US-Iran war news LIVE: Airstrikes intensify across West Asia; US says technical talks with Iran will continue | Today’s news
US-Iran war news LIVE: The US launched new strikes targeting Iran early Thursday and Tehran responded by attacking Washington’s regional allies in a firefight that threatened an interim deal to help end the Middle East war. Mutual attacks have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire agreement that was signed on 17 June. But the attacks appeared to intensify on Thursday, with at least three sirens and missiles aimed at Kuwait and Qatar in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters.
The US says technical talks will continue
A US official said on Thursday (local time) that Washington was continuing technical talks with Tehran despite two days of clashes that threatened to shatter an already fragile ceasefire and plunge the Middle East region into renewed military confrontation. The official maintained that the US remains committed to finding a solution to end the war with Iran. Amid the latest strikes, US President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday (local time) that the ceasefire was “over”, but added that he would not prevent negotiations from continuing. Talks between the two sides were delayed this week as the Islamic Republic held days of funeral services for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the US-Israeli military campaign.
Trump spoke with the Israeli prime minister
As tensions between the US and Iran escalated again, Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about moves by Turkey and Washington in the Persian Gulf. The US launched new airstrikes against Tehran hours after Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of a ceasefire and threatened to escalate the conflict unless it stopped.
Iran Buries Slain Supreme Leader
Tehran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli military campaign in the Islamic Republic in February, was buried at the Imam Reza Shrine, the country’s holiest shrine, in his hometown of Mashhad in eastern Iran. State media IRIB reported that “the body of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution was buried in the memorial hall of the Imam Reza shrine.” While mourners waited outside and listened to prayers, Khamenei’s successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was absent from the funeral.
Iran claims to have struck US military targets in the Persian Gulf
Tehran’s armed forces launched attacks on US military infrastructure in the Gulf states on Thursday in response to Washington’s strikes on the Islamic Republic’s southern coastal and eastern provinces, further disrupting a three-week-old ceasefire. State media later reported several explosions in southern Iran, including Bushehr, home to one of the country’s nuclear power plants, along with Konarak, Choghadak and Bandar Abbas.
Oil stabilizes at the end of a volatile week
Oil settled at the end of a bumpy week as US-Iran talks continued despite a flare-up of fighting that caused a sharp drop in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. West Texas Intermediate was trading near $72 a barrel, after falling nearly 2% on Thursday as Brent finished above $76.
