US, Israel-Iran War: Iran says some ships allowed to pass through Strait of Hormuz

Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke with Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the worsening crisis in the Middle East.

During the conversation, the Indian prime minister expressed concern over the escalating tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives, as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.

In a post on X, Modi said the safety and security of Indian nationals and the uninterrupted movement of goods and energy supplies remain India’s top priorities.

He also reiterated India’s commitment to peace and stability in the region and called for dialogue and diplomacy to address the situation.

The United Kingdom’s defence secretary has warned that there are growing indications Iran may have begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.

Speaking on the situation, the defence chief said intelligence signals were becoming “clearer and clearer” that Iranian forces could have started mining the strategic waterway.

“The Iranians may have started mining the Strait of Hormuz,” the minister said, raising concerns about the safety of international shipping in the area, according to Javier Blas of Bloomberg.

At least 687 people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, health ministry says.

Iran has allowed ships from some countries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Thursday, even as the key waterway remains largely closed amid the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

His remarks come as shipping through the strait has been severely disrupted during the war, with most maritime traffic halted despite limited passage being granted to vessels from select countries.

The United States military is currently not ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz because its resources are focused on ongoing strikes against Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday.

His remarks came after attacks on two oil tankers off the coast of Iraq left at least one person dead and pushed global oil prices briefly above USD 100 a barrel.

According to reports, Iran signalled that attacks targeting Gulf Arab neighbours could continue as part of the ongoing confrontation.

Khamenei demanded that all US military bases in the region be immediately shut down, warning that they could become targets if they remain operational.

Mojtaba revealed that studies have been conducted to open additional fronts in areas where Iran believes its enemies have limited experience and greater vulnerability.

Khamenei said Iran should continue using the leverage of potentially blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday it would maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following a call by Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

The Guards said the move was part of a broader strategy in response to what they described as aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“In response to the order of the commander in chief, we will deliver the harshest blows to the aggressor enemy while maintaining the strategy of closing the Strait of Hormuz,” said Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Guards’ navy, in a post on the social media platform X.

Khamenei highlighted the strategic importance of the waterway, stating that the option of closing the Strait of Hormuz should be preserved. He added that other fronts could also be opened if necessary.

In another remark, he said Iran seeks peaceful relations with neighbouring countries but warned that military operations against American forces in the region would continue. He said while Iran believes in maintaining friendly ties with its neighbours, it would continue targeting American bases in the region.

Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first message since assuming the role of Iran’s supreme leader, said the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed, signalling a hardline stance as tensions escalate in the region.

He also issued a warning to the United States and its allies, saying Iran would not abandon its pursuit of revenge for those killed in the conflict. “We will not forgo revenge for the blood of the martyrs,” he said.

Iran’s supreme leader says attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors will continue.

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council of Iran, issued a sharp warning in response to remarks by Donald Trump regarding potential strikes on Iran’s electricity infrastructure. "Trump has said "we can take apart Iran's electric capacity within one hour, but we have not done it." Well, if they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour and darkness provides ample opportunity to hunt down US servicemen running for safety," he said.

Iran's security chief Ali Larijani threatened on Thursday to target power grids in the region if the United States attacked the Islamic republic's electricity supplies. "If they do that, the whole region will go dark in less than half an hour and darkness provides ample opportunity to hunt down US servicemen running for safety," said Larijani in a post on X.

At least 687 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon's Information Minister Paul Morcos. Among those killed are 98 children.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday they had targeted Israel as well as US sites in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait. "The gathering place of American forces on Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai) and the location of American forces at Ahmad Al-Jaber Airport (Kuwait) were targeted," said the Guards' Sepah News website. "The residence of American marines at Al-Dhafra base (UAE) and the mobile American bases in Iraq, along with the gathering place of Zionist executioners in Tel Aviv have been struck," it added.

Two explosions were heard over Erbil in northern Iraq as air defences engaged drones above the city, according to Al Jazeera. Officials said air defence systems intercepted two drones over the regional capital. Erbil hosts several US military and diplomatic facilities.

Iranian media outlets are reporting on the arrests in Iran of a number of individuals allegedly linked to the US and Israel.

The UN refugee agency said up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the ongoing war. It said that most have fled from Tehran and other major cities toward the north of the country or rural areas.

An airstrike on a base of an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia known as the Popular Mobilization Forces killed at least 14 fighters in western Iraq early Thursday. According to two officials from the PMF, 36 other fighters were injured in the Akashat area. It was the biggest loss suffered by the force since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.

The Israeli army said it struck a site it claims Iran used for developing nuclear arms. 

Australia has told "non-essential" ⁠diplomats to leave ⁠Israel and the UAE, Foreign ‌Minister Penny Wong said. Essential officials would ⁠remain in ⁠Israel and the UAE to ⁠support Australian ⁠citizens ⁠who need it, Wong said ‌on X.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are also assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights to return home. We are assisting them with visas. We are also assisting them with land border crossings..." "We've had about 9,000 Indian nationals who were there or who are there in Iran. These 9,000 Indian nationals comprise students, seafarers, business people, professionals and some pilgrims...Several Indian nationals, mostly students, left the country and reached home. We have shifted several Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, who were based in Tehran to other safer locations and cities in the country. We are also assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights to return home. We are assisting them with visas. We are also assisting them with land border crossings. We've had several Indian nationals who have approached us and we have helped them to cross over into Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights back home. I would take this opportunity to advise all Indian nationals who desire to leave Iran via land borders. They should adhere to the advisory that our embassy has issued..."

Iran's Parliament speaker said Thursday that any invasion of Iran's islands will "make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders." It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s comments, which again escalate the rhetoric surrounding the ongoing Iran war.

One person has been killed in an Israeli drone attack on a car in the town of Deir Antar in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil district, the National News Agency is reporting. The drone strike comes amid a series of deadly Israeli air attacks across Lebanon today, including an air strike on downtown Beirut’s waterfront which killed eight and wounded 31.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Thursday they had struck a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, which they claimed was US-owned, in the northern part of the Gulf. On their website Sepah News, the Guards said the ship Safesea was "one of the assets of the US terrorist army" and that it "was hit in the northern Gulf after ignoring and not complying with warnings and alerts".

Air strikes killed at least nine Iran-backed fighters in Iraq on Thursday near the Iraqi-Syrian border, two senior security officials told AFP. Another 10 fighters were wounded in the strikes that targeted a base belonging to the US-blacklisted Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, the officials added on condition of anonymity, with one saying that the death toll could rise. "The base was destroyed, and the rescue teams who arrived at the site were also targeted," one of the officials said.

In response to the question of whether Iran has allowed India to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The Indian Foreign Minister and the Iranian Foreign Minister have held three talks in the last few days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything."

Missiles or drones hit Italy's Camp Singara in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, late Wednesday, Italian authorities said. There were no injuries reported.

Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, one very loud, an AFP correspondent reported on Thursday, as Iran continued its campaign against the Gulf in response to US-Israeli attacks. The AFP correspondent saw small clouds of smoke rise above a residential neighbourhood.

Iran's state news agency IRIB has reported that a Senior spokesperson for Iran's armed forces has warned that Iran would attack ports across the region if its ports are targeted IRIB quoted the official as saying, "If any attack is carried out against Iran's economic ports, all docks, ports, and economic zones across the Middle East will be destroyed." Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has intensified its maritime blockade in the Persian Gulf, claiming to have already targeted numerous international vessels while enforcing a strict "no-move" zone in the strategic waterway.

In a post on X, Iran's President Pezeshkian outlined three ways to end the war. These are:

1. Acceptance of Iran’s indisputable rights.
2. Payment of reparations.
3. Firm international obligation to prevent this aggression from recurring.

Unrelenting Iranian attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure pushed oil above USD 100 a barrel on Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight. Iran hit a container ship off the coast of Dubai, caused a blaze near Bahrain's international airport, targeted a major Saudi oil field with a drone attack and forced Iraq to halt operations at all the country's oil terminals after an attack on its port of Basra on the Persian Gulf.

In a major relief for New Delhi amid the worsening global energy crisis, Iran has allowed Indian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, according to sources.

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A missile alert sounded today morning in Dubai. Authorities said air defences were actively trying to shoot down incoming fire.

A container ship off Dubai in the Persian Gulf came under attack today which sparked a small fire, the British military said. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened just before dawn. It said an “unknown projectile” hit the vessel as it was some 65 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast of Dubai’s Jebel Ali port.

Iran has taken responsibility for a missile strike on a Thai-flagged commercial vessel in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed it targeted the bulk carrier MV Mayuree Naree after it allegedly ignored warnings while transiting the critical waterway, according to Iranian state media reports.

A major escalation in the West Asia conflict has allegedly claimed the life of an Indian national after an Iranian "suicide" boat reportedly targeted the US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu near the Khor Al Zubair port in Iraq. The vessel, flagged under the Marshall Islands, was attacked in Iraqi territorial waters, news agency PTI reported citing sources. While one Indian national lost his life, the remaining 27 crew members were rescued and moved to Basra, it added. Sources close to Safesea said they were devastated by the loss of the Indian crew member.

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The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, topped $100 a barrel early Thursday, just days after it spiked near $120. Oil prices shot more than 9% higher as supply concerns worsened with Iranian attacks on commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry said it shot down a drone trying to target the Diplomatic Quarter in the capital, Riyadh, while Kuwait's Defense Ministry said that its air defenses intercepted several drones over the northern part of the country.

Tensions in West Asia continue to spiral as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran intensifies. In a sharp escalation, Iranian drones reportedly targeted oil storage tanks at the Salalah Port in Oman which led to a massive blaze and towering plumes of smoke. The strikes were first reported by Oman TV, while British maritime security firm Ambrey also confirmed attacks on key infrastructure.

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An attack on Iraq's Basra port this morning killed at least one person and forced authorities to halt operations at all the country’s oil terminals, officials said, as per The AP. Farhan al-Fartousi, the director-general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, made the announcement in a statement carried by the state-run Iraqi News Agency on Thursday. Al-Fartousi said the attack targeted a ship engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of oil in the Basra port on the Persian Gulf. He said it remained unclear if the ship was targeted by a flying or seaborne drone or a missile.

CitiBank said it would close all its branches except one due to a threat by Iran to target financial institutions in the region. The decision has been made given the evolving situation within the country," CitiBank said without elaborating further. Other financial institutions reportedly have urged their staff to work from home over the threat.

President Donald Trump says his administration will tap the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and reduce gasoline prices that have risen due to the Iran war.
During an interview Wednesday with WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati, Trump was asked about tapping the reserve and said, "Well, we'll do that and then we'll fill it up. Right now we'll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down. He didn't specify how many barrels of oil the US would release," he added. 

Firefighters extinguished a blaze at a tower in Dubai Creek Harbor today morning after an Iranian drone strike. The drone hit the Address Creek Harbour 2 tower in the neighbourhood. An image published by authorities appeared to show damage at two units in the building.

Amid the ongoing war, US President Donald Trump said that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has agreed to coordinate the release of 400 million barrels of oil from national petroleum reserves worldwide in a bid to reduce prices amid conflict involving Iran. "I am pleased to report that earlier today, the International Energy Agency agreed to coordinate the release of a record 400 million barrels of oil from various national petroleum reserves around the world, which will substantially reduce the oil prices, as we end this threat to America and this threat to the world," he added. 

Authorities in Dubai said forces are responding to a drone that fell on a building near Dubai Creek Harbour -- a luxury waterfront development north of the country’s downtown. The Dubai Media Center said that officials are carrying out evacuations.

An Israeli strike hit a car in the coastal area of Ramlet al-Bayda on the eastern side of the city, according to local media. The seaside area is popular with tourists and is where dozens of displaced people have been sheltering.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that seven people were killed and 21 others sustained injuries in the coastal area of Ramlet al-Bayda. The strike hit a car along the seaside, where dozens of displaced families were sheltering in makeshift tents.

Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said Iranian-linked attacks targeted fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq Governorate, northeast of the country's capital, Manama. "Authorities are taking the required procedures," the ministry said, as per The Associated Press.