Bahrain condemns Iranian drone attack as Washington, Tehran trade strikes

Ali Khamenei’s representative to the Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that the force would never reconcile with the United States and remained committed to Israel’s destruction.

Abdollah Haji-Sadeghi said any negotiations with Washington would not aim at peace or friendship, citing religious grounds for hostility.

The Guards view US power as harmful to the Muslim world and consider fighting it a permanent duty, Haji-Sadeghi said.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Saturday rejected the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington, calling it "null," a "humiliation" and a surrender of Lebanese sovereignty.

In a statement, Qassem said the agreement should be replaced by the Iran-US memorandum and warned that linking Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah's disarmament crossed the group's "red lines."

Qatar condemned Iran's drone attack on Bahrain, calling it a clear violation of the kingdom's sovereignty and international law. Doha urged efforts to prevent the consequences of such attacks, continue dialogue and diplomacy, and sustain regional de-escalation efforts.

Egypt and Jordan condemned Iran's drone attack on Bahrain on Saturday, expressing support for the kingdom and warning of its impact on regional security.

Egypt's foreign ministry said the attack violated Bahrain's sovereignty and threatened efforts to reduce regional tensions and strengthen peace. Jordan also slammed th attack, saying it breached international law and the UN Charter.

Both countries reaffirmed their full support for Bahrain and its efforts to protect its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

Iran's point-to-point inflation rate climbed to nearly 89% through the Iranian month of Khordad (May 22-June 21), with rural inflation exceeding 108%, according to the Statistical Center of Iran. The agency also reported annual inflation of 62% and food price inflation of nearly 135% compared with a year earlier.

US-Iran talks in Doha will include Iran’s frozen funds, Al Arabiya reported citing sources on Saturday. Pakistan will later host a separate round of US-Iran negotiations focused on the nuclear issue, the sources told the outlet.

An Iranian state television correspondent said the number of vessels requesting permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz had increased since Saturday morning, attributing the rise to what he described as the IRGC Navy's authority.

"Since Saturday morning, the number of vessels seeking permission to enter and leave through the Strait of Hormuz has increased, and this is the result of the IRGC Navy's authority," the correspondent said in a broadcast.

The United Arab Emirates condemned an Iranian drone attack targeting Bahrain, calling it a "flagrant violation" of the kingdom's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry expressed its full solidarity with Bahrain and support for all measures taken to preserve the kingdom's security and stability.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the Iranian drone attacks on Bahrain, saying they targeted civilian facilities and critical infrastructure.

Albudaiwi said the attacks came as international and regional efforts were underway to consolidate peace and security, and accused Tehran of trying to undermine efforts to contain the crisis.

He said the GCC fully supported all measures taken by Bahrain to protect its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Iran said flights between the country and the United Arab Emirates would resume on July 1 after aviation authorities in both countries approved the route.

Civil Aviation Organization spokesman Majid Akhavan said Iranian and UAE aviation authorities had issued the necessary permits for flights to resume from July 1.

He said the route would initially be served by Iranian airlines, with other carriers expected to be added later following the necessary reviews.

Akhavan added that the resumption of flights on other international routes remained under review and subject to regulatory approvals.