when a high-level Iranian delegation visiting Doha is holding discussions focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, two key issues still complicating efforts to reach a deal to end the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel, according to a regional diplomat.
“The focus of the delegation’s visit to Doha is on issues relating to the Strait of Hormuz and highly enriched uranium,” a regional diplomat said.
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati are currently in Qatar for talks on unresolved issues linked to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.
“The governor of the Central Bank is part of the delegation to discuss the issue of frozen funds, which is addressed in the [memorandum of understanding] as part of an eventual final deal,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Araghchi issued separate messages of support to Nabih Berri and Naim Qassem, congratulating Lebanon’s government, people and the “resistance” on the anniversary of “Resistance and Liberation Day”.
The occasion marks Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. In his messages, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s backing for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Israeli actions.
The remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised Hezbollah for rejecting talks between Israel and Lebanon and called on the Lebanese public to take to the streets.
It remains unclear whether any potential agreement between the US and Iran would also include an end to the conflict in Lebanon, where more than 3,000 people have reportedly been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced since March 2.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed Israel’s “right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon”.
Iran, however, has continued to express support for Lebanon and Hezbollah, maintaining that it would not abandon its allies while negotiating a possible deal to end the war.
US and Iran agree in principle to reopen Strait of Hormuz: US official
The United States and Iran have agreed in principle to a possible deal aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and addressing concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme, according to a senior U.S. official.
The official told reporters on Sunday that Iran had agreed to dispose of its highly enriched uranium, although discussions were still underway on how the material would be handled. The official stressed that no final agreement had yet been signed and that the deal still required approval from U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader.
“I ordered my negotiators ‘not to rush into a deal,’” Trump said in a social media post on Sunday, a day after saying that a preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran was “largely negotiated.”
Iranian leaders and state media have not publicly commented on the reported terms of the proposed agreement. However, three Iranian officials said on Saturday that any deal at this stage would only provide for nuclear negotiations to continue over the next 30 to 60 days.
According to the U.S. official, the possible agreement would not include restrictions on Iran’s missile programme or a halt to uranium enrichment. Those issues, the official said, would be taken up in future negotiations.
The United States, Israel and Iran had agreed to a cease-fire in early April to allow talks on Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
If the agreement is finalised, Trump indicated that the United States could lift its blockade of Iranian ports, which Washington has used to pressure Tehran into reopening the strategic waterway.
The emerging agreement has drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the proposal as “a disaster” and questioned whether Iran would “ever engage in good faith.”
The conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States began in late February after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. The fighting has killed thousands and disrupted global energy markets.
Pakistan, Qatar rush to save fragile US-Iran ceasefire
Regional mediators intensified diplomatic efforts on Friday to prevent the collapse of a monthlong cease-fire between the United States and Iran, with Pakistan and Qatar dispatching envoys to Tehran amid fears of renewed conflict.
Pakistan’s army chief, Syed Asim Munir, arrived in the Iranian capital on Friday evening at the head of a delegation, according to the Pakistani military. Munir has played a key role in Islamabad’s mediation efforts, and the visit signaled growing urgency among regional actors seeking to avoid a return to war.
Despite the renewed diplomatic push, significant differences remain between Washington and Tehran.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Friday that “deep and extensive” differences remained between the two sides.
“For now, our focus is on ending the war,” he said, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. “But, he cautioned, ‘diplomacy takes time.’”
On the U.S. side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some progress” in talks but acknowledged that negotiators had not yet reached an agreement.
“I hope we get there,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Sweden. “The president would prefer to do a good deal.”
The intensified mediation comes after weeks of diplomacy failed to secure a broader understanding between the United States and Iran, raising concerns that the fragile cease-fire could unravel
US oil prices rise as investors doubt breakthrough in US-Iran peace talks
US crude futures climbed more than $1 in early trading on Friday as investors remained sceptical about the chances of a breakthrough in ongoing peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.
The two sides continue to hold sharply differing positions on Tehran’s uranium stockpile and oversight of the Strait of Hormuz.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures briefly touched $98 per barrel before settling at $97.55 by 22:28 GMT, marking a gain of $1.20, or 1.3 percent. The benchmark had dropped nearly 2 percent on Thursday, ending the session at its lowest level in almost two weeks.
Earlier, an unnamed “senior Iranian source” told Reuters that no peace agreement had yet been finalised with the US, although differences between the two countries had narrowed. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some good signs” in the negotiations, but stressed that any toll system in the Strait of Hormuz would be unacceptable.
Hezbollah claims 16 attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon
Hezbollah said it carried out 16 separate attacks against Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon on Thursday.
In a statement, the group said the operations involved rocket barrages, attack drones, quadcopters and artillery shelling.
According to Hezbollah, the strikes targeted Israeli troop concentrations, artillery units and armoured vehicles across several southern border villages, including Rachaf, Bint Jbeil, Naqoura and Deir Seriane.
US reportedly lost 20 percent of Reaper drone arsenal in Iran attacks
Iran has reportedly destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by US forces since the beginning of the current conflict, according to a report by Bloomberg News.
The report, citing unnamed sources, estimated the losses at around $1 billion — nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s pre-war inventory of the unmanned aircraft.
Several drones were reportedly shot down in flight by Iranian air defence systems, while others were destroyed on the ground during missile attacks on US military facilities or lost in operational mishaps, according to a source described as having “direct knowledge” of the matter.
Bloomberg added that US congressional reports showed the American military suffered damage or destruction to at least 42 aircraft during the conflict, with overall equipment losses estimated at close to $2.6 billion.
