Former US embassy in Tehran hit as Trump set to update Americans on war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain will not be drawn into the Iran conflict and called for closer ties with the European Union as the war drives an energy crisis.

“We will not be drawn into this conflict,” Starmer said in an address to the nation.

He added that “our long term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe and with the European Union,” warning the war would “impact the future of the UK” as energy costs rise.

US President Donald Trump said he is considering pulling the United States out of NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” and citing frustration with allies over the Iran conflict.

“I am strongly considering” leaving NATO, Trump said in an interview with the Telegraph, adding the move was “beyond reconsideration.”

“I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger,” he said.

Trump linked his stance to the lack of allied support in operations related to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions have hit global energy flows.

He also said the war could end soon, telling reporters separately the United States “will be leaving [Iran] very soon” and that military action could end within “two or three weeks.”

The head of Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC called for global action to protect energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, warning of wider risks to the global economy.

Sultan Al Jaber said Iran’s actions in the waterway amount to “global economic extortion” and urged countries to uphold a UN Security Council resolution to ensure free navigation.

Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said on Wednesday his agency is in contact with the US Central Intelligence Agency over the situation in Iran, according to RIA news agency.

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force and is reviewing how it could take part militarily, according to Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

The report said the UAE is pressing for a UN Security Council resolution authorizing action to reopen the waterway and has urged the United States and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to do so. Bahrain is sponsoring the draft resolution, with a vote expected on Thursday.

According to the report, the UAE is considering roles including mine-clearing and other support services, and has also argued that the United States should seize strategic islands in the strait, including Abu Musa.

The UAE Foreign Ministry, in a statement cited by the newspaper, pointed to international resolutions condemning attacks on its cities and the closure of the strait, and said there was “broad global consensus that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved.”

The report said the UAE’s position marks a major change in policy after weeks of Iranian missile and drone attacks that have hit the country’s infrastructure, disrupted air traffic and tourism, and shaken confidence in its image as a regional safe haven.

Even if a UN resolution fails, the report said, Persian Gulf officials believe the UAE would still be ready to join the war effort. But analysts cited by the newspaper warned such a step could draw the Emirates deeper into conflict with Iran and expose it to further attacks.

Malaysia said its ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz without paying any tolls to Iran, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“We will not pay any toll... we’re not paying anything,” said Fahmi Fadzil, adding several Malaysian vessels are waiting to transit the waterway.

QatarEnergy said a fuel oil tanker was hit by a missile in the northern territorial waters of Qatar early on Wednesday.

The company said no crew members were injured and there was no impact on the environment.

A senior Iranian lawmaker said the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen and ruled out any negotiations, according to Iranian media.

Ali Nikzad said Iran would not ease pressure until it takes revenge, adding, “The Strait of Hormuz will never reopen, no negotiations have taken place and none will take place.”

Ali Nikzad, deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, said on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would not let go of Donald Trump until it had taken “revenge for the blood” of Muslims around the world.

He added that the Strait of Hormuz would “never reopen” and said no negotiations had taken place and none would take place.

Nikzad also warned that if the attacks continued, “we will leave no fuel source for the enemy.”

Yemen’s Houthis said they carried out a missile attack on Israel on Wednesday and described it as a joint operation with Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The claim was made by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a statement.