'Acting in self-defence': FM Araghchi says strikes will continue against sites 'used' in attacks on Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran would continue military strikes against sites allegedly used in attacks on Iran, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) fired missiles on Kuwait and Bahrain.

“Our armed forces are conducting self-defence strikes on sites the US is permitted to use to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

“Any hostile act will be met with an immediate, decisive response. What sanctions and war failed to achieve won’t be won with more war,” he added.

The remarks came in response to comments by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who praised the cooperation of Washington’s regional allies, including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

“I think our allies in the region have been very cooperative — some, obviously, very aggressively cooperative, like the UAE, for example. Kuwait’s been fantastic in this part,” Rubio said.

The IRGC on Wednesday said it attacked a US base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, in retaliation for a US overnight attack on its communications tower on southern Qeshm Island.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "alarmed" by the reported overnight exchange of fire between the US and Iran, as well as reports that Iran has targeted Kuwait and Bahrain, his spokesperson said.

"The secretary general is alarmed by the reported exchange of fire overnight between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also by reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran has targeted Kuwait and Bahrain," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference.

Dujarric said Guterres is "deeply troubled by the reports of civilian casualties" and urged all sides to show restraint.

"He calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation that risks to undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts," he said.

The spokesperson stressed that Guterres "condemns all attacks on civilian infrastructure" and noted that international humanitarian law "strictly prohibits the targeting of civilian objects".

Expressing backing for mediation, Dujarric said, "The secretary general reaffirms his full support for all ongoing mediation efforts, including those led by Pakistan, and urges all parties to engage constructively and in good faith with diplomatic initiatives."

Trump says Iran has agreed to not have a nuclear weapon

US President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that he would probably meet with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei at some point if things "work out".

"They've already agreed they're not going to have a nuclear weapon," Trump told New York Post's "Pod Force One" in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, while speaking about Iran.

Asked about Khamenei's involvement in talks with the US on ending hostilities, Trump said, "He's involved, absolutely. ... I think they have a lot of respect for him."

Additionally, Trump rejected the idea that Iran holds the upper hand in the conflict. “Iran has no navy. They have no air force. They have very few soldiers. They have no leadership, no leadership,” he said.

“Their economy is crashing. They have 250% inflation. They have everything that you can have that’s bad.”

On the Strait of Hormuz blockade, Trump said he did not expect it to remain for much longer. “I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” he said, adding the US is having “a very great success in Iran militarily”.

Trump said he was hearing Iran's leader was not doing too well but was giving his approval during the negotiations. Trump added that he had not had "the privilege of meeting" Khamenei.

"I'd like to meet him. We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out," Trump said.

The US president said he viewed the Iran war as a success because the country's military had been defeated.

"Iran's a big success," Trump said in the interview. "We'll see what happens. We're going to, we're working on a deal, and that happens fine. If it doesn't happen, that's OK too. We'll do it the other way."

He did not specify what that might mean, but has said in the past that the US would resume strikes.

Trump also said he was “perturbed” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance of "constantly fighting" with Lebanon.

Commenting on Axios reports of a heated phone call with Netanyahu on Monday, Trump said he told the Israeli premier that "at some point ... Bibi we gotta stop this."

“I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” he said, but added that the two have a “very good relationship.”

“We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi (Netanyahu) a lot. And I work very well with him. I'm a wartime president, he's a wartime prime minister, very important part of the world,” he said.

Citing Iran's nuclear program, Trump said there would be no Israel if it weren't for him, and he rejected suggestions that Netanyahu manipulated him into launching the war on Iran, saying the decision was entirely his own, as per Al Jazeera.

“He tricked me? I’m the one that started it,” Trump said, adding he acted because “we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon”.

Trump attributed the claims to political opponents. “They’re just the Dumbocrats. These are people that don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

The US president said his concern over Iran’s nuclear programme dated back to his first term when he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under the administration of President Barack Obama.

“Now that pertains Israel, because they probably would have been the first one to get hit, there would be no Israel … If there wasn't me, there would be no Israel right now,” he said.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump brushed off criticism of his unpredictable approach in handling the Iran conflict, saying his positions change as facts on the ground shift.

“It’s good if they’re confused, and the Iranians are confused,” Trump said during the interview.

“But no, it’s just the way I am. It changes. I could leave here, I could give you an answer, and then in 20 minutes go into the Oval Office and I’ll realise my answer is now incorrect. Facts change and things change quickly.”

The US president described the war on Iran as a deliberate choice he could not delay.

“I couldn’t, I know because this is too important. If I did that, they would have had a nuclear weapon. They would have had a nuclear weapon two weeks after the B-2 bomber struck. So if I did that, they would have had a nuclear weapon.”

Trump described the unprovoked attack as a necessary “excursion”. “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon; lots of other good things are going to happen.”

Iran said Kuwait and Bahrain bear responsibility for US attacks, vows self-defence

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned on Wednesday what it described as US attacks on an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a telecommunications tower on Qeshm Island, saying they violated a ceasefire understanding and international law.

The ministry said Kuwait and Bahrain bore "direct and clear responsibility" for the attacks, alleging their territory and facilities had been used to support US military operations against Iran.

Tehran said it reserved the right to self-defence and would use all available means to respond, including by targeting the source of any future attacks.

Iran blames ‘American-Zionist aggressors’ for Gulf turmoil

Iran has accused the US “terrorist army” of stoking Gulf tensions by attacking a commercial vessel and a communications tower while warning nations that allow their territory to be used to launch strikes, according to Al Jazeera.

“Any country that permits aggressor parties to use its territorial, maritime, or airspace, or the facilities and bases located within its territory to carry out or support military aggression against Iran is in clear violation of the fundamental rules of international law and the principle of good neighbourliness,” the Fars news agency cited a Foreign Ministry statement as saying.

“It is self-evident that the responsibility for the consequences of this situation lies with the American-Zionist aggressors and the parties that assist them in their aggressive acts against Iran by providing their territory and resources.”

Iran will not allow US to overreach in negotiations, senior official warns

Iran will not allow the US to overreach in negotiations or the ceasefire process, a senior Iranian official said, according to Al Jazeera.

“The response to every shot and aggression will be a barrage of missiles and drones,” Mohsen Rezaee, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and former IRGC commander, said in a post on X. “History will not turn back, and the aggressor will be swiftly punished.”

“Neither in negotiations nor in the ceasefire process will we allow America to overreach,” Rezaee added.

Kuwait International Airport hit by Iranian drones, causing injuries, ‘significant’ damage

Kuwait International Airport was hit by Iranian drones on Wednesday, causing damage and injuries, according to a Defence Ministry statement, prompting authorities to suspend and divert flights "until further notice."

The “hostile” drones struck the airport’s main passenger terminal (T1), resulting in “significant” damage to the building and injuring a number of people, who received medical treatment, Defence Ministry spokesman Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said in a statement.

He added that the Kuwaiti Armed Forces “are monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant authorities and remain on full alert to respond to any developments.”

Separately, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced the activation of an emergency plan at the airport after the incident.

Early Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that attacks targeting US bases in Kuwait were launched after an American strike on Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

Kuwait said 1 killed in Iranian attacks, retains ‘full right’ to respond

Kuwait said on Wednesday that Iranian strikes killed one person, injured several others and damaged key facilities, including diplomatic missions, stressing it “reserves the right” to respond to the attacks.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Iran's "brutal and continued attacks" using ballistic missiles and drones, saying the latest strikes early Wednesday targeted “civilian and vital” facilities, including Kuwait International Airport.

The ministry said the attacks resulted in one death, multiple injuries and damage to critical infrastructure, including diplomatic missions.

The statement said Kuwait retains its "full and inherent right" to take appropriate measures in response to the attacks “in accordance with international law.”

63 injured in Iranian attack on Kuwait airport, said health ministry

Kuwait’s health ministry said 63 people were injured in today’s Iranian drone and missile strikes that hit a terminal at Kuwait International Airport, according to Al Jazeera.

Seven “major emergency” surgeries were performed, it added.

The attack early this morning killed one person and damaged vital facilities at the airport and diplomatic missions.

Kuwait airport resumes flights after halting operations due to Iran strikes

Kuwait International Airport said it has resumed Kuwait Airways flights from Terminal 4 after suspending them following Iran’s drone and missile strikes, according to Al Jazeera.

The move comes “following the completion of the technical teams and competent authorities’ assessment of the damages and taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of operational processes”, the official Kuna news agency reported.

One person was killed and an unspecified number of other people were wounded in the attacks, which Tehran said were in response to US strikes on a commercial vessel and a communications tower.

Qatar condemns Iranian attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain

Qatar has condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, saying the strikes that damaged Kuwait International Airport and caused injuries violate international law, according to Al Jazeera​​​​​​.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X carried by the Qatar News Agency that the attacks breached the 1949 Geneva Conventions and principles of international humanitarian law, including prohibitions on targeting civilians and civilian objects.

Qatar rejected the targeting of civilian infrastructure and called for de-escalation.

The ministry expressed solidarity with Kuwait and Bahrain and support for the measures they are taking to preserve their sovereignty and security. It also wished for a speedy recovery for the wounded.

Saudi foreign minister receives Qatari PM call amid Gulf tensions

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has received a phone call from Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

The two officials discussed the latest developments in the region, according to a ministry statement posted on X

The call followed Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iran armed forces vow to fight ‘to the death’ on Khomeini death anniversary

Iran’s armed forces have issued a statement marking the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the Khordad 15 uprising, vowing to defend the Islamic Revolution against what it called US and Israeli aggression, according to state broadcaster IRIB, as per Al Jazeera.

The joint statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said recent US and Israeli actions had “revealed to the world the true face of the false claimants of human rights,” citing the killing of more than 170 in a strike on a school in Minab as among “hundreds of crimes.”

“The Iranian nation will not retreat in the face of threats and aggression,” the statement said, adding that the armed forces would defend the ideals of the Islamic Revolution “to the death.”

The statement said Washington and Tel Aviv “will have no choice but to surrender before the divine will of the armed forces and the enlightened and aware nation,” and called on Iranians to rally behind what it described as the unity of national leadership.

The anniversary of Khomeini’s death on June 3 coincides with the Khordad 15 uprising in 1963, commemorated annually as a foundational moment of the Islamic Revolution.

China urges US, Iran to ‘honor’ ceasefire amid ‘renewed warfare’

China on Wednesday called on the US and Iran to “honor” the ceasefire, urging the warring sides against “renewed warfare.”

“China is deeply concerned over the current situation,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

The statement from the Chinese government came after the US said it conducted strikes on Qeshm Island in “response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East.”

It added that the US army and its partner military forces intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones.

Kuwait also said its air defense systems responded to "hostile" missile and drone attacks in the early hours of Wednesday.

Mao said the “renewed warfare serves no one's interest.”

“We hope relevant parties can cherish the opportunities of peace, honor ceasefire commitment and keep momentum of negotiation, stick to dispute settlement through political and diplomatic means, and realize a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire at an early date and create necessary conditions for the restoration of peace and tranquility in the Middle East,” she added.

Iran will negotiate but does not trust US promises, deputy parliament speaker says

Iran will negotiate if necessary, but does not trust any promises made by the United States, a senior Iranian parliament official has said, according to Al Jazeera.

“It is not correct to say that we only fight and do not negotiate,” deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mojtaba Nikzad, said, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

Nikzad dismissed what he called foreign media claims of famine or war-related disruption in Iran. At the height of the conflict, he said, 7 million people were displaced, many moving to the north of the country, but none faced problems securing basic goods, bread, or housing due to government management.

“The red lines that the supreme leader intends are on the agenda,” Nikzad said via Tasnim. “We will negotiate if necessary, but we do not trust any promises from the Americans. They committed crimes against us in the most brutal way possible.”

As evidence of US crimes, he cited missile strikes on a tower to kill two nuclear scientists, as well as the February 2026 attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Hormozgan Province. Iranian officials say that attack killed more than 170 students, teachers, and staff.

The head of the Judiciary, speaking separately, said there was no disagreement among Iranian officials regarding not yielding an inch to the enemy, Tasnim reported.

Iranian lawmaker calls for stronger military response against US

Esmail Kowsari, a hardline Iranian lawmaker, has called for Iran’s armed forces to confront the US “much more strongly”, saying Americans “understand nothing except the language of force and power”, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, as per Al Jazeera.

Kowsari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, made the remarks in response to an IRGC statement calling for intensified responses to what it described as hostile US actions.

Bahrain said it intercepted, destroyed 3 Iranian missiles, several drones

Bahrain's Defence Force said on Wednesday it intercepted and destroyed three Iranian missiles and a number of drones that were targeting “civilian” sites in the kingdom.

In a statement, the Defence Force accused Iran of continuing its "hostile approach" through missile and drone attacks aimed at “civilian” facilities in Bahrain.

The statement urged residents to exercise caution and avoid approaching or touching any suspicious objects or debris resulting from the attacks.

It also called on the public to immediately report any such findings to authorities.

No immediate information was provided regarding casualties or damage resulting from the attacks.

Hostilities flare in US-Israel war on Iran, oil jumps with talks at a stalemate

Gulf hostilities flared again on Wednesday, with an Iranian missile attack damaging Kuwait's airport and the US military carrying out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showed little progress.

The latest flare-up, which sent oil prices up more than 1%, comes with the conflict stalemated in a shaky ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, more than three months after initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Flights at Kuwait International Airport were suspended and diverted elsewhere until further notice, the state news agency said, citing aviation authorities, after an Iranian drone and missile attack on its T1 building.

The attack caused injuries and severely damaged some airport facilities, it added, but gave no further details.

Earlier, the US Central Command said two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke up in flight, while several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed and three missiles heading for Bahrain were intercepted.

Since the conflict began, Iran has repeatedly attacked targets in the Gulf region home to US military bases.

Central Command said the US military also downed Iranian drones targeting civilian ships in regional waters and US forces in Kuwait, and carried out strikes on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz following attempted attacks by Iran.

Read: Competing narratives define US-Iran talks

According to Iranian state media, the country's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) attacked the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, located in Bahrain, as well as an airbase and helicopters in an unspecified regional ​country using missiles and drones in response to what the IRGC described as a US attack on a communications tower south of Qeshm.

Central Command said all ⁠the attacks failed and that US forces remained ready to repel "unwarranted Iranian aggression."

The latest flare-up, which lifted oil prices by more than 1% in early trade on Wednesday, comes more than three months after the initial ​US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with the conflict mired in a stalemate under a shaky ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz largely closed to maritime traffic.

Iran and the US said last week that they ​had reached a tentative initial agreement to halt the war. But the two sides have yet to sign off on the deal.

Iranian media reported that Tehran has not communicated with Washington for several days, but US President Donald Trump said negotiations have not stopped.

"The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today," he said in a social media post.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said retaliatory strikes ‘should serve as a lesson’ for US

The IRGC’s public relations department released a statement saying that “Late last night, the aggressive US military struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz with an aerial projectile, causing damage to the tanker’s engine room,” according to Al Jazeera.

“In response to this act of aggression and the violation of regulations governing the Strait of Hormuz, a vessel belonging to the American-Zionist enemy, named Panaya, was targeted by missiles launched by the IRGC Navy.”

It said the US military then targeted an IRGC communications tower on Qeshm Island.

“In response, the IRGC Aerospace Force carried out missile and drone strikes against their air and helicopter base located in one of the countries of the region, as well as against the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet,” the statement added.

“We had previously warned that any act of aggression would be met with a different and more severe response, and we have acted accordingly. These responses should serve as a lesson. We reiterate that disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the aggressive US military.”

Discussions on nuclear program

Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly ​said he is close to a deal that would end the fighting and allow negotiators to tackle thorny issues including the future of Iran's nuclear program.

Trump has said stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is ​his top priority. Iran denies it is developing a nuclear bomb and said its atomic program is for peaceful purposes.

Tehran is seeking access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, waivers on crude exports, a lifting of a US blockade on its ports, and continued leverage over the strait, which handled a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas traffic before the war.

Read more: US-Iran conversations ongoing 'continuously': Trump

Iranian media said the IRGC's navy targeted a vessel it identified as "Panaya" with missiles in response to what it said was a US attack on an Iranian tanker near Hormuz.

"Disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the US military," Iranian media cited the IRGC as saying.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would agree to sanctions relief only if Iran agrees to give up its nuclear activity.

Rubio declared, "The war is over," during a ​sharp exchange with Democratic Senator Cory Booker of ​New Jersey, who disagreed.

Israel issues more forced displacement orders for southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has ordered more forced displacements in southern Lebanon as it expands its ground invasion, according to Al Jazeera.

People living in Sidon, Mazra’at Kawkariya al-Riz and al-Zarariya must leave their homes “immediately” and move north of the Zahrani River, a military spokesperson said in a post on X.

The spokesperson blamed Hezbollah for violating an April ceasefire and attacking northern Israel, telling residents Israel’s military was “compelled to act against it forcefully, especially in your areas”.

Israel has also violated the ceasefire daily.

“Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and their combat means endangers their life,” the military spokesperson wrote.

Israel relentlessly strikes Lebanon

The war that began because of US-Israeli strikes on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, while also causing global economic pain by pushing up energy prices.

It also triggered the latest round of conflict between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah, with Israel pursuing its deepest invasion into Lebanon in 25 years, killing many civilians including women and children.

On Tuesday, ​Israel kept up strikes on a string of towns in southern Lebanon which hit civilians and civilian infrastructure, Lebanese security sources said, despite a US-mediated partial ceasefire announced on Monday.

The announcement failed ​to reassure many Lebanese, 1.2 million ⁠of whom have been displaced, and an Israeli drone over Beirut kept residents on edge on Tuesday.

"Every time we return to our homes, there is a warning for us to be displaced again," said Faten Al Chehime, who fled to a displacement camp from her home in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, only two weeks after returning there.

At sea, the world's largest shipping group MSC said on Tuesday that one of its vessels was struck ⁠by two projectiles ​while in Iraq's Umm Qasr port the previous day.

The IRGC said it attacked in retaliation for a US ​attack on an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

The wide-reaching impact of the crisis was laid bare by UN children's agency UNICEF, which said surging transport costs and supply chain disruptions were hindering life-saving aid for Gaza, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, ​Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and elsewhere.

Iranian, Saudi FM discuss regional de-escalation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone conversation on Tuesday to discuss the latest diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in West Asia.

On Tuesday, the two officials exchanged views on regional developments and ongoing initiatives to promote stability and de-escalation, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency reported.