Conflict expands as Houthis bomb Saudi oil tankers after threats: Live

Key Points

• Houthis claim attack on two Saudi oil tankers
• US military launches 12th night of strikes on Iran
• Iran warns their defence strategy is 'eye for an eye'
• US army releases pictures of four soldiers killed in Jordan
• Miliband calls for calm in Iran conflict as Trump threatens to bomb bridges

Hegseth shares photos of dignified transfer of soldiers killed in Iran war

US military launches 12th night of strikes on Iran

The U.S. military said on Wednesday ⁠it launched a new round ⁠of ​strikes on ⁠Iran at President ⁠Donald Trump's ​direction, marking ⁠the ‌12th successive night of American attacks.

"The ‌mission will ‌continue to further ⁠degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters," ‌the ​U.S. Central ‌Command ⁠said in ⁠a statement.

Houthis claim attack on two Saudi oil tankers

Yemen's ​Houthis said on Thursday they had carried out ⁠a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers, ⁠identified ​as ENCELA ⁠and LAYLIA, saying the ⁠vessels violated a ​naval ⁠blockade imposed ‌by the group.

The Iran-aligned Houthis said ‌on Monday ‌they were imposing a naval blockade ⁠on Saudi Arabia, drawing a warning from the Saudi-led coalition that it would respond "firmly," ‌in a move that ​threatens to ‌disrupt ⁠global energy supplies ⁠beyond the Gulf.

Ship attacked off coast of Saudi Arabia

A vessel has been attacked while travelling off the coast of Saudi Arabia, UK officials have said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said ⁠it had received a report ⁠of ​an incident ⁠70 nautical miles ⁠southwest of Al Shuqaiq, adding ‌no casualties or environmental ‌impact have been reported.

"The ‌master of a ⁠tanker reports being struck by an unknown projectile which has caused a fire ‌onboard that ​the ‌crew are currently ⁠fighting,” a spokesperson said.

The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group, have recently threatened to attack ships transiting through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea’s southern access point.

Such a move would further destabilise oil supply and the global economy after Iranian attacks on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

US says it reaches nuclear power deal with Saudi Arabia

The US and Saudi ⁠Arabia have reached an agreement on civil nuclear power, the US Energy Department said on Wednesday.

The deal allows the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium.

A civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia has been in the works for years during both ⁠Donald Trump's first administration and that of ​former ⁠president Joe Biden.

Unlike the Biden plan, the current deal does not include a so-called Additional Protocol that allows the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency to ⁠carry out intrusive snap inspections.

The deal would also allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium ​and reprocess ⁠nuclear waste, both of which ‌are potential pathways to making a nuclear weapon.

The UAE agreed to forgo both of those when it signed a similar deal with the U.S. in 2009.

Houthi Red Sea threat would challenge a stretched US military

A Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea could significantly widen the Iran war and strain a U.S. military already focused on stopping Tehran's attacks across the region, current and former U.S. officials said. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they would not allow ships to load or unload at Saudi ports, potentially blocking Saudi oil exports ⁠and choking off an additional 7 per cent of global oil supply.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts US forces, has not yet requested military assistance from Washington. But Trump suggested on Tuesday that a move by the group to obstruct shipping in the Red Sea — a vital corridor for global trade — could draw the United States in.

"If something like that happens, we'll take care of it. We've done that with the Houthis before," Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

For the US military, it may not be so simple. The Houthis have earned a reputation as hardened, nimble fighters who have successfully resisted earlier Saudi and US bombing campaigns. ⁠Taking them on would mean stretching American resources already focused on fighting Iran and maintaining the United ​States' own ⁠blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf.

"You're bifurcating your admittedly fairly robust resources in the region between two active fronts," said Jason Campbell, a former senior Pentagon official.

MAGA support for Trump’s Iran war plummets, poll finds: ‘Maximum level of frustration’

MAGA support for President Donald Trump's war against Iran has cratered over the past two months – with just 37 percent of his crumbling base now saying the conflict should continue even if it increases inflation, according to a new poll.

That's down from 50 percent since May, Politico said in a Wednesday report that came a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democrats during a fiery Senate hearing over the cost of the war.

A person close to the White House told Politico that it's "at a maximum level of frustration right now," with Trump "fully aware that the only way to the victory that he wants is completely politically impossible."

Read the full article here:

MAGA support for Trump’s Iran war plummets, poll finds: ‘Maximum frustration’

Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role

Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted US intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, four people familiar with US intelligence told Reuters.

These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters, said US intelligence officials have not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible ⁠Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities.

But they cited the strikes' effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia's broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence.

Reuters and other media have reported — and US officials have acknowledged — that Russia has provided targeting and other support for Iran in its strikes on US targets in the Gulf region generally, but the intelligence community's investigation of possible Russian involvement in supporting the CIA facility attacks has not been previously disclosed.

Iran warns their defence strategy is 'eye for an eye'

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran will issue a “powerful and decisive response” if strikes target their infrastructure.

He wrote on X: “Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response.

“Those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”

Watch: Trump attends dignified transfer for four US soldiers killed in Iran war

Israel's spy chief held talks on Iran war in Washington, Axios reports

The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence ⁠agency traveled to Washington two weeks ⁠ago ​to discuss ⁠the Iran war, ⁠in his ​first ⁠visit to ‌the US capital since taking ‌office, Axios reported ‌on Wednesday, citing ⁠two unidentified sources with knowledge of the situation.

He met with CIA Director ‌John Ratcliffe ​and ‌White House officials, ⁠the report ⁠said.

Trump salutes killed soldiers during solemn ceremony

Donald Trump attended a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware ⁠for four US service members who returned to American soil in flag-draped caskets on Wednesday after being killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

The ceremony, known as a "dignified transfer" of the bodies, comes amid growing frustration with the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Both Republican and ⁠Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the war, which has boosted ​global ⁠oil prices and shows no signs of ending.

Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, stood at attention near the flight line ⁠and saluted as teams of seven service members solemnly carried each transfer case from the aircraft during the ceremony.

Family ​members, who ⁠arrived in a convoy of vans, watched from ‌a short distance as the flag-draped transfer cases were carried off the aircraft one by one and placed in one of two vans.

Asked what he would tell the families of the fallen, Mr Trump said: "All I'm going to say is, we love you. We love your child, and that's what they are to them. They're their children. There's no games, no nothing."

US presidents, vice presidents and dignitaries regularly attend the solemn transfer ceremonies at ⁠Dover — home of the largest US military mortuary — during times of war or conflict.

The three U.S. service members killed when an Iranian missile hit their sleeping barracks at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday were First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19. All three were assigned to U.S. Army air defence brigades.

The fourth death, of Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, occurred on Sunday in a separate incident in Erbil, Iraq, during a controlled detonation of an attack drone.

DP World to build two new terminals on UAE's eastern coast, reducing Hormuz reliance

DP World will develop two new container terminals ​in Fujairah on the United Arab Emirates' eastern coast, the global ports operator said on Wednesday as the Gulf state works to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.

"The development ⁠will expand DP World's UAE capacity and gateway network, giving customers greater choice, flexibility, and connectivity across regional and global trade routes," the Dubai-based firm said in a statement.

Once operational, the development will boost DP World's total container handling capacity in the UAE ⁠to almost 22 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from ​the current ⁠19.4 million TEUs, while significantly expanding general cargo and Ro-Ro (Roll-on-Roll-off) capability.

The US-Iran conflict, which started on February 28, has killed thousands of people ⁠and Iran's restrictions on energy shipments from Gulf states have contributed to ​inflation worldwide.

Vessel ⁠crossings via the Strait of Hormuz ‌dropped further on Tuesday, shipping data showed, as Tehran's near-total blockade of the key waterway continued and security concerns lingered amid ongoing attacks by the United ‌States and Iran.

ICYMI: Hegseth heckled by protestors during Iran war funding hearing

British couple in grave condition as they ramp up hunger strike in Iran jail

The family of a British couple on hunger strike in an Iran jail say they are “sick with worry” as the pair ramp up their hunger strike after 10 weeks without food.

Lindsay Foreman, who has not eaten in 66 days, has reportedly vowed to continue her strike until death to expose their treatment inside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

She and her husband Craig Foreman were arrested on a once-in-a-lifetime world motorbike tour 18 months ago, and were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they completely deny.

Read the full story:

British couple in grave condition as they ramp up hunger strike in Iran jail

US army releases pictures of four soldiers killed in Jordan

The US have released the names of four soldiers killed during an Iranian attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on 18 July.

They have been named as 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, Sgt. Michael Swinton, Sgt. Angel Rampersad and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales.

An official White House social media account said: Today, we honor four American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

“May God hold them in His eternal embrace and comfort their grieving families, and may God forever bless the United States of America.

Miliband calls for calm in Iran conflict as Trump threatens to bomb bridges

Ed Miliband has called for calm in the conflict between Iran and the US, as Donald Trump threatened to “bomb and destroy” bridges and power stations.

Making his international stage debut as Foreign Secretary, Mr Miliband told foreign ministers gathered in the Philippines that the UK would “work intensively with others to seek to de-escalate this conflict”.

But US president Mr Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, vowed to retaliate “any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz”.

Mr Miliband is in the Philippine capital Manila at the same time as Mr Trump’s secretary of state Marco Rubio.

The pair are expected to meet during the event, an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ summit.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Miliband told ministers from Asean member states: “I know in particular how much the Iran conflict is affecting Asean partners.

“You are feeling as much as anyone across the world the daily impact on your economies and the living standards of your citizens, as well indeed as the impact on seafarers from many Asean nations.

“We too in the UK, in our own way, are feeling the effects of the conflict on families and businesses in the impacts on the cost of living.”

The foreign secretary added London “will work intensively with others to seek to de-escalate this conflict and find a diplomatic way forward”.

Mapped: Traffic still piled up outside Strait of Hormuz

Traffic around the Strait of Hormuz was still subdued on Wednesday as clashes between the US and Iran continue to escalate.

Ship tracking data from Marine Traffic shows limited movement around the Strait itself, which has been affected by spoofing and radio interference since the start of the conflict.

Pakistan seeks $10 billion fund from US after mediating Iran talks: report

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilization facility, according to a source briefed on the matter, which, if approved, could provide a lifeline for the cash-strapped South Asian economy.

The request, which is being reported for the first time, follows Pakistan's role in brokering talks over the Iran war, which raised its diplomatic profile and stirred hopes that it could seek economic gains from Washington and other partners.

In the request to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Islamabad is seeking a Bilateral Exchange Stabilization Support Facility between the U.S. and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion with maturity of up to five years.

The facility, if agreed to, would bolster Pakistan's reserves, ease pressure on the rupee and reduce its reliance on multilateral financing, even as Islamabad undertakes tighter fiscal and monetary policies in line with its International Monetary Fund program.

The U.S. Treasury declined to comment on the reported request.

French diplomats not ill-treated by Iranian personnel, says Tehran

Two French diplomats at the centre of a dispute between France and Iran were not ill-treated by Iranian security personnel, according to an Iranian foreign ministry official quoted by state media on Wednesday.

France has said that the diplomats in Tehran had their phones taken, were forbidden to contact the embassy and verbally intimidated, breaking international diplomatic conventions. One of the officials, the cultural attache, was hit.

The French foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires to protest the incident.

"France expects the Iranian authorities to shed light on this incident, punish the perpetrators, and ensure the security of its premises and personnel, in accordance with their international obligations," the French foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Tanhaei, Iranian security personnel questioned two French embassy staff who held a meeting with individuals who are being investigated for security reasons.

"Security agents transferred the two individuals to the diplomatic police as soon as they realised their link to the French embassy," he was quoted as saying, adding that there was no intimidation.

France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Americans are not opposed to Iran war, claims Trump

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Donald Trump claims that Americans do not want higher gasoline prices but are not opposed to war with Iran.

Trump cited an unnamed poll without evidence or figures. It was unclear to which poll he was referring.

He also reiterated that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon - amid reports his administration is planning to drop safeguards preventing Saudi Arabia from such a bomb.

Trump was departing for Dover Air Force base, where he will attend a dignified transfer of troops killed in the war.

In pictures: Pro Houthi students protest in Sanaa, Yemen

Iran launches fresh attacks around region

Iran is launching fresh attacks around the region, following another night of US strikes on Tuesday.

The Revolutionary Guards say they have targeted the Prince Hassan and King Faisal bases in Jordan, according to Iran’s state news agency.

US targets at Camp Doha in Kuwait were attacked by drones overnight, Iranian media said.

Saudi civil defence issued a warning of potential danger in Dammam - but the danger had passed as of Wednesday lunchtime.

Sirens also sounded in Bahrain, according to the interior ministry.

Jordan added to EU no-fly list

Jordan has been added to the EU’s no-fly list, as the nation and other U.S. Gulf allies were struck by Iran in the renewed conflict.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency on Wednesday asked airlines not to operate within the country’s airspace.

"Since the middle of July 2026, the security situation has deteriorated rapidly, with a sustained increase in kinetic military activity affecting Jordanian airspace," EASA said in a statement.

EASA already recommends that airlines avoid the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

Watch: Trump warns Iran the US ‘has been nice’ so far in attacks as threat of full-blown war grows

Ships linked to Israel, US and Saudi Arabia warned against Red Sea travel

Ships with links to Israel, the US or Saudi Arabia are at a higher risk of being attacked by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia, the European Union's naval force Aspides said on Wednesday.

The ships are advised to avoid voyages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

“EUNAVFOR ASPIDES recommends that merchant vessels linked to Israeli, U.S. or Saudi interests avoid transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level decreases,” said the force's advisory to the shipping industry which was seen by Reuters.

More ships change course in the Red Sea after Houthi threats, shipping data shows

Four tankers changed their navigational course in the Red Sea on Wednesday with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination after Yemen's Houthi militia warned ships to avoid sailing to Saudi Arabian ports, ship tracking data showed.

The vessels all changed their direction, with the other two signalling their destination as open waters in the Red Sea, according to LSEG and MarineTraffic ship tracking data and analysis from British maritime risk management group Vanguard.

A fifth ship — a vehicle carrier — appeared to have turned away in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday after signalling the Saudi port of Jeddah as its next destination, according to shipping data.

Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast at the sea's mouth following the warning from the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Analysis | Pete Hegseth is floundering. His desperate Senate appearance just proved that

Pete Hegseth headed to Capitol Hill Tuesday to ask for another vast pile of money for a war that’s long over or isn’t over or has been going on for decades or is all Joe Biden’s fault anyway. The War-Not-Defense Secretary was making a request for an additional $87.6 billion for the Pentagon, over $70 billion of which appeared to be headed straight to the war he started in Iran.

Senators were not amused.

U.S. intelligence experts have reportedly warned the Trump administration that there’s no end in sight for the conflict, an insight underlined on Monday by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing: “[Trump] should know that, by God's grace, even if this war lasts for several years, until the very last day, our missiles and drones will rain down on American criminals.” Definitely sounds like something a few more drones and bombs will fix, doesn’t it?

Holly Baxter writes...

Pete Hegseth is floundering. His desperate Senate appearance just proved that

Hegseth's new estimate for the cost of the war: Nearly $38 billion

Pete Hegseth’s latest estimate for the growing costs of the Iran war has now reached $37.5 billion.

That’s likely a low-end estimate, according to analysts.

Before the last week of attacks, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated total costs to have reached between $34 billion and $42 billion. Other estimates place the true cost of the war at more than $100 billion.

Middle East war could cut global growth to 1.3% in 2026, World Bank says

Escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran could reignite inflation, drive interest rates higher and knock global growth back to as low as 1.3 per cent, down from 2.9 per cent last year, World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill has said.

Gill, who retires at the end of August, said the bank had modelled three outcomes in its June economic forecast given the high uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East.

The worst-case scenario, with hostilities lasting six months or more has already come close to materializing, he said on Tuesday. Under that scenario, global headline inflation would reach 4.5 per cent.

Prolonged fighting and damage to the region's oil infrastructure would also deepen food insecurity by disrupting shipments of fertilizer, helium and sulphur needed in agriculture, setting off a chain of secondary effects that could include higher interest rates, Gill said.

His comments were the first by a senior World Bank official since a sharp rise in tensions between Washington and Tehran and the collapse of an April ceasefire agreement that had fuelled hopes of a less severe impact from the conflict.

Watch: Hegseth heckled by protestors during Iran war funding hearing

Trump to attend ceremony for US troops killed by Iranian attacks

Donald Trump will attend a ceremony for four US service members killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East on Wednesday.

The troops will return to American soil in flag-draped caskets.

The ceremony, known as a "dignified transfer" of the bodies, comes amid growing frustration with Trump's war against Iran.

The war has cost US taxpayers at least $37.5 billion so far, has led to the deaths of 18 US service members and injured more than 450 troops. It has killed thousands of Iranians.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the war, which has caused global oil prices to rise and shows no signs of ending. Since the war started in February, Trump has offered differing objectives for the war.

The US president will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the ceremony.

Bulgaria plays down Iran's warning against plans to host US tanker

Bulgaria has played down Iran's warning that its plan to host US tanker aircraft would constitute complicity in "aggression and war crimes" in the Middle East.

The government said on Monday it would seek parliamentary approval to station up to eight US tanker aircraft at an air base in the Balkan country, which is a member of NATO and the European Union. Parliament is expected to greenlight the move at a session later on Wednesday.

The plan prompted a warning from Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, on Tuesday against allowing the US to use Bulgaria's territory for military operations against Iran, which he said would make Sofia "an accomplice of aggressors and lawbreakers".

Prime minister Rumen Radev said it was "categorically out of the question for military operations in the Middle East to be conducted from Bulgarian territory".

"These tanker aircraft are intended solely for logistical missions, and they will be refuelled outside Bulgarian airspace," Bulgarian media quoted Radev as telling ministers.

Trump threatens to bomb Pickaxe Mountain. What you need to know about Iran’s secret nuclear site

Donald Trump has issued threats to bomb a secretive under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain.

The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” lies on the south side of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site, which was bombed by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025's 12-day war between Iran and Israel. But Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig at the site.

It remains unclear just what has been placed at Pickaxe Mountain, as the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has never gained access to the site.

The threat comes as the two nations continue to exchange blows over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the United States is still willing to negotiate an end to the Iran crisis but claimed Tehran is not serious about talks. Rubio ⁠made his comments in a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers a day after three oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea, apparently in response to threats from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

Here’s all you need to know about Pickaxe Mountain:

Trump threatens Pickaxe Mountain. What you need to know about Iran’s secret site

French diplomats not ill-treated by Iranian personnel, says Tehran

Two French diplomats at the centre of a dispute between France and Iran were not ill-treated by Iranian security personnel, according to an Iranian foreign ministry official quoted by state media on Wednesday.

France has said that the diplomats in Tehran had their phones taken, were forbidden to contact the embassy and verbally intimidated, breaking international diplomatic conventions. One of the officials, the cultural attache, was hit.

The French foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires to protest the incident.

"France expects the Iranian authorities to shed light on this incident, punish the perpetrators, and ensure the security of its premises and personnel, in accordance with their international obligations," the French foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Tanhaei, Iranian security personnel questioned two French embassy staff who held a meeting with individuals who are being investigated for security reasons.

"Security agents transferred the two individuals to the diplomatic police as soon as they realised their link to the French embassy," he was quoted as saying, adding that there was no intimidation.

France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Watch: Trump warns Iran the US ‘has been nice’ so far in attacks as threat of full-blown war grows

Pakistan seeks $10 billion fund from US after mediating Iran talks: report

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilization facility, according to a source briefed on the matter, which, if approved, could provide a lifeline for the cash-strapped South Asian economy.

The request, which is being reported for the first time, follows Pakistan's role in brokering talks over the Iran war, which raised its diplomatic profile and stirred hopes that it could seek economic gains from Washington and other partners.

In the request to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Islamabad is seeking a Bilateral Exchange Stabilization Support Facility between the U.S. and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion with maturity of up to five years.

The facility, if agreed to, would bolster Pakistan's reserves, ease pressure on the rupee and reduce its reliance on multilateral financing, even as Islamabad undertakes tighter fiscal and monetary policies in line with its International Monetary Fund program.

The U.S. Treasury declined to comment on the reported request.

Iran executes man over January protests, judiciary news agency says

Iran executed a man for charges linked to protests in the January, the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported on Wednesday.

Mizan identified the man as Mehdi Khaneki and said he was executed for "operational actions" that benefited Israel, the United States and hostile groups. It said he also produced and possessed weapons.

Iran renews strikes on Jordan and Bahrain

Iran’s military is claiming fresh strikes on US military targets in Jordan and Bahrain, per state media.

Targets were identified in Jordan’s Al Azraq base and Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa air base.

Mapped: Traffic still piled up outside Strait of Hormuz

Traffic around the Strait of Hormuz was still subdued on Wednesday as clashes between the US and Iran continue to escalate.

Ship tracking data from Marine Traffic shows limited movement around the Strait itself, which has been affected by spoofing and radio interference since the start of the conflict.

Rubio discusses Iran war with Jaishankar ahead talks with Chinese diplomat

Marco Rubio held talks with Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Asean meeting, discussing the Iran war as he is met counterparts of the Quad grouping.

Rubio reaffirmed the commitment of Quad – the US, India, Australia and Japan – to maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

"We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region," the leaders said in a statement.

Rubio added in a post on X that, "The Quad remains a priority, and we will meet again later this year."

After his talks with Jaishankar, he said an interim US-India trade deal that Washington said is "almost complete."

“The world is extremely turbulent, and it is increasingly evident that no single nation or even grouping can deal with it on its own," Jaishankar said.

Rubio is also expected to meet Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit.

Iran's demands over the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent, Rubio tells Asean leaders

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has warned that Iran's demand to control and levy tolls on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz would endanger the global economy and set a dangerous precedent for international waterways.

Speaking at an Asean foreign ministers' meeting in Manila on Wednesday, Rubio said allowing a country to control an international shipping lane and attack vessels that refuse to pay would undermine the principle of freedom of navigation.

"If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don't pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region," he said.

Trump threatens to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Donald Trump has warned that the US military will hit Iran’s "Pickaxe Mountain" nuclear complex soon.

Trump said the US military would be "hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily," referring to Pickaxe Mountain – known in Iran as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La – a fortified underground site near one of the country's main nuclear enrichment facilities.

Pickaxe Mountain, about 220km south of Tehran and near the Natanz nuclear facility, is believed to house an underground complex buried nearly 100 metres inside the mountain.

Little is known about the site, which experts say is still under construction, and is likely too deep to be reached by even the US's most advanced bunker buster missiles.

According to the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), the facility was not targeted during the US-Israeli strikes in either the 2025 or 2026 conflicts.

WATCH: Hegseth accuses US senator of having 'Trump derangement syndrome'

Hegseth's new estimate for the cost of the war: Nearly $38 billion

Pete Hegseth’s latest estimate for the growing costs of the Iran war has now reached $37.5 billion.

That’s likely a low-end estimate, according to analysts.

Before the last week of attacks, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated total costs to have reached between $34 billion and $42 billion. Other estimates place the true cost of the war at more than $100 billion.

Trump warns Iran the US ‘has been nice’ so far in attacks as threat of full-blown war grows

Donald Trump warned Iran that the US has been “nice” so far in its attacks against the Middle East nation as tensions continue to rise and the threat of full-blown war remains.

Speaking in the Oval Office Tuesday alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, Trump said Iran was once again being “decimated” and disclaimed any interest in new ceasefire negotiations after a wave of attacks on US bases and allies.

But he cautioned the US could escalate attacks on Iran in ways that would leave the country’s infrastructure so devastated it could take “decades” for Tehran to rebuild as the renewed conflict heads into a third full week.

“They want to desperately meet, and until they're ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest”, the US president said.

“If we left today, it would take them decades to rebuild, and I don't believe they'd ever rebuild. And honestly, they haven't seen anything yet — we've been nice”.

Read on...

Trump warns Iran that the US ‘has been nice’ so far

Iran claims strikes in Kuwait and Amazon data centre in Bahrain

Iran’s military claims it struck US military targets at Camp Doha in western Kuwait and Amazon’s central data infrastructure in Bahrain in Tuesday’s attacks.

In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Iranian military said its forces destroyed “a US long-range radar site, a communications center, satellite receiving systems, a missile defense radar, and a MQ-9 drone hangar”.

“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran – with sacred unity – stand ready to decisively counter any new conspiracy and adventurism by the enemy,” the statement added, calling Camp Doha a major support hub for US personnel and equipment in the region.

“An MQ-9 drone hangar was also hit at the Ali al-Salem base, and a number of drones were destroyed or completely damaged,” it added.

It also said that it destroyed the central data infrastructure of the American company Amazon in Bahrain with several cruise missiles.

It said the attack was in response to the US’s alleged attack on the "civilian facilities of Darkhovey" – an under-construction nuclear power plant in Iran.

WATCH: Hegseth says 'inability' to fund Pentagon is 'single greatest threat' to US

US military says 11th successive night of strikes on Iran has ended

The US military says it has concluded its latest round of strikes on Iran, marking the 11th consecutive night of American attacks.

Centcom said the 75-minute operation targeted Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and logistics infrastructure to further degrade Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington said Iran had attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway over the past three months.

MAGA congressman shrugs off Americans killed in Iran as the ‘nature of warfare’

A Republican US congressman and close ally of Donald Trump dismissed the deaths of American military members in the Iran war as “the nature of warfare”.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, who sits on the House’s Armed Services Committee, made the remark while discussing the escalating conflict with CNN Monday.

“You know my condolences go out to the families of our servicemen and women that are killed – have been killed – in Iran. That’s the nature of warfare; we will have some casualties,” Giménez told “The Lead”.

Read on...

MAGA congressman shrugs off Americans killed in Iran as the ‘nature of warfare’

US military shares promo-style video of blockade as 8 ships redirected and 1 disabled

US Central Command has shared a promo-style video of American troops enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports as eight ships have been redirected and one disabled as of Tuesday.

Rubio says US open-minded on Middle East, but Iran not serious about talks

​US state secretary Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the ⁠United States is open-minded on the Middle East conflict and ⁠willing to ​engage, ⁠negotiate and settle differences with Iran, ⁠but Tehran was ​not ⁠serious about ‌talks.

"If they're serious, we're serious. If ‌they're not, then ‌we will do what's necessary to protect ⁠our interests, and also the interests of our allies," Rubio said in remarks in a meeting with ‌Southeast Asian counterparts ​in Manila, ‌who have ⁠expressed serious concern about ⁠the renewed hostilities.

Three tankers carrying Saudi crude make U-turns in Red Sea

Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea following a warning from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia.

The three tankers – Xin Long Yang, the Rodos and the Amazon – made turns towards the Suez Canal to skil the Yemeni coast andswitched off their transponders on Tuesday.

The Houthis on Monday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front in the US-Israeli war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

The group, in an ⁠email sent to shipping companies, warned them not to load or discharge cargo at ​Saudi ⁠Arabian ports and said such activity may result in being targeted "in any location".

"Vessels calling at Saudi Arabian ports are advised to reconsider transiting the Red Sea and to consider implementing enhanced mitigation measures," British maritime security company Ambrey said, adding that it assessed vessels calling at Saudi Arabian ports "were ‌at high risk".

WATCH: Hegseth says Trump is not fighting 'stupid wars' as Iran conflict drags on

RECAP: Trump meets with Lebanese president

US President Donald Trump met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House Tuesday, where the two leaders discussed the Middle Eastern country's security and economic priorities.

Aoun “emphasized the urgent need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories” during the meeting, according to a statement from his office shared on X.

As Trump continues his war with Iran, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been trading fire.

“President Aoun also outlined before President Trump the catastrophic repercussions of the recent war on Lebanon, and the human and economic losses it left behind, along with severe damage to infrastructure across Lebanese territories”, the statement continued.

Following their meeting, Trump announced on Truth Social that he will allow all US airlines to “fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land”.

US senator bashes spending on Iran war: 'But they can’t help you afford health care'

US Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, has bashed the Trump administration’s spending on the Iran war.

“They want you to pay $37.5 billion for Trump's war in Iran, which is tragically turning into another forever war. But they can’t help you afford health care”, Schiff wrote on X.

The affordability of health care and other basic needs has been a major concern among Democrats in Congress ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Pentagon identifies third soldier killed in Friday's Jordan attack

The Pentagon has identified the third soldier killed in an Iranian attack at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday.

Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, a 28-year-old from New York, was killed in the attack, as was Tyler James Feehan, a 25-year-old from Hawaii, and Isabella Gonzales, a 19-year-old from Texas.

The Pentagon identified Feehan and Gonzales on Monday.

US completes latest round of strikes that targeted Iranian military infrastructure

US Central Command has announced that its latest round of strikes that targeted Iranian military infrastructure has been completed.

The strikes, which concluded at 8:15 p.m. ET Tuesday/12:15 a.m. GMT Wednesday, “targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”, CENTCOM wrote on X.

“Over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway vital for regional and global trade. The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.

“Despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil”, the US military said.

Despite CENTCOM proclaiming that the strait is open, maritime traffic through the key oil waterway in the Middle East remains diminished.

Just 11 ships have transited the strait in the past 24 hours, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.

Number of US troops injured in Iran war higher than publicly reported: official

The number of American forces injured in the Iran war is higher than publicly reported, a US official told the Associated Press.

The official said well over 500 troops have been injured, despite the Pentagon’s tally on its Defense Casualty Analysis System currently showing 482 wounded.