US-Iran war news Highlights: Trump accuses Democrats of wanting US to lose Iran war as Republicans face midterm pressure

Iran has opposed a US-led effort, backed by three European allies, to push the UN nuclear watchdog to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council, arguing that the initiative is destined to fail, as per Al Jazeera.

In a statement on Friday, Iran’s mission to the UN in Vienna said, “This move is a clear sign of the complete failure of the ‘snapback’ illusion”, referring to the mechanism for restoring international sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme.

It added, “Their new desperate action will bring them no benefit either, and they won’t gain anything out of it.” The remarks came as the US, Britain, France and Germany pushed for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board to report Iran to the Security Council.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed Iranian claims denying the March 18 strike on the Ras Laffan gas facility, saying Tehran relied on a selectively quoted technical document rather than Doha’s official record submitted to the United Nations.

President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of favouring an outcome in which the US loses the war with Iran.

He said the political left would prefer such a result over the White House winning “the war for America”.

Trump’s Republican Party is heading into the November midterm elections amid elevated food and petrol prices, as the US-Israel war with Iran continues.

A Pew Research poll conducted last month showed Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 34%, while most Americans also expressed opposition to the war.

An Israeli drone strike hit Ali al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon, according to reports from correspondents on the ground.

The hill is a strategically important ridge in the Nabatieh district, located between the towns of Kfar Tebnit and Nabatieh al-Fawq.

The head of Iran’s Basij militia, Hossein Taeb, said diplomatic efforts to end the war can restart only if the United States returns to the terms outlined in the memorandum of understanding.

“The United States must comply with the conditions in the memorandum of understanding,” Taeb said, as per Al Jazeera.

The militia chief also cautioned that Washington had “no choice but to bow” to Iran, while stressing that Tehran had “never asked for a ceasefire or negotiations”.

Oil was on track for a weekly surge as renewed fighting between the US and Iran heightened concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent edged lower to around $95 a barrel on Friday, but was still up about 6% for the week, while West Texas Intermediate was under $91. A flare up in fighting has undermined efforts to increase exports from Persian Gulf countries, as a US bombing campaign and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on American bases complicate the restoration of shipping through the world’s most important energy chokepoint.

The descent into hostilities has spurred Iran to target vessels transiting Hormuz, following a period of relative calm in which traffic through the strait crept higher. The prospect of another cycle of military escalation now hangs over the region, after Iran fired salvos at Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, and Israel warned it would strike civilian infrastructure if attacked by Iran.

— Bloomberg

US Vice President JD Vance downplayed the scope of the conflict in Iran, saying he would not describe it as “a war” given major combat operations ended months ago — even after a brief resumption of military strikes earlier in the week.

“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance said Thursday during a press briefing at the White House. “Right now, there is no active shooting. I recognize there have been places where this has flared up” but the major phase of hostilities lasted about six weeks, Vance added.

The vice president spoke days after the US launched a fresh assault on Iran in response to attacks on oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That prompted the Islamic Republic to again target US bases across the Middle East.

— Bloomberg

Iran’s joint air defence commander, Brigadier General Alireza Elhami, has said Iran is “ready for any kind of confrontation” both today and in the future, as “the threat is not over,” Fars news agency reported.

Elhami said Iran’s air defence has “achieved complete self-sufficiency” and that the country has demonstrated “a new definition of national power” to the world.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has hit back at his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, accusing Jordan of failing to uphold the sovereignty of Iran and other Arab nations.

In a post on X, Araghchi questioned how long Iran was expected to wait before responding to US attacks carried out from, or with support from, American military bases in countries across the Middle East, including Jordan. His remarks came after Safadi argued that Iran’s attacks on Arab states following US strikes could not be considered immediate retaliation and instead reflected a pre-planned strategy.

Araghchi further claimed that the US strikes that killed Iranian civilians had been launched from bases located in Arab countries.

Clashes between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces have killed 81, military and medical sources said on Friday, as the Iran-backed rebels push towards territory bordering a chokepoint in the strategic Red Sea, AFP reported.

Israel's defence minister on Friday hailed the capture of a strategic highland from Hezbollah as solidifying Israel's "security zone" in Lebanon and vowed that troops would not leave it.

US retail diesel rose to a record, threatening to further spike energy-driven inflation as wars in Iran and Russia roil the market.

Oil headed for its biggest weekly gain since July as renewed US-Iran hostilities heightened concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

European natural gas headed for a fourth weekly gain as fresh fighting in the Middle East boosted concerns about prolonged supply disruptions and winter fuel inventories.

US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday (local time) told reporters that he doesn't want to set ‘artificial timelines’ for the US-Iran war and said, "But when you ask, ‘When will this end?’ You’re asking me a question like, ‘When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships?’”. He added, “I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent trip to Paris showed glimpses of the depth of the French-Saudi relationship. He was spotted with Emmanuel Macron at the Esports World Cup, which was moved out of Riyadh due to the Iran war, and the two unveiled deals spanning everything from technology and defense to a €6 billion theme park.

Jordan, a staunch US ally that hosts American forces in the Mideast, has paid a price for its relationship with Washington, which has made the kingdom's military bases a target of repeat Iranian strikes.

The rupee gained 5 paise to 94.46 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, supported by optimism over rising foreign inflows and a rise in risk appetite.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. appears to be continuing to load liquefied natural gas onto tankers in the Persian Gulf, according to satellite images, despite a recent escalation of hostilities.

The Indian rupee's rally, propelled by the central bank's dollar sales and bolstered by hefty inflows from one-off measures, will face a familiar foe on Friday in rising oil prices.

The rupee is expected to open in the 94.55 to 94.60 range, per traders, having settled at 94.4850 to the dollar on Thursday, when the currency rallied 0.5%, taking its rally for the week to a percentage point.