Former US national security adviser says Iran missile stocks near 50% - CBS

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against any further US military “adventurism” on Thursday during a phone call with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Iranian state media reported.

Araghchi condemned what he called “aggressive” US attacks on several parts of Iran, saying they amounted to a clear violation of the UN Charter and the Islamabad memorandum of understanding that ended the war.

He also said recent remarks by US officials and what he described as Washington’s admission that it would not abide by the memorandum were signs of “breach of promise” and a continuation of US “warmongering” policies.

Araghchi said Iran and its armed forces were determined to defend the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

US President Donald Trump ordered wider strikes on Iran after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said he could not guarantee the Revolutionary Guards would stop firing on ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel Hayom reported citing unnamed sources.

Intelligence officials in Israel and the US concluded that the Revolutionary Guards’ leadership believes it can extract further concessions from Washington in the near future, including consent to collect passage fees in Hormuz, the report said.

According to the report, Trump convened senior ministers and advisers before deciding to launch strikes on a larger scale than the previous round, while stopping short of action that would “break the rules.”

An Iranian official said countries astride the Persian Gulf should shut down their oil wells if US attacks on Iran continue, warning they would otherwise be set on fire.

“If the attacks continue, the Persian Gulf countries must shut down their oil wells. Otherwise, we will set them on fire,” Ezzatollah Zarghami, a member of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace, said on Thursday.

“An attack on Iran will affect all energy and economic equations in the world,” he added.

Repeated water cuts, muddy water and sewage overflow at Sheiban Prison in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz have led to the spread of eye and kidney diseases among political prisoners, sources told Iran International.

Political prisoners held at the facility are facing a severe shortage of sanitary facilities and poor detention conditions, the sources said. In one ward, only one shower and one toilet are available to prisoners, forcing them to wait for hours to use them.

The sources said political prisoners are being held in the same ward as detainees accused of charges including membership in ISIS.

Political prisoner Hojat Al-Mohammad, who is held in the ward, is suffering from serious health problems including kidney disease and severe damage to his teeth but has so far been denied proper medical care, the sources said.

The latest US strikes hit southern Iran on Thursday, with a provincial official saying an attack on a pier in Sirik killed three people and wounded 15 others. Iranian media also reported explosions near Bandar Abbas, while a Bushehr official said projectiles struck areas around the province's nuclear power plant.

The attacks followed a broader US campaign against Iranian military infrastructure along the country's southern coast.

US Central Command said it struck around 90 military targets, including coastal surveillance systems, air defenses, anti-ship missile positions, drone and missile storage sites, logistics infrastructure and dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval vessels, saying the operation was intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by announcing missile and drone attacks on what it called US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, saying it targeted air defense systems, fuel storage sites and other military infrastructure in retaliation for the US strikes.

Bahrain and Kuwait said their air defenses intercepted incoming missiles and drones, while Jordan activated nationwide air raid sirens after missiles and drones entered its airspace.

The US Embassy in Amman urged Americans to seek shelter indoors, and Qatar condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait while urging all sides to return to diplomacy.

Strait of Hormuz

The confrontation increasingly centered on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors.

Bloomberg reported commercial traffic through the waterway had slowed to a near standstill, while CBS News, citing vessel-tracking data, said only three fuel tankers were observed transiting the strait on Thursday.

The IRGC Navy said shipping had recovered to about half of pre-war levels under routes designated by Iran but warned any US attempt to control maritime traffic would receive a "crushing response."

Oil prices climbed to their highest levels in about three weeks as traders weighed the risks to global energy supplies.

Diplomacy falters

President Donald Trump said the United States had struck Iran "much harder" after attacks on commercial ships and warned further Iranian action would trigger an even stronger response.

He also questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to uphold any future agreement despite saying Iran had again sought negotiations.

Axios reported the White House was preparing for the possibility of a military exchange lasting days or even weeks depending on Iran's next moves in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran accused Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding reached after April's ceasefire and appealed to the UN Security Council, arguing the latest strikes breached both the agreement and the UN Charter.

Qatar urged both Washington and Tehran to honor the memorandum and return to dialogue, while Iraq said it was seeking to promote rapprochement between the two countries.

Funeral ceremonies continue

Military operations unfolded alongside the final stage of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

After processions in Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala, Khamenei's coffin was flown from Iraq to Mashhad for burial. Iranian authorities presented the ceremonies as a demonstration of regional solidarity, while IRGC-affiliated media published photographs it said showed Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani attending the funeral.

The past day's events showed how the confrontation has shifted beyond Iran's nuclear program, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as the military and economic center of the conflict.