LIVE | Rubio: US expects to wind down operations in Iran 'within the next two weeks'
Iran threatened to attack hotels housing US soldiers across the region. "When all the Americans [troops] go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," Iranian military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told a state-sponsored television channel.
Explosion in Tehran
Oil prices were down more than 1% on Friday, tracking Asian stock markets, after President Donald Trump extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and not attack its power plants.
Traders were unfazed by the news after a series of conflicting messages from the White House about negotiations between the sides, which has heightened fears that the war in the Middle East could drag on much longer than initially thought.
All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Iran vows to charge "HEAVY price" for attacks on its steel and energy plants
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the regime would charge "HEAVY price" for attacks on the country's steel mills and nuclear power plants.
"Israel has hit 2 of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure," Araghchi said in remarks reported by AFP. "Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US."
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard also warned employees of industrial factories in the region "that have American shareholders as well as heavy industries allied with the Zionist regime... to leave their workplaces immediately," vowing to carry out retaliatory strikes.
What is Handala Hack, the pro-Iranian group that allegedly hacked Kash Patel's private email account?
They declare themselves "loyal followers of the supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei" and have gone so far as to offer rewards of up to $250,000 for the execution of their targets, even attempting to seek "partners" in drug cartels such as the CJNG to commit acts of violence.
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Rubio: U.S. expects to wind down operations in Iran “within the next two weeks”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio set a timeline for the end of U.S. operations in Iran.
According to Rubio, the United States expects to wind down its operations in Iran “within the next two weeks,” while noting that the Islamist regime has sent “messages” without responding to the peace plan.
OPINION | Is Trump about to betray Israel … again?
The U.S. president demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender. Yet if current reports are accurate, it is America and not Iran that is preparing to capitulate.
Read the full opinion piece here.
U.S. and Israel attacked Iranian uranium processing plant, per the Islamic regime
Airstrikes carried out jointly by the United States and Israel struck a uranium processing plant in Iran, according to the Islamic regime’s Atomic Energy Organization.
G7 calls for reopening of Strait of Hormuz
The G7 foreign ministers, who are meeting near Paris, France, issued a joint statement calling to "permanently" reopen the Strait of Hormuz to "restore safe and toll free freedom of navigation."
In addition, the foreign ministers called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure" in the Middle East.
U.S. considers sending up to 10,000 additional military personnel to the Middle East
The United States is considering sending up to 10,000 additional military personnel to the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, amid growing speculation about the eventuality of a ground operation in Iran.
The deployment would mean a considerable reinforcement of the military presence in the area, at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump insists that Tehran is participating in talks to end the conflict, which turns one month old on Saturday.
G7 allies press Rubio on U.S. plans for Iran
G7 allies pressed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday to clarify U.S. plans for Iran, almost a month after the start of the Middle East war.
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on air defense
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia signed a cooperation agreement that will allow Kiev to share its expertise in defending against Iranian-designed Shahed drone strikes, a senior official told AFP on Friday. The document was signed Thursday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Saudi city of Jeddah, another senior official told AFP.
Kuwait's main port sufferes a major blow
Kuwait's main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn.
The Shuwaikh port was targeted "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties," the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X.
Iran warns U.S. soldiers
The Iranian military has warned that hotels housing U.S. soldiers across the region will be targets for attack.
"When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television.
UN Security Council meeting.
Russian state media reported, the UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Friday to discuss strikes against Iran at Moscow's request.
"The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to the ongoing strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and healthcare facilities," said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesman for Russia's envoy to the United Nations, according to state news agency TASS.
Israeli attacks in Beirut
Lebanese media reported that an Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Friday, while AFP correspondents heard several explosions coming from the Hezbollah stronghold that Israel has repeatedly targeted since the war broke out this month.
Israel had previously issued broad evacuation warnings for the area, but did not provide any specific warnings before the attack on Tahouitet al-Ghadir.
Saudi Arabia intercepts drones
The Saudi Ministry of Defense claimed to have "intercepted and destroyed" four drones over the east of the kingdom.
Rubio to join G7 meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in France on Friday to take part in a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, an AFP correspondent reported.
Rubio, who did not attend the first day of the talks outside Paris, said before leaving that it was in the "interest" of all G7 nations to push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel attacks Tehran
The Israeli military declared that its forces carried out "a wave of large-scale attacks against the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in the heart of Tehran" early Friday morning.
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