Iran US War News Highlights: Trump says deal ‘possible’ with Iran; Israel bombs Beirut

Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the US and its allies have “jeopardised” the security of shipping and energy transit in the Strait of Hormuz by violating the ceasefire and imposing a blockade.

A “new equation of the Strait of Hormuz is in the process of being solidified,” Ghalibaf, said in a post on social media.

“We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet,” he said.

The US has imposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports and shipping since April 13.

The Israeli military has issued more forced displacement orders for the residents of southern Lebanese towns, specifically Jabsheet and Sarafand.

Residents have been told to evacuate “immediately and move away from the villages and towns for a distance of at least 1,000 metres (0.62 of a mile) to open areas”.

Anyone who remains near what the Israeli military called “Hezbollah elements, facilities and combat” are endangering their lives, it said.

US forces on Monday launched an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began.Two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited” through the critical waterway, the US military said. Separately, the US military denied Iran’s claims that it struck an American Navy vessel southeast of the strait.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an Israeli security official as saying that the escalating tension with Iran “serves the interests of all parties” who want to return to fighting against Tehran, including Israel.

Israel’s Channel 12 and Israel Hayom news outlets, citing Israeli officials, also said that Israeli assessments would suggest that Iran has no intention, currently, of attacking Israel.

Israeli political assessments also suggest that US President Trump does not want to return to fighting in Iran.

Nevertheless, the Israeli military is raising its state of alert in specific sectors, particularly air defence systems and the Israeli Air Force, in anticipation of any sudden Iranian attack, according to the reports.

The United States has struck seven Iranian “fast boats” in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran has been accused of attacking an oil facility in the UAE, according to the BBC.

US President Donald Trump said, “We’ve shot down seven small boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ boats. It’s all they have left.”

The US military said helicopters were used in the strikes. Iran denied that any such attack took place.

The US president has warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targets American ships trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Guardian.

Speaking to Fox News, the US leader said Washington was ready to respond if its naval operation came under attack. “We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” he said. “We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”

Gaza: An Israeli drone strike on Gaza City this morning killed one Palestinian and seriously injured several others.

Lebanon: Israel’s military said Hezbollah fired mortars at its forces twice in southern Lebanon in recent hours, with no Israeli casualties reported.

Strait of Hormuz: South Korea said the cause of a blast and fire on a South Korean-operated ship in the strait won’t be known until it reaches port. A US official said two Navy destroyers entered the Gulf after repelling an Iranian attack during transit. Iranian state media said the fast boats the US claimed to target were civilian vessels, with five people killed.

UAE strikes: The UAE said it intercepted Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles, while a drone attack caused a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah. The UAE called the strikes “treacherous” and asserted its right to retaliate. Germany and Canada urged diplomacy and expressed solidarity with the UAE.

Iran response: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz shows “there’s no military solution to a political crisis.”