US CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on possible 'final blow' against Iran: Fox News

Targets reportedly include Iran's 'remaining military assets, leadership and infrastructure,' according to Fox News

The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) briefed US President Donald Trump on potential "final blow" strike options against Iran, Fox News reported on Thursday.

Admiral Brad Cooper presented the possible options during a briefing with Trump in the Situation Room, outlining a "short and powerful wave of strikes" should the president decide to resume combat operations.

The assessed targets reportedly include Iran's "remaining military assets, leadership and infrastructure," the broadcaster added.

Read: Iran's supreme leader strikes a defiant note

The Pentagon is also considering deploying advanced weapons systems, including a new hypersonic missile known as "Dark Eagle," according to Fox News.

The broadcaster said the system is capable of striking targets up to 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometres) away, potentially targeting remaining ballistic missile launchers.

It added that B-1B Lancer bombers, which can be armed with up to 5,000 pounds of hypersonic weapons, have been increasing their presence in the region and can carry "big payloads."

Lebanese premier vows to reclaim ‘every inch’ of occupied land, advance economic recovery

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed on Friday to reclaim “every inch” of occupied territory and push forward economic recovery efforts, in a message marking Labour Day.

In a statement posted by the prime minister’s office on US social media company X, Salam addressed workers across Lebanon, acknowledging the hardship many face amid a prolonged economic crisis.

في عيد العمّال، أتوجّه إلى كل عاملةٍ وعاملٍ في لبنان، إلى من ينهضون كل صباح رغم القلق والضيق، ويواصلون العمل في ظلّ ظروفٍ قاسية لم يعرفها وطننا من قبل.
أدرك حجم المعاناة التي يعيشها كثيرون منكم، من فقدانٍ للوظائف، وتراجعٍ في القدرة الشرائية، وضغطٍ يوميّ يثقل كاهلكم. ومن موقع… pic.twitter.com/tMzd7c8qbM

— Nawaf Salam نواف سلام (@nawafsalam) May 1, 2026

“I understand the extent of the suffering many of you are experiencing, from job losses and declining purchasing power to daily pressures weighing heavily on you,” he said.

Salam pledged that the government would continue working to improve living conditions, restore occupied land, and press ahead with reforms.

“We will continue serious work to improve your living conditions, restore every inch of our occupied land, and advance reform efforts and economic recovery,” he said.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been experiencing a financial collapse described by the World Bank as one of the worst in modern history. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 98% of its value, weakening from about 1,500 to around 90,000 to the dollar.

Salam added that the government aims to create new job opportunities, restore stability, and place the country on a path toward “real recovery.”

Lebanon’s economic crisis has deepened recently, compounded by ongoing Israeli attacks and displacement. A Wednesday update from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Program found that about 1.24 million people — nearly one in four assessed — are expected to face acute food insecurity at crisis levels between April and August 2026.

The report said escalating violence and displacement since early March have driven the deterioration in food security conditions.

France to launch ‘defensive’ mission in Hormuz

French foreign minister said Friday that a “defensive” international maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz would begin operations once conditions allow.

“The Hormuz blockade must stop, it must cease. There can be no blackmail, no blockade, nor any toll on a strait,” Jean-Noel Barrot said, stressing that straits are governed by international law and “cannot under any circumstances be obstructed.”

He said the rise in fuel prices, “being strongly felt at the pump,” was linked to developments in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said France had condemned because it violates international law and has major consequences for the global economy.

Barrot noted that France had acted since the start of the crisis to limit its impact, including measures to protect households and businesses from rising energy costs.

He said targeted support had been introduced for sectors most exposed to fuel price increases, including fishing, agriculture, transport and heavy road users, to help them absorb part of the shock.

At the same time, he added, France launched a plan to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons through electrification efforts in transport and heating, aimed at limiting exposure to future crises.

Strictly defensive mission

France has also deployed naval assets in the region since the beginning of the war, Barrot said, “to protect our nationals, facilitate their repatriation, and protect our partners,” some of whom were targeted by Iranian attacks.

He said the international mission, launched by French President Emmanuel Macron, was now at an advanced stage and would be strictly defensive, operating in coordination with countries bordering the Strait of Hormuz.

“This international mission is strictly defensive in nature,” he said, adding that planning had been finalised and the concept had been presented to key regional partners.

Barrot said the objective would be to allow maritime traffic to resume “as quickly as possible” once conditions permit, through escort and mine-clearing operations.

Will not participate in US-led operation

Asked about a US-led coalition, Barrot said France would not participate, noting that the American initiative appeared aimed at linking ongoing military operations with maritime activity.

“We would not take part in it,” he said, adding that France remained fully focused on its own initiative and that it was not in competition with other proposals.

Iran demands reparations from six Arab states

Iranian ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani has called for holding to account the states participating in the unjustified US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, according to Iranian news outlet Press TV.

He made the remarks in a letter addressed to the UN chief and the Security Council president on Thursday in response to "anti-Iran letters" sent by six Arab countries, including, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan, to the world body, as per Press TV.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates once again its clear and consistent position that all States whose internationally wrongful acts have played a role in the United States' and the Israeli regime's aggression against its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be held accountable,” he said.

Iravani also said the Persian Gulf littoral states are under an obligation to make full reparation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including compensation for all material and moral damage caused by their internationally wrongful acts.

Iran seeks reparations from five Arab states for enabling US-Israeli aggressionhttps://t.co/oVErqX8IfY

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 14, 2026

He warned of threats to international peace and security amid the continued failure of the UN Security Council to address the unlawful use of force by the US and the Israeli regime, as well as the complicity of states that have either facilitated or directly participated in the military assault.

The envoy rejected the "anti-Iran claims" made by the six Arab countries regarding the premeditated and unprovoked US-Israeli aggression that killed more than 3,375 people and damaged over 125,630 civilian structures across the country, according to Press TV.

“The claims advanced by the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that the armed attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran were not launched from their territories, even if true, quod non, only serve to confirm that Iran has been targeted by aggressors operating from military bases and facilities situated within those States.”

He noted that the failure of the Security Council to uphold Iran’s legitimate right of self-defence does not negate the nation's inherent right of self-defence under general international law.

Iran threatens painful response if US renews attacks

Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and ​restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.

Two months into the US-Israeli war on Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the ‌world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.

Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse, with a ceasefire in place since April 8, but Iran is still blocking the strait in response to a US naval blockade of Iran's oil exports, Tehran's economic lifeline.

Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict, a US official told Reuters.

Such options have long been part of ​US planning but reports of the proposed briefing, first issued by news site Axios late on Wednesday, initially spurred big gains in oil prices, with the benchmark Brent crude contract hitting more than $126 a barrel at one point. It ​later slipped back to around $114.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Thursday evening that it was not reasonable to expect quick results from US talks, according to the official ⁠IRNA news agency.

"Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic," he was quoted as saying.

Air defence activity was heard in some areas of Iran's capital, Tehran, late on ​Thursday, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported, and the Tasnim news agency said air defences were engaging small drones and unmanned surveillance aerial vehicles.

On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates said it had banned its citizens from travelling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged ​those currently in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments.

Trump reiterated to reporters on Thursday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and that the price of gasoline - a key concern for his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections - would "drop like a rock" as soon as the war ended.

While repeating allegations of serious rights violations by Iran, Trump said he was "OK" with it playing in the upcoming soccer World Cup in the United States, after FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted the country would take part.