US-Iran War highlights: Trump awaits Iran's response as Tehran reviews US proposal to end war

Britain on Saturday said it was deploying warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East as part of preparations for a possible multinational mission to secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz once conditions stabilise.

HMS Dragon, an air defence destroyer, had earlier been stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean following the outbreak of the Iran war in March to help protect Cyprus.

The move comes after France deployed its carrier strike group to the southern Red Sea, with London and Paris jointly working on plans to restore confidence in one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait, when conditions allow,” a British Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.

The proposed mission is being discussed as the US and Iran move closer towards a possible diplomatic breakthrough after weeks of conflict. According to reports, around a dozen countries have shown willingness to participate, though any operation would require coordination with Iran.

Britain’s role in any future mission could be constrained by pressure on the Royal Navy, which has shrunk in size in recent years following the retirement of several ships before replacements entered service.

A Qatari LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after departing Ras Laffan and heading for Pakistan’s Port Qasim, according to LSEG shipping data.

If the vessel successfully crosses the strategic waterway, it would mark the first known transit by a Qatari LNG tanker through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war involving Iran earlier this year.

The development comes amid fragile calm in the region after weeks of clashes and disruptions to shipping routes around the strait, a key artery for global energy supplies. Before the conflict, nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG trade passed through the narrow passage.

There was no immediate comment from QatarEnergy on the vessel’s movement or the security situation surrounding the transit.

A fragile calm returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after days of military flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran’s response to a proposal aimed at ending more than two months of conflict and opening the door for peace negotiations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Friday that Washington expected Tehran’s reply “within hours”, but there was no official response from Iran a day later on the proposal to formally end the war before negotiations begin on deeper disputes, including Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The diplomatic push comes as President Donald Trump prepares for a closely-watched visit to China next week, with mounting global pressure on Washington and Tehran to prevent the conflict from spiralling further and damaging the world economy.

The fighting has rattled energy markets and intensified fears over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.

The United States and Iran appeared no closer to ending their war on Saturday as both sides continued exchanging fire in the Gulf despite a fragile ceasefire, while a new US intelligence assessment reportedly concluded that Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for months.

The latest escalation marked some of the most intense fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire came into effect a month ago. Tensions also spilled over into the wider Gulf region, with the United Arab Emirates coming under renewed attack on Friday.

Diplomatic efforts to formally end the conflict, meanwhile, remained stalled. Washington has been awaiting Tehran’s response to a US proposal intended to formally end the war before broader negotiations begin on contentious issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking in Rome on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington expected a response from Tehran later in the day. However, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran was still reviewing the proposal and had not yet finalised its position.

President Donald Trump’s recent decisions during the Iran conflict, including plans to pull some US troops from Germany, threats of further drawdowns in Europe and his downplaying of Iranian attacks on a key Gulf partner, are raising concerns among allies that Washington may be becoming an unreliable security partner.

Even as the US and Iran edge towards a possible diplomatic off-ramp after 10 weeks of conflict, Trump’s approach has unsettled long-standing American allies across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, reviving fears over how the US might respond in a future crisis.

The developments are also prompting some allies to reassess their strategic dependence on Washington, with countries increasingly looking to hedge their bets amid uncertainty over America’s long-term commitments.

At the same time, rivals such as China and Russia are seen as attempting to exploit emerging geopolitical openings created by the strain in US alliances.

While it remains unclear whether Trump’s handling of the Iran war will mark a lasting turning point in America’s global relationships, the conflict has intensified debate among allies over the future reliability of US leadership and security guarantees.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said he expected to hear from Iran by Friday night on Washington’s latest proposal to end the war, even as Tehran indicated it had not yet finalised its response and was still reviewing messages sent by the Americans through Pakistani mediators. Read full story here

The US military said on Friday that it carried out a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor. The operation marks the latest in a series of actions that rights groups have criticised as “extrajudicial killings”, while Washington has defended them as operations targeting “narco-terrorists”.

US intelligence assessments suggest Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a critical role in shaping Tehran’s war strategy alongside senior Iranian officials and military commanders.

(Reuters)

Hezbollah said it launched 26 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon since Thursday afternoon, as intensified Israeli strikes across the region reportedly killed more than 30 people, according to Al Jazeera.

The group said the attacks included a missile strike targeting an Israeli tank near the Lebanese town of Deir Siryan, shelling of advancing Israeli forces near Haddatha, and a strike on Israeli soldiers gathered in Labbouneh.

Hezbollah claimed the attacks caused casualties among Israeli troops but did not provide figures.

Strikes threatened the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran as the UAE said it intercepted drones and missiles launched from Iran, while explosions were reported across the country during defensive operations, Al Jazeera reported.

US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran remained “in effect”, despite Tehran accusing Washington of breaching the truce through fresh attacks.

The US Treasury on Friday imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and companies, including entities in China and Hong Kong, accusing them of helping Iran obtain weapons and key materials used in the production of Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.

The move, first reported by Reuters, comes just days before US President Donald Trump is expected to visit China for talks with President Xi Jinping, and amid stalled efforts to end the war involving Iran.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday that even if the Iran war ended today, it would still take at least three to four months to address its economic fallout. 

US Treasury says it is prepared to take further economic action against Iran’s military-industrial base. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday that ongoing US-Iran talks should be backed to avoid a renewed outbreak of conflict in the Middle East.

According to a Russian foreign ministry statement, Lavrov stressed the importance of supporting negotiations between Iran and the United States and warned against any return to hostilities that could undermine efforts to stabilise the region.

Hezbollah said it launched a barrage of missiles at Israeli soldiers in the southern Lebanese town of Tayr Harfa.

The group also claimed it sent a “squadron of attack drones” towards the Meron Air Operations Base, a major Israeli military surveillance and command facility in northern Israel, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Al Jazeera said.

An Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese town of Aanqoun killed two people and injured another, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Al Jazeera cited.

The attack is the latest in a series of deadly Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon in recent days, despite a US-brokered ceasefire remaining in effect.

The dollar slipped on Friday and was headed for a second consecutive weekly decline as investors remained cautiously hopeful about a quick resolution to the Middle East conflict after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire was still holding despite renewed tensions between the United States and Iran.

The US said it was expecting a response from Iran as early as Friday to its latest proposal aimed at ending the Gulf conflict, even as American and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the region and fresh attacks targeted the United Arab Emirates.