Iran US War News Highlights: US-Iran reach deal; await final sign-off from Donald Trump, says report

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has reaffirmed Tehran’s position on control over the Strait of Hormuz following recent US strikes, as per Al Jazeera.

Addressing a memorial ceremony for the Revolutionary Guard’s commander-in-chief, Gharibabadi accused the United States of breaching the ceasefire. He said Iran’s sovereignty over the strategic waterway “has now been established”, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“We will not allow them to take a step to undermine Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz with these military actions,” he said.

The US dollar slipped against major global currencies on Thursday after an Axios report said the United States and Iran had agreed to extend their ceasefire. However, similar reports during the three-month-long conflict have previously failed to bring an end to the fighting, as per Reuters.

In recent weeks, the dollar has shown volatility, tracking changes in sentiment over the Middle East tensions. It has tended to strengthen when markets anticipate a prolonged conflict, and ease when reports point toward possible de-escalation.

According to Axios, US and Iranian officials have reached a tentative agreement, but the deal still requires final approval from President Donald Trump.

Investors could be underestimating the likelihood that a “timely” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may spark a broad-based relief rally in global financial markets, according to Citadel Securities, reported Bloomberg.

Strategist Frank Flight said two indicators point to “a significant probability” that the United States and Iran are heading toward an agreement that would restore shipping through the crucial oil route.

Israel’s military said it carried out an airstrike in the Beirut area on Thursday, while a Lebanese security source reported that an apartment south of the capital was hit. It marked the second such strike since the ceasefire announcement in April, as per AFP.

The latest escalation comes as Lebanon and Israel prepare for talks between their military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, followed by US-mediated discussions early next week. The upcoming engagement will be the fourth round of talks since the renewed Israel-Hezbollah conflict began on March 2.

Following heavy strikes that Lebanese authorities said killed at least 14 people, including three children, Israel’s military said it “precisely struck in Beirut”, without disclosing the intended target.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday warned that Washington would “aggressively” act against any individuals or entities involved in facilitating tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, Bessent said Oman should be aware that any partners supporting efforts to introduce a tolling system in the strategic waterway would face penalties from the US government.

According to Axios, US and Iranian officials have reached a tentative agreement, but the deal still requires final approval from President Donald Trump.

Israel’s military said it carried out an airstrike in the Beirut area on Thursday, while a Lebanese military source reported that an apartment south of the capital had been hit, according to AFP. It marked the second such strike since the ceasefire announced in April.

The latest escalation comes as Lebanon and Israel prepare for talks between their military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, followed by a new round of US-brokered discussions early next week — the fourth since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted on March 2.

A US Democratic senator has warned that President Donald Trump’s apparent threat to “blow up” Oman is “just one more sign of why this war has gone off the rails”.

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticised the administration in a post on X, saying, “They are in constant panic mode making mistake after mistake.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the United States would revoke Iranian airlines’ access to landing rights, refuelling services, and ticket sales operations.

Bessent announced the move in a post shared on X

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow has urged the United States and Iran to continue diplomatic engagement and avoid returning to military confrontation, as per Al Jazeera.

Zakharova also reaffirmed that Russia remains willing to help remove enriched uranium from Iran if required, but stressed that Moscow was “not imposing its initiative” on either side.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to travel to Washington, DC on Friday, where he will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

During the meeting, the two leaders will “review bilateral ⁠relations and exchange views ⁠on regional ⁠and global developments of mutual interest”, as per the foreign ministry.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has accused the United States and Israel of attempting to fuel internal divisions in Iran in an effort to compensate for what he described as their “military defeats", as per Al Jazeera.

As per Iranian state media, Mojtaba Khamenei stated, “The enemy’s blind plan, after the imposed war, the economic pressure, and the political and propaganda siege, is to create divisions and disintegration in order to compensate for military defeats and bring the nation to its knees.”

He urged “national unity".

Oil prices climbed more than 2 per cent on Thursday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for targeting a US airbase in retaliation for an earlier American strike in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, as per Reuters.

Brent crude futures rose by $2.85, or 3 per cent, to $97.14 per barrel at 1150 GMT. Meanwhile, the more actively traded August Brent contract gained $2.81, or about 3.1 per cent, to reach $95.06 a barrel. The July contract is due to expire on Friday.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also advanced, rising $2.76, or 3.1 per cent, to trade at $91.44 per barrel.

The United States on Wednesday (local time) imposed sanctions on Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), accusing Tehran of using the body to "extort" commercial vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz and "funnelling" revenue to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, Iran’s ambassador to Germany, has criticised European nations for what he described as their “silence” over attacks carried out by the United States and Israel in the region. His remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to “blow up” Oman, reported Al Jazeera.

Trump made the statement while discussing control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital shipping route. Iran has maintained that any operations in the strait would be conducted in coordination with Oman, as both countries share coastlines along the waterway.

The European Union’s jet fuel market could face increased pressure if the situation in the Strait of Hormuz fails to improve in the coming weeks, the European Commission said on Thursday, as per Reuters.

The Commission’s energy department issued the warning in an update released after the latest meetings of its oil and gas coordination groups.

World shares declined Thursday following more of what the US military said were defensive strikes against Iran.

Oil prices gained more than USD 2 a barrel after having dropped sharply a day before.

Iran's football federation expects FIFA to facilitate multiple-entry visas for the United States for the Iranian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, its president said in a video broadcast by Iranian media Thursday.

"FIFA is expected to deliver a multiple-entry visa so that the players can enter (the United States) and return (to Mexico)," federation president Mehdi Taj said.