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Kuwait said Wednesday its air defences are engaged to intercept incoming fire after the United States launched airstrikes targeting Iran. Kuwait's announcement via its military came after Bahrain also said it faced incoming missiles Wednesday morning. There was no word on what, if anything, had been struck in either country. Bahrain and Kuwait previously have been targeted by Iranian attacks in other violence shaking the interim deal struck between Iran and the US to end the war.
A tanker travelling off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz caught on fire early Tuesday morning after being struck by a projectile, the British military said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker had been hit near Limah, Oman, in the strait. It said the projectile hit the port side of the vessel while trying to travelling south out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman. It said there was no environmental impact from the strike and that authorities were investigating. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though Iran is suspected of attacking at least two other vessels in the strait travelling on a route near Oman in recent days.
High-profile Indian dignitaries have paid tribute to the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ahead of the formal state funeral ceremonies in Tehran. The update was shared by the Embassy of Iran in India in a post on X, which stated, "Indian Dignitaries Pay Tribute to the Martyred Leader of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei." The image shared by the Embassy of Iran in India on X featured People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and Salman Khurshid, who heads the Congress party's foreign affairs department, along with other delegates preparing to travel for the high-profile state proceedings.Mufti flew from New Delhi to Tehran on Thursday evening to attend the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled from July 4, becoming the only non-Shia politician from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to be invited by Iran.Following the initial departure of these prominent political figures, the official government delegation also .
Iran's joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a "forceful response", ratcheting up tensions again over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies. The strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has emerged as one of the top issues in negotiations seeking a permanent end to the Iran war. The statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya military command, reported by Iranian state television, comes after both US and Iranian diplomats met with mediators Wednesday in Qatar. It wasn't clear what sparked the threat from Iran. However, the US military's Central Command had put out a statement about a meeting with officials from Mideast nations in Bahrain that said "leaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through" the strait. That could have been the phrase that angered Iran, which is preparing for the funeral that begins this weekend for the late Supreme Leader
Pakistan on Thursday said its mediators, along with Qatar, concluded separate meetings with the US and Iranian negotiators in Doha and reported "positive progress" on various aspects of the MoU, with the two sides agreeing to further discussions. The US and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 18, aimed at restoring peace in West Asia. It was followed by technical-level talks in Switzerland on June 21, with Pakistan and Qatar as mediators. "Qatari and Pakistani mediators concluded separate meetings with the US and Iranian negotiators in Doha today (Thursday), with positive progress made on issues related to the aspects of the Islamabad MOU, building on the Lake Lucerne Summit," the Foreign Office said. Though the next date of talks was not announced, it was decided to continue discussions after the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Parties have agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be set