Page 6 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Trump wants Iran tariffs added to Russia sanctions bill, risking delay

US President urges lawmakers to expand the Russia sanctions legislation to include broad tariff powers against Iran as the measure heads to the House

US strikes Iranian targets day after Tehran attacks American base in Jordan

The US military launched retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets in response to Tehran's attack on American forces in Jordan. The barrage came after the US partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Iran-backed militias in neighbouring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. The new strikes on Wednesday came hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran "very hard" after it targeted a base in Jordan that hosts US troops. Iranian state media said two people were injured in attacks on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz and that explosions were also reported in Khuzestan province to the northwest. Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported. The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several day

Oil prices slip as tanker traffic steadies despite escalating US-Iran war

Brent slips below $90 a barrel after a sharp rally as shipping through key West Asian routes continues despite widening regional conflict

Mojtaba Khamenei commends Hezbollah's 'unyielding' stance against Israel

Iran's Supreme Leader praises Hezbollah's steadfastness against Israel, reiterates Tehran's support for the group, and says resistance remains the only path forward amid the ongoing regional conflict

US 'locked and loaded' for Iran strikes but no final decision yet: Trump

US President said Washington was ready for major military action against Iran but had not yet decided whether to proceed, even as the two sides continued talks amid escalating regional hostilities

'Iran will not bow to bullying': Araghchi rejects US' pressure tactics

The Iranian foreign minister said the main obstacle to engagement with Washington was the US' reliance on 'bullying and coercion', reiterating Tehran's commitment to protecting its national interests

Houthis target tankers in Red Sea, threatening new chokepoint in Iran war

The Houthis said they struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as the US launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran, heightening concerns over global oil supplies and shipping routes

Trump calls Iran war a 'skirmish', says Tehran wants to 'make a deal'

US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to strike a deal but is 'not ready' yet, describing the ongoing conflict as a 'skirmish' while referring to the latest US airstrikes

US continues strikes on Iran as both sides threaten civilian infrastructure

The US military announced Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th night of strikes against Iran as both sides increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure. US Central Command said the attacks were designed to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters," as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping. President Donald Trump warned earlier Wednesday that the US would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the strait. "From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT," Trump wrote on social media. The continued American airstrikes are occurring even as diplomatic efforts show little public sign of progress and officials on both sid

Mojtaba Khamenei warns of 'unforgettable lessons' if US continues attacks

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in a new statement warned of "unforgettable lessons" if US continues attacks. The statement attributed to Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, was read out on state television. He also called US President Donald Trump's signature "worthless and invalid," after an Iranian negotiator earlier Saturday said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed by both countries about a month ago. The deal was aimed at permanently ending the war.

US, Iran trade strikes over Hormuz; Kuwait suffers infrastructure damage

The United States and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified. The region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the strait, an essential waterway that used to carry a fifth of the world's crude oil. The collapse of an interim ceasefire leaves no clear end in sight for the war that the US and Israel began more than four months ago. The US Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes had hit "surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities." The most significant damage on Saturday occurred in Kuwait after Iran struck a water desalination plant and an oil facility, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations. The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire

Iran targets Kuwait's water desalination facility for second straight day

Kuwait's Ministry of Water and Electricity said on Saturday a water desalination and power generation plant was struck by Iran, sparking a blaze. It was the second time in two days that Iran targeted a water desalination infrastructure in the Gulf Arab country. Kuwait said Iran had targeted a different power and desalination plant on Friday, sparking a fire and causing damage. Kuwaiti authorities said several generating units were shut down as a precaution. About 90 per cent of Kuwait's drinking water comes from desalination, and the plants are a critical part of the desert nation's infrastructure.

'Prepare for corresponding response': Iran warns nations hosting US troops

Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned countries hosting US troops to prepare for a 'corresponding response' and claimed attacks on American military facilities in Kuwait amid escalating regional tensions

US may send more refuelling aircraft to Israel amid rising tensions: Report

Trump admin is reportedly planning to deploy dozens of additional military refuelling aircraft to Israel as it weighs expanding strikes on Iran's energy, nuclear and other strategic infrastructure

US naval units under surveillance, says Iran's IRGC, warns of 'zero hour'

IRGC claimed it was monitoring US naval movements in the region and warned Washington of a possible 'zero hour' for operations, as tensions between the two countries continued to escalate

US oil firms sign $60 bn deals with Iraq to reduce reliance on Hormuz route

US companies signed roughly USD 60 billion in agreements and partnerships with the Iraqi government Friday, including deals intended to create alternative routes for shipping oil out of the Persian Gulf. The deals, signed at the US Chamber of Commerce, also involved other industries, including healthcare, communications and infrastructure. It's not clear when the oil deals will be able to create viable alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil flows. Goldman Sachs estimates that pipelines in just one country take at least two and a half years to build, and these pipelines would travel through two or more nations. Iran has sought to close the Strait repeatedly since the U.S.-Iran war began Feb. 28, causing sharp gyrations in oil and gas prices. On Friday afternoon, the price of West Texas crude rose nearly 5 per cent to USD 88 a barrel, up from about USD 67 before the war began. It had topped USD 110 in early April before falling back after

Iran targets US military bases, drone depots in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain

Tehran said it carried out drone strikes on US military base in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain under 'Operation Lightning', hours after Washington's seventh consecutive night of attacks on Iranian targets

46 killed, 400 injured in Iran as US widens attacks on Tehran's civil infra

The United States and Iran escalated their attacks across the Middle East on Friday, trading strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified. The US expanded its attacks against Iran by hitting more bridges and energy sites and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port, following through on President Donald Trump's threats to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the waterway vital to world energy supplies. In response, Iran launched missiles into US-allied nations in the Mideast, including Qatar, a mediator in the war, and Kuwait, where one of the desert nation's water desalination plants was damaged. The region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the strait, and the collapse of an interim ceasefire leaves no clear end in sight for the war that began more than four months ago. The US Central Command said late Friday it had launched its seventh straight night of attac

Kuwait reports Iranian attack on key power, water desalination plant

Kuwait said Friday that Iran attacked a power and water desalination plant, causing widespread damage to the station. In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination -- and any disruption can threaten life in the small, desert nation. Kuwait's Electricity Water and Renewable Energy Ministry announced the attack, saying it sparked a fire and "damage to a large number of electricity generation units." Kuwait said it extinguished the blaze and was working to assess the damage and get the station working again.

Iran confirms attacks on power infra, urges people to use less electricity

Iran acknowledged "attacks on power infrastructure" during the US airstrike campaign for the first time Friday, showing the escalation in the American campaign. Iran's Energy Ministry issued a call for people to use less power in southern provinces. It said those areas "are currently experiencing extreme heat and attacks on power infrastructure". The ministry did not elaborate on whether it was power plants, transmission lines or other equipment that had been attacked. US President Donald Trump had threatened to go after bridges and power plants as America vies with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.