Iran says any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz 'will be targeted'
Iran announces closure of Strait of Hormuz after US attacks
Iran's top joint military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday,
including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.
Iran says two ships attempting to pass through Strait of Hormuz hit
US military says it's striking 'multiple targets' in Iran in latest escalation of tensions
The US military said Wednesday it has begun another round of strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said more were coming. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations.
US Central Command said in a social media post that the military is striking “multiple targets in Iran” and that it’s being done “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”
Explosion heard in Iranian city Bandar Abbas, state media reports
An explosion has been heard in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, state media reported on Thursday without providing further details
Iranian media reports explosions in south near Strait of Hormuz
Iranian media early Thursday reported explosions in the country's south near the Strait of Hormuz after Washington acknowledged carrying out defensive strikes.
Explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the island of Qeshm, the cities of Minab and Sirik, they said.
Vance says Israeli PM has 'gotten some things wrong'
US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview excerpt released Wednesday, saying the Israeli leader had "gotten some things wrong" in the Middle East war.
Vance emphasized that Israel is a close partner of the United States, but noted that "sometimes, we have interests that are perfectly aligned and sometimes, we have interests that are misaligned," according to a clip posted on X by CBS News.
"What I've seen with the prime minister is that he aggressively asserts the interests of his country," Vance said in the interview, which is to be broadcast in full on Sunday. "Sometimes that means we're on the same page, and sometimes it means that we're not."
US launches new strikes on targets in Iran
US forces began launching additional strikes against multiple targets in Iran at 5:15 p.m.
EDT (21:15 GMT), US Central Command said in a post on X on Wednesday.
"The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression," the military said.
Lebanon says Israeli strikes on south kill 12
Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli airstrikes on the country's south on Wednesday killed 12 people, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Lebanese to join Israel's fight against Hezbollah.
The southern border town of Kfarshuba said a municipal councillor and employee had been released, hours after Israel's army said it had "apprehended" two people who approached its soldiers.
Pentagon chief say strikes on Iran will be 'strong' and 'clear'
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that upcoming strikes against Iran will be "strong" and "clear," suggesting the military action could stretch into a second night.
"Those strikes that'll happen tonight will be strong, they will be clear. If they happen to happen tomorrow night, they will be strong and they will be clear," Hegseth told journalists at US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
Saudi crown prince orders resumption of Lebanese exports
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered on Wednesday the resumption of Lebanese exports to the kingdom "in light of positive steps" taken by the Lebanese government toward rebuilding state institutions, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Ties between Riyadh and Beirut have been strained for years due to the power of Iran-backed Hezbollah over Lebanese political and security affairs, but the kingdom sees an opening after the group was severely weakened by war with Israel last year.
Netanyahu calls on Lebanese people to join Israel against Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the Lebanese people to join Israel's fight against Hezbollah, saying their country had been taken "hostage" by the militant group.
"Israel is not at war with you. We are at war with Hezbollah, that has taken your country hostage... We yearn for peace with you, with Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video statement directed at the Lebanese people.
"Israel wants peace with you. Seize your future. Join Israel. Build safety and prosperity for all of our children. And once Hezbollah is dismantled, the possibilities are endless. And they are sky high."
India summons top US diplomat to protest attack on tanker off Oman, sources say
India has summoned a top US diplomat in New Delhi over a strike on a tanker off the coast of Oman where three Indians are missing, two Indian sources with direct knowledge of the matter has told Reuters.
India has lodged a "strong protest" with the US deputy chief of mission to the country, Jason Meeks, the sources said.
US says it fired on and disabled an oil tanker that violated Iran port blockade
A US warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade, the US military said.
The US aircraft "fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces," US Central Command said in a post on X, identifying the vessel as the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello.
Iran would be "unwise" to challenge US further, Hegseth says
Iran would be "unwise" to challenge the US further, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned after the US conducted overnight strikes in retaliation for the downing of a US Apache helicopter.
"Right now, they’re defensive strikes to ensure we protect our people. Again, Iran would be unwise to challenge us further," Hegseth said during a visit to the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"President Trump is seeking a deal. But not just a deal, a great deal on behalf of the American people
so that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," he added.
Iran slams IAEA resolution ‘instrumentalized by warmongers’
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva has blasted the adoption of a resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors calling on Tehran to cooperate with the UN nuclear agency and divulge “complete information” on its uranium stockpile.
“How can #IAEA be trusted when instrumentalized by warmongers, and decapacitated in a way that is not even able to express a simple concern over the most extensive unlawful armed attacks,” said the mission in a post on X.
“The resolution hypocritically expresses support for a diplomatic solution, while the U.S. simultaneously engages in further acts of aggression including against Iranian civilian infrastructure,” the post said.
The resolution submitted by the US, UK, France and Germany was passed with 21 votes in favour, three against and 10 abstentions. The countries opposing were Russia, China and Niger, according to diplomats at the closed-door meeting.
UN chief warns of risk of return to 'full war' in Mideast
UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned of a risk of return to "full war" in the Middle East after Iran and the US traded strikes.
"We should not minimise the risks of a lesser fire becoming full fire, or in another word -- full war," Guterres said at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
IAEA board passes US resolution demanding Iran report uranium stocks, diplomats say
The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors have passed a US-backed resolution telling Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stocks and let inspectors verify them.
The resolution submitted by the US, UK, France and Germany was passed with 21 votes in favour, three against and 10 abstentions, diplomats at the closed-door meeting said.
The countries opposing were Russia, China and Niger, they said, adding that Venezuela was not allowed to take part.
French soldier killed by ‘accidental gunfire’ in Lebanon, military says
A French soldier serving as an infantry combat instructor in Lebanon was killed by “accidental gunfire” in Lebanon, said the French military.
Private First-Class Florian Gillet was struck by an accidental gunshot during a training exercise in the southern Lebanese Saliyeh region, said a statement released by the French army.
He received initial treatment before being evacuated to the nearest hospital, but “despite the rapid response, he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries,” the statement said.
Gillet had been deployed since June 1 to Lebanon, where he was part of a military partnership mission supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Two suspects taken from Lebanon to Israel for questioning, IDF says
The Israeli military has detained two people who approached troops in southern Lebanon and taken them to Israel for questioning, according to the IDF.
"Earlier today, IDF soldiers identified two suspected individuals who approached the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon," the military said in a statement to AFP. "Following the identification and in order to rule out any threat, the soldiers apprehended the suspected individuals, who were transferred to Israeli territory for further questioning."
Yesterday's key developments:
- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wanted a "very powerful" response to Iran shooting down an American helicopter, as the US military announced retaliatory strikes against the Islamic republic.
- An Israeli strike near Tyre has killed three people in the southern Lebanese city, the health ministry said, taking the death toll up to 11 in the region.
- Hamas militants and police units in Gaza beat, maimed and publicly executed dozens of Palestinians during its war with Israel in acts amounting to war crimes , according to a new United Nations report.
Please find all the latest updates from Monday, June 8 here.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)
