Middle East crisis live: Iran says Trump’s threats to ‘blow up’ Oman ‘dangerous and bullying’
From 7h ago 09.58 BST Iran says Trump's threats against Oman 'dangerous' and 'bullying' We have a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry in which
From 7h ago 09.58 BST Iran says Trump's threats against Oman 'dangerous' and 'bullying' We have a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry in which the spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, described Donald Trump’s threats against Oman as “dangerous” and “bullying”. He was quoted as saying: double quotation mark Threats to “destroy” a United Nations member state that has always played a constructive, effective, and responsible role in regional peace and security and has used its noble efforts in the service of regional peace and stability as a mediator in diplomatic processes for many years are not only a violation of the fundamental principle of prohibiting the threat of the use of force, but also another dangerous sign of the normalisation of lawlessness and bullying in international relations. As a reminder, the US president said yesterday that he would “blow up” Oman if it entered an agreement with Iran to manage shipping in the strait of Hormuz. Read more here: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ US ally Oman amid talks over strait of Hormuz Read more Share Updated at 09.59 BST 35m ago 16.00 BST US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent threatened Thursday to target Oman if it helped impose a tolling system in the key strait of Hormuz, warning of sanctions against parties involved. “Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent warned in a post on X. Share 1h ago 15.36 BST Donald Trump shares draft Iran peace agreement with Israel and other allies Patrick Wintour Donald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal. In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. Tehran targeted a US air base in Kuwait on Thursday after Washington struck what it described as an Iranian drone operation near the strait of Hormuz, highlighting the fragile situation as both sets of negotiators refuse to cede ground on final points of disagreement. The draft Trump has shared is not vastly different to the one that has been circulating across the Middle East for days, under which the strait of Hormuz would be opened to commercial shipping, the US blockade of Iranian ports would by lifted and Iran would be given access to as much as $12bn (£9bn) in frozen assets. The aim would be for commercial shipping in the strait to return to pre-war levels within 30 days and for negotiations envisaged to last as long as 60 days to commence on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
This would include discussions about its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a time-limited suspension of further enrichment and supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog. China is pressing for the UN security council to ratify any agreement. Donald Trump shares draft Iran peace agreement with Israel and other allies Read more Share 1h ago 15.22 BST US media report draft 60-day deal agreed - but not yet approved by Trump Axios is reporting that tthe US and Iran have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. However, US president Donald Trump still needs to give final approval, according to two American officials. Share Updated at 15.31 BST 1h ago 15.14 BST Israel is breaking all contact with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, the country’s ambassador announced Thursday, saying it was “outrageous” that Israel has been blacklisted over accusations of sexual violence in war zones. “We are done with this secretary-general,” ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X. Share 2h ago 14.55 BST Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is set to meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington today, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement. Islamabad is continuing its mediation efforts to negotiate a peace agreement to bring an end to the Iran war. Dar has been in the US for the UN security council and other meetings in New York. View image in fullscreen Pakistani foreign Mohammad Ishaq Dar at a UN security council meeting on Tuesday. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP Share 2h ago 14.26 BST US to shut down Iranian airlines' access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales, says Bessent The US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will be shutting down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales. View image in fullscreen US treasury secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media in Paris, France on 16 March. Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters In a post on X, he said the US has sanctioned Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a government agency Tehran established on 5 May handling transit fees for vessels in the strait of Hormuz. Bessent wrote: double quotation mark The US treasury continues our Economic Fury campaign against the Iranian regime. Their troops are not getting paid, the police are not reporting for work, and Kharg Island is shut down. The Iranian economy and currency are in free fall. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is a joke, and today Treasury has sanctioned it. We have warned any corporate or state entities against paying tolls or hiding them as aid payments. Forming a Wall of Steel, the US Naval Blockade has ensured a record low amount of Iranian crude on the water.
We will also be shutting down both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling, and ticket sales. Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral. Share 3h ago 13.45 BST Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened a “firm response” on Thursday in the event of renewed attacks, after the United States carried out a strike the country’s south. “If this action is repeated, the US military will face a firm response,” the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website. Share 3h ago 13.32 BST Overnight, the Israeli military pounded the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon’s fourth-largest city, killing at least 14 people across the south of the country in its ongoing military escalation against the Hezbollah group ahead of the Washington talks. Among those killed in the flurry of strikes were five women and children and a Lebanese soldier. Dozens of others were wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and the state-run News Agency. Share 4h ago 13.01 BST Lebanon’s official News Agency reported that an Israeli strike on Beirut targeted an apartment building in the southern Choueifat area. It was not immediately clear who or what was targeted in the building, but the Times of Israel reported that the IDF was attempting to assassinate an IRGC-linked military leader. Citing a security source, the newspaper reported that the target was Ali al-Husni, described as “the head of the missile force in the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian militia that operates alongside Hezbollah”. It is the first time in over three weeks that Israel has attacked the Lebanese capital. Share 4h ago 12.39 BST Kuwait says Iranian attacks on its territory a 'dangerous escalation' Kuwait has now named Iran as the culprit behind the attempted missile and drone attacks against the Gulf state, describing it as a “dangerous escalation”. Earlier, the Kuwaiti armed forces said it had intercepted drones and missiles that were launched towards the country, but did not say who was behind the attacks. The US and UAE placed the blame squarely on Iran. In a statement, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry said it expressed the country’s “strongest condemnation and denunciation of the criminal Iranian attacks that targeted the territory of the state of Kuwait with missiles and drones, in a dangerous escalation”. It added: double quotation mark The ministry affirms this escalation comes at a time when earnest efforts are being exerted by a number of brotherly and friendly countries to reduce tensions, de-escalate, and spare the region further escalation, which amplifies the gravity of these attacks and undermines diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving regional security and stability. Share 4h ago 12.29 BST Associated Press reported that Israeli fighter jets struck a southern suburb of Beirut but it was not clear what the target was.
According to AFP, citing a Lebanese military source, the Israeli strike hit an apartment south of the capital. Share 4h ago 12.21 BST IDF says its carried out strike in Beirut The IDF said it carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which had been largely spared of attacks since a fragile ceasefire took effect on 17 April. In a post on X, it said: “The IDF has just carried out a targeted strike in Beirut; further details to follow.” The most recent Israeli strike on Beirut was on 6 May, when the IDF carried out an airstrike in the southern suburbs known as the Dahiyeh. We will bring you more as we get it. Share Updated at 12.24 BST 4h ago 12.17 BST US accuses Iran of ceasefire violation after missile intercepted by Kuwaiti forces The US Central Command said an Iranian missile was intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, as it accused Tehran of an “egregious ceasefire violation”. In a statement posted on social media, it said: double quotation mark Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the strait of Hormuz. All drones were successfully intercepted by US forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas. US Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression. Share 5h ago 11.59 BST UAE condemns Iran for strikes on Kuwait The UAE has condemned “in the strongest terms” what it described as Iranian drone and missile attacks on Kuwait. Earlier, the Kuwaiti armed forces said its air defences were intercepting “hostile missile and drone attacks” this morning, but did not say how many and where they were launched from. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted an unnamed American military base in retaliation against US strikes on the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas near the strait of Hormuz, according to the Iranian state broadcaster Irib. In a statement, the UAE’s foreign ministry said the attacks constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Kuwait and a threat to its security and stability”. Share
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