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Iran says Lebanon is not a bargaining chip in US talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s claim that Tehran was using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States.
Aoun said Friday that Iran was using Lebanon in its talks with Washington and that the Lebanese people were paying the price for Tehran’s interests.
“Had Lebanon been bargaining chip for Iran, we’d have a deal long ago,” Araghchi wrote on X on Saturday. “Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President.”
His remarks came as Lebanon has become one of the disputed issues around the US-Iran talks, with Iranian officials and hardliners insisting that any understanding with Washington must address the conflict involving Hezbollah.
IRGC says it stopped tanker leaving Hormuz after warning vessels
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted and stopped one of four oil tankers that had been attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz after receiving an IRGC warning at 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
In a statement, the IRGC said the other vessels turned back after the warning.
The Guards also said US drones struck a communications tower on Qeshm Island and another tower in Sirik at around 2:30 a.m. using two projectiles.
The IRGC said its aerospace forces responded by launching ballistic missiles at the US Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and facilities belonging to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
US Central Command said US forces intercepted multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and that there were currently no reports of injuries to US personnel and denied IRGC claims that the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain had been damaged.
US intelligence assessment raised Israeli espionage threat level to ‘critical’ - NBC
The Defense Intelligence Agency raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to “critical,” NBC News reported on Friday, citing current and former US officials.
According to the report, the move reflects concerns within the Pentagon that Israeli intelligence services are seeking information on the Trump administration’s internal deliberations on the war with Iran and other Middle East issues.
Israel’s embassy in Washington rejected the report, calling it “completely false” and denying that it spies on US government officials. A White House official also disputed the account, according to NBC.
The Pentagon declined to comment. NBC said the reported assessment comes amid tensions between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war with Iran.
CENTCOM says US forces intercepted Iranian missiles and drones
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces intercepted multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and neighboring Persian Gulf countries on Friday.
According to CENTCOM, Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain hours after US forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones headed toward the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the drones posed an immediate threat to maritime traffic.
CENTCOM said US forces subsequently struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to prevent further attacks.
"Initial assessments indicate six of the missiles launched by Iran were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its intended target. There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging U.S. 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false. CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and postured to continue responding to unwarranted Iranian aggression in self-defense," CENTCOM said.
IRGC says it targeted US bases after American strikes on Sirik and Qeshm
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday it had targeted US bases in the region with missiles in response to what it described as US attacks on Sirik and Qeshm Island.
In a statement carried by official media, the IRGC said the missile launches were retaliation for recent US military action against the two locations.
Bahrain activates air raid sirens - state media
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has activated air raid sirens, according to state media reports on Friday.
Iranians report missing bank funds as distrust grows - report
Reports of missing funds from Iranian bank accounts are fueling growing distrust in the financial system, with customers reporting unexplained losses and conflicting explanations from banks.
An investigation by Alhurra reported on Friday multiple cases in which account holders said funds disappeared from banks including Bank Melli and Bank Sepah, with some told the losses were due to hacking or cyberattacks attributed to hostile actors, while others received no clear explanation.
Iran’s Central Bank has previously acknowledged that some banking institutions were targeted in cyber and physical attacks, according to state media, but authorities have not confirmed any systemic theft of deposits or widespread account losses.
The report also cited activists and opposition figures who say authorities have expanded the use of legal and security mechanisms to freeze or confiscate assets of individuals accused of cooperation with foreign adversaries. These claims could not be independently verified.
Explosions heard in Sirik in southern Iran - Tasnim News
Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that several explosions were heard in the coastal city of Sirik in southern Iran on Friday.
Trump shares video titled 'Iranian Navy' showing destroyed ships
US President Donald Trump on Friday posted a video on Truth Social titled “Iranian Navy” that appears to show multiple naval vessels destroyed at sea, accompanied by dramatic background music commonly used in film end credits.