LIVE | Oil prices soar again and stock markets fall after Trump's threats to Iran

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reza Najafi, denied that his country has resumed uranium enrichment following the June 2025 bombings by Israel and the United States against some of its nuclear facilities.

"We have not resumed [uranium] enrichment; that is a lie, a big lie, like so many others," Najafi said in an interview with AFP, referring to the U.S. accusations that led to the current conflict.

Oil prices rebounded Thursday following Trump's address to the nation, in which he failed to quell fears over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for the transit of crude blocked by Iran.

The North Sea Brent barrel, the global market benchmark, was up more than 4.5% at $105.71, while its U.S. equivalent, West Texas Intermediate(WTI), was up 3.6% to $103.69 in Asian trading.

For their part, Asian stock markets fell sharply: the Japanese Nikkei index gave up 1.45% while the South Korean Kospi plunged 3.62%.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned Thursday that pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the next one to two days.

"Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to carry out attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours," the embassy said in a statement on X, again urging Americans in the country to leave immediately.

China on Thursday demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran in the coming weeks and bomb it back to the "Stone Age."

"Military means cannot solve the problem in a fundamental way, and the escalation of conflicts benefits neither side," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning assured a press conference, urging "the parties involved to immediately cease military operations."

The Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, claimed that its terrorists launched drones and rockets against northern Israel on Thursday, while the Israeli army's Home Front Command said anti-aircraft sirens were activated across the border, although no casualties or damage were reported.

Iran's military promised Thursday to launch "devastating" strikes against Israel and the United States after President Donald Trump threatened in an address to bomb the Islamic republic back to the "Stone Age" in the coming weeks.

"With confidence in Almighty God, this war will continue until their humiliation, disgrace, permanent and certain repentance, and surrender," the Iranian military command Jatam Al Anbiya assured in a statement broadcast on state television. "Expect our most devastating, wide-ranging and most destructive actions," he added.

The Israeli Army reported Thursday that air defense systems were responding to the fourth Iranian missile attack in six hours, as sirens sounded in some areas of northern Israel.

The military had reported during the third bombing some minor injuries in the Tel Aviv area.