Qatar, UAE, Pakistan convinced Trump to pull back from Iran strike - report

Four US Air Force C-17 planes departed for Europe on Thursday, carrying equipment for a possible trip by Vice President JD Vance to a signing ceremony in Geneva in the coming days.

The movements came alongside separate US military support flights for President Donald Trump’s expected attendance at the G7 summit near Geneva, with five other C-17s delivering Secret Service, White House Military Office and Air Force equipment to Geneva International Airport.

The Tehran-linked hacker group Hanzala claimed on Thursday that it had breached water infrastructure systems in California in response to what it described as a US attack on Iranian civilians and water facilities.

In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, the group said it had gained access to systems linked to California’s water infrastructure but had deliberately refrained from disrupting water supplies to American cities, describing the operation as a “warning” to Washington.

Hanzala further warned that any action against Iran would be met with reciprocal measures targeting critical infrastructure.

Screenshots released by Hanzala appear to show access to a network management interface displaying sites in several California cities, including Bakersfield, Chico, Salinas and Stockton. The images, however, do not independently verify the group’s claim that it breached California water infrastructure or had the ability to disrupt water services.

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The Middle East may be entering a period in which ceasefires no longer end wars but manage them, as the warring sides trade limited strikes below the threshold of an all-out war, experts told Iran International’s townhall held in Washington DC.

The discussion, hosted by Iran International’s Negar Mojtahedi, centered on whether the latest ceasefire in Lebanon marks the end of a war or the beginning of a more dangerous phase: a regional conflict in which Iran increasingly treats attacks on its proxies as attacks on itself.

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The US military was about three hours from launching missiles inside Iran on Thursday when President Donald Trump announced on social media that a deal had been reached, NBC News reported, citing two US officials.

According to the report, US forces already received orders to carry out the strikes that evening, and naval units had adjusted air operations plans and prepared munitions. The officials said the operation was in its final stages before being called off.

NBC reported that Kharg Island was not on the approved target list, despite earlier threats by Trump referencing the site. The report added that while the US military has developed contingency plans involving Iranian oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island, those options had not been authorized for execution.

The officials also said Trump’s public statements on social media did not align with the specific operational planning underway at the time, according to NBC.

Tehran given its final approval to a draft agreement with the United States and conveyed the decision to Washington through Qatari mediators, Al Arabiya reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

The report said the proposed agreement would include a mechanism overseen by a mediator to monitor and address any violations. Al Arabiya did not identify the mediator.