US-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: 'Gone absolutely crazy' - Trump slams US media coverage on Iran conflict

Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported an “unprecedented” deployment of US fighter jets and refuelling aircraft at Israeli airports, with the buildup reportedly straining civil aviation operations and airport capacity.

According to the report, dozens of US military aircraft are currently stationed at Ben Gurion and Ramon airports. The broadcaster added that the planes have remained in Israel despite the ceasefire with Iran and are not expected to depart “at this stage.”

China's top diplomat reiterated calls for parties involved in a fragile Middle East ceasefire to respect the truce, expressing hope that the United States and Iran would each make concessions, state media said Wednesday.

Foreign minister Wang Yi during an open debate session of the UN Security Council came as Iran accused the United States of breaching the ceasefire and warning of retaliation.

US forces had attacked missile sites in southern Iran as well as boats trying to lay mines, threatening a deal to end the war.

China has been making efforts to resolve the conflict, and has maintained communication and coordination with the main parties involved, Wang told reporters at the UN session in New York on Tuesday.

"We hope that the parties concerned can stay committed to pursuing a ceasefire and continue to meet each other halfway, so that peace can return to the Middle East as early as possible," Wang said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

"We support the active mediation by Pakistan and other countries, and also support efforts made by the United States and Iran, respectively," Wang said.

He added that he hoped involved parties will "continue to meet each other halfway".

Iran undertook a series of potentially provocative military moves in the 24 hours leading up to the latest US strikes in southern Iran, NYT reported citing US officials.

According to the report, the actions included the launch of drones near American naval vessels and the deployment of speedboats believed to be preparing to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

The officials also said US military analysts observed heightened activity at Iranian missile and air defense positions around the Strait of Hormuz, which they assessed as a possible threat to US aircraft operating in the area.

Lebanon said Israeli strikes in the south of the country killed 31 people on Tuesday, as Israel announced an escalation of attacks despite an existing truce with Hezbollah.

In a statement, Lebanon’s health ministry said the dead included at least four children and three women, while 40 others were wounded. It added that 14 people were killed in Burj al-Shamali near Tyre.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the attack on the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, calling it a violation of international law.

The council did not assign blame for the strike, Reuters reported. The UAE had said last week that six drones were launched from Iraq, including one that sparked a fire at the nuclear facility.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that at least 10 people, including women and children, were killed in an air strike on the southern town of Burj Shemali.

The state-run agency said several others were still trapped beneath the rubble, while rescue operations had to be halted due to approaching darkness.

"If Iran surrenders, admits their Navy is gone and resting at the bottom of the sea, and their Air Force is no longer with us, and if their entire Military walks out of Tehran, weapons dropped and hands held high, each shouting “I surrender, I surrender” while wildly waving the representative White Flag, and if their entire remaining Leadership signs all necessary “Documents of Surrender,” and admit their defeat to the great power and force of the magnificent U.S.A., The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN, and all other members of the Fake News Media, will headline that Iran had a Masterful and Brilliant Victory over The United States of America, it wasn’t even close. The Dumacrats and Media have totally lost their way. They have gone absolutely CRAZY!!!" he said.

Wang Yi said that Iran and the United States should remain committed to the ceasefire and continue resolving their differences through dialogue and negotiations, after Tehran accused Washington of breaching the truce with strikes in southern Iran, according to Reuters.

The call reportedly came after a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet, amid an intensified military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Reports also said the US had urged Israel to avoid strikes on Beirut to prevent undermining ongoing US-Iran talks.

"In my conversations with the leaders of Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Tajikistan, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan, while congratulating them on the blessed Eid al-Adha, I expressed my hope that God may bring the hearts of us Muslims closer together and that we may witness the expansion of cooperation in all spheres and comprehensive mutual support in the face of threats," he said.

In a statement carried by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said 25 vessels — including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial ships — crossed the Strait of Hormuz after coordinating with its navy and obtaining Tehran’s approval.

“Any act of aggression will be met with a crushing response,” the statement added.

A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could severely disrupt global fertilizer supplies and worsen food insecurity well into 2026, the UN’s food agency warned Tuesday.

“This is not just a geopolitical crisis — it is a systemic shock to global agriculture and food systems,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who briefed him on his latest visit to Iran amid the ongoing tensions involving Tehran and Washington.

Munir concluded a short visit to Iran on Saturday during which he held high-level meetings with the Iranian leadership.

From Iran, Munir travelled to China to join Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. Sharif is on a four-day visit to China that began on Saturday.

Munir met Wang separately in Beijing on Monday evening, according to an official Chinese statement.

During the meeting, Munir briefed Wang on the latest progress relating to efforts to defuse the US-Iran tensions and said that a deal between the warring parties is close to being reached, the statement said.

However, US President Donald Trump on Monday ordered fresh air strikes against Iranian targets despite the ceasefire between the two countries, signifying that there was no deal on hand yet.

The Iranian government announced plans to restore international internet access in the "coming days", following a decision by a special cyberspace task force formed to review restrictions imposed on connectivity.

According to Iran's ISNA news agency report on Tuesday, the government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said during a weekly press conference that President Masoud Pezeshkian had already issued the order to reopen internet access.

"The President has issued the decree to reopen international internet access. We hope to be able to restore this rightful right of the people to them within the coming days," Mohajerani said.

Speaking at the Sacred Defense Museum garden during the press briefing, she said the government had moved to address concerns surrounding internet restrictions.

"Given the restrictions on the internet and the commitment of Dr. Pezzekian and the government to preventing injustice and discrimination, the Cyberspace Organization Speciality Task Force was formed," she stated.

Mohajerani added that the task force concluded its deliberations a day earlier and recommended reopening internet access. "This headquarters concluded yesterday that the internet should be reopened, and yesterday the President notified the Ministry of Communications."

Iranian authorities had imposed a near-total internet blackout across the country for more than 87 days, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday called on Muslim countries to strengthen cooperation with Tehran and work together to address challenges facing the Islamic world, even as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to escalate in the Gulf region.

In a post on X during the annual Hajj season, Khamenei adopted a conciliatory tone and urged Islamic nations to pursue closer ties and collective progress.

“I, with sincerity and purity of intention, invite all Islamic countries and governments to friendship and cooperation in goodness, so that, by working together, we may take steps towards the advancement of the Islamic Ummah and the resolution of the Islamic world's problems,” Khamenei wrote.

The remarks came hours after the Iranian leader issued a sharp warning to Washington following recent military flare-ups in the Persian Gulf.

Reacting to US strikes targeting Iranian missile launch positions and maritime vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, Khamenei said regional territories would no longer serve as a “safe haven for mischief” for American military operations.

The Pentagon has defended the strikes as an act of “self-defence”, while the escalation has raised concerns over the stability of an already fragile ceasefire and ongoing backchannel diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a wider regional conflict.

Israeli media reported that troops had begun ground operations beyond the so-called "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon, which runs around 10 kilometres (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory.

Israeli troops have until now been operating inside the self-declared "Yellow Line", where they have carried out large-scale demolitions despite a ceasefire in effect since April 17.

"The IDF has begun ground operations north of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon," Israel's Kan public broadcaster posted on X.

Israel's left-leaning Haaretz newspaper and news site Ynet also reported that troops had begun ground operations north of the Yellow Line in order to reduce the threat posed by Hezbollah's explosive drones.

Iranian authorities have partially restored internet connectivity in Iran after an almost three month shutdown against the backdrop of the war against Israel and the US, a monitor said, AFP reported.

"Live metrics show a partial restoration to internet connectivity in Iran on day 88," of the shutdown, Netblocks said on X, saying it was "unclear" if this meant a permanent end to the "longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history".

Oil prices rebounded slightly on Tuesday while stock markets were mixed and the dollar firmed after US military strikes on Iran deflated hopes of an imminent deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States and Iran have been working on an agreement to end the Middle East war and reopen the crucial waterway to tanker and cargo traffic since a fragile ceasefire on April 8.

Stock markets had rallied Monday and crude futures dropped below $100 a barrel after reports that a deal could be announced in the coming days.

Those hopes were tempered when US forces said they attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines.

Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, jumped more than three percent Tuesday, to move back to within a whisker of $100 a barrel.

Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire Tuesday after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats threatened diplomatic efforts to strike a deal to end the war. Iran denounced US strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue toward a possible deal to end the war.

The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by almost three percent after US Central Command announced the new wave of bombings, and China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully.

According to the maritime safety monitor UKMTO, a blast damaged a tanker on the waterline off Oman -- although the crew and vessel were reportedly safe after what was described as an "external explosion".

Iranian state media reported overnight blasts in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz, and the country's Revolutionary Guards Corps said its forces had downed a US drone entering its airspace and had fired at an F-35 fighter jet.

"The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire ... has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region," the Iranian foreign ministry said.

It added that Tehran "will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation," without elaborating.

In a statement marking the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Tehran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Washington was losing its influence in the Middle East and warned countries in the region to stop hosting bases from which the US could launch attacks.

The United States, he said in a written statement, "in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day".

An explosion damaged a tanker close to its waterline as it sailed off Oman, a marine monitor said Tuesday, as tensions remained high around the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

"The crew and vessel are safe, although the master reports some bunker fuel has discharged into the sea," UK Maritime Trade Operations said, AFP reported.

The incident, in the Gulf of Oman about 60 nautical miles east of Muscat, was an "external explosion", UKMTO added, without detailing the cause of the blast.

Iran has been laying mines in waters nearby as part of its campaign to block Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil production.

Hours earlier, US forces launched overnight strikes on missile sites in Iran and on boats that they said were trying to lay mines in Gulf waters.

Iran is seeking the release of nearly $24 billion in frozen assets abroad as part of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with the United States, Iranian media reported.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the demand forms part of a proposed 14-point framework agreement currently being finalised by Tehran after months of war triggered by US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

“Iran's frozen assets are to be released during the course of the negotiations, and this amount is estimated at $24 billion in accordance with the 14-point memorandum of understanding,” Tasnim quoted an unnamed source close to the negotiating team as saying.

The report added that nearly half of the amount, around $12 billion “should be made available at the start of the announcement of the memorandum”.

Tasnim was the only Iranian media outlet to carry the report.

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, arrived in Qatar on Monday for talks linked to the negotiations.

On Tuesday, Tasnim said Ghalibaf’s visit to Qatar was “aimed at reaching an understanding on the implementation of Iran's demand and the method of accessing $12 billion in the first phase,” among other issues.

There is no official estimate of Iran’s frozen assets abroad, though Iranian media reports have recently placed the figure between $100 billion and $123 billion, AFP reported.

The unfreezing of frozen funds remains the “last serious sticking point” in talks with the US and is being addressed through Qatari mediation, Iran's fars news agency reported citing a source close to the negotiations.

An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, state media said on Tuesday, as an Israeli official said the military had called up more troops to Lebanon.

The strike hit the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley late Monday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

It came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorised more intensive strikes targeting the Hezbollah militant group across Lebanon. The Israeli military did not comment on this particular strike, but said Monday that it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon.

An Israeli security official said the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Rescue workers say that a dozen bodies were pulled out of the rubble following an intense wave of overnight strikes targeting swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon.

The intensified attacks come three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are set to meet in Washington for direct talks.

Iranian authorities on Tuesday executed a man after convicting him of cooperation with and espionage for Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said.

"Gholamreza Khani Shakarab was executed on charges of intelligence cooperation and espionage in favour of the Zionist regime," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported, adding that his sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Tuesday hanging is the latest in a string of executions by the Islamic republic for security-related cases following the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28.

Mizan described Shekarab as "one of the operational ringleaders of Mossad abroad... who was seeking to recruit individuals inside the country" for "anti-security actions".

"Ultimately, in a complex operation and using intelligence deception tactics, the accused was guided into the country and arrested," it said, adding that he was detained by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence forces.

The report also said that Shekarab had been tasked by Israel's Mossad spy agency "to travel to one of the regional countries with the aim of identifying and preparing the groundwork for the assassination of a Jewish rabbi... to accuse Iran of anti-Jewish actions".

It was not immediately clear when Shekarab was arrested or sentenced.

At least five people were killed in an Israeli drone strike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, according to local reports.

Media reports said the attack targeted Palestinians confronting Israeli-backed militias operating in the eastern part of the camp.

The strike comes amid continuing violence in Gaza despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025.

The besieged enclave has been devastated by more than two years of Israel’s war, which has killed over 72,500 Palestinians. More than 800 people have reportedly been killed since the ceasefire began.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also issued a strong warning against the United States and Israel, saying “death to America and death to Israel will be the common slogan of the Islamic nation and the oppressed of the world”.

Describing Israel as a “shaky Zionist regime” and a “cancerous tumor”, he claimed it was “approaching the final stages of their ill-fated life”.

Khamenei further said the issue of “disavowal from polytheists” during Hajj had become “doubly important” this year, adding that opposition to “America and the Zionist regime goes beyond the ritual of disavowal during the Hajj season and time”.

He asserted that anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment would continue “in different parts of Iran and the world, and after these blessed days”.

In his message marking the occasion of Hajj, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged Muslim unity and called on pilgrims to spread hope for the future of the Islamic world.


He said the “future belongs to the Islamic nation and the new Islamic civilisation”, adding that Muslims across the world, especially the youth, had a role to play in shaping that future “according to our efforts, capacity, and responsibility”.


Khamenei also asked Iranian pilgrims attending this year’s Hajj to share what he described as the “story of the victory of the Third Imposed War” with fellow Muslims and inspire confidence in a “bright future”.


He called on pilgrims to pray for “the unity of the Islamic nation, the liberation of Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the removal of the great difficulties of Muslims, and the achievement of final victory against global arrogance”.


The message concluded with prayers for an “accepted Hajj”, greater “knowledge and insight” among Muslims, and strengthened “resolve and determination” within the Muslim community.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the "axis of resistance" — including Iranian proxy forces in Lebanon — has taught a lesson to the Americans and the "Zionist entity," as he called for a new regional order without US presence.

"With sincerity and purity, I invite all Islamic countries and governments to friendship and cooperation for the common good," Khamenei said in a statement on his Telegram channel.

His message focused on shaping a new regional order — a post-American order — with Islamic nations and other countries sharing common interests to determine the future of the region and the world.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after detecting what it described as a “hostile aircraft” entering Iranian airspace.

The IRGC said it reserved the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against any ceasefire violations by the United States.

The incident comes amid rising tensions over the fragile truce, shortly after the US military said it carried out “defensive” strikes targeting rocket-launch sites.

Iranian media published a message attributed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei claiming that the United States and Israel had been targeted through Iranian missile and drone operations across land, sea and air during the ongoing conflict, Iran International reported.


The message, released to mark the Hajj pilgrimage, said regional countries would no longer act as a shield for the American military presence and warned that “Washington will no longer have a safe place to station military bases in the region”.


It added that countries in the Middle East shared strategic interests and capabilities that could help shape “a new order in the region and the world”.


The statement also said the slogans “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” would continue to remain rallying cries across the Islamic world, especially among younger generations.


The message was published despite no image or audio recording of Mojtaba Khamenei having appeared publicly since the war began in February.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said that Gulf countries would no longer serve as a protective shield for American military bases, warning that the United States would no longer enjoy a “safe haven” in the region.

In a message posted on his Telegram channel, Khamenei made the remarks as Tehran and Washington continue discussions on a framework aimed at ending their three-month-old war.

The statement signals continued tensions despite ongoing diplomatic efforts between the two sides to reach a broader agreement and stabilise the region.

A new report has alleged that the United Kingdom has effectively created a growing category of political prisoners by increasingly targeting activists involved in pro-Palestine and climate protests since 2019.

The report, titled Britain’s political prisoners, was jointly published by the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice at Queen Mary University of London and campaign group Defend Our Juries.

“This report strips away the illusion that Britain remains committed to democratic principles,” said Tim Crosland of Defend Our Juries, which co-authored the report.

“It reveals that peaceful protesters are being jailed in ever-increasing numbers, under pressure from the oil and arms industries, the Israeli government and their lobbyists,” Crosland added.

The findings come amid growing debate in the UK over protest laws and state responses to political activism linked to Palestine solidarity and climate movements.

At least 12 people were killed in Israeli strikes on the southern Lebanese town of Mashghara, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Lebanese rescue workers recovered the bodies following the attack, while health authorities said several others were wounded.

The incident marks another escalation in cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

This is a developing story. More details are awaited.

Iran’s military has warned that any fresh aggression against the country would provoke a “far more severe” response extending beyond the Middle East.


Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, said Tehran would escalate its retaliation if another round of conflict breaks out.


In remarks carried by Iran’s Fars news agency, Shekarchi said any future Iranian attacks would go beyond the region’s borders and be “heavier and more violent” than previous operations.

Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei has said Tehran’s diplomats must approach mediated talks with the United States “from a position of victorious power” amid ongoing regional tensions.

Rezaei, who serves as spokesperson for Iran’s parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Iran remained the “definitive victor” despite the conflict.

“The definitive victor of the war has been and remains the valiant Iranian nation,” Rezaei said in a post on X.

He also warned against making concessions during negotiations.

“Yielding to the enemy only makes it more savage and exacerbates our problems. Please do not whitewash the red lines,” he added.

The United Arab Emirates rejected allegations made by Iran and accused Tehran of carrying out “terrorist attacks” against the Gulf nation, escalating tensions during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as Iran’s attempts to justify attacks targeting the Emirates, calling them “a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the principles of good neighbourliness”.

UAE minister of state Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar reaffirmed the country’s “categorical rejection” of allegations against its sovereignty and said the Emirates reserved the right to respond militarily to threats or hostile acts.

“Despite the numerous international and regional resolutions and condemnations issued, Iran has continued its terrorist attacks against the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the region, in clear disregard of the international consensus,” Al Marar said, according to the ministry.

He cited UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) and a Human Rights Council resolution adopted in Geneva condemning Iranian attacks.

The remarks came after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi accused the UAE of supporting military aggression against Iran during the BRICS meeting.

“The United Arab Emirates played a significant role in supporting and facilitating the military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Gharibabadi said.

“Every warplane that took off from the United Arab Emirates has been documented, including the exact time, date, and flight path,” he added, saying Iran had submitted 120 official notices and evidence to the UN Security Council.

Responding to the accusations, Al Marar said the UAE held Iran “fully responsible for these terrorist attacks and their repercussions” and asserted that the country was capable of defending itself.