US-Iran War Live Updates: Iran says no access to damaged sites for IAEA, limited access to two reactors

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not grant International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to bombed or damaged sites, adding that inspections are limited under law to two locations: the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Tehran research reactor.

"We will not grant any privileges beyond the access determined by the Supreme National Security Council. According to the law, determining the level of access is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council, and it has defined the framework," Ghalibaf said. "At present, they only have the right to access in two cases: the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Tehran research reactor. Access has been limited only to these, and we are committed to that," he said.

US resumes some air shipments of dollars to Iraq months after suspending them to pressure Baghdad to distance itself from Iran, The New York Times reported, citing two aides to Iraq’s prime minister.

“The dollar shipments to Iraq have resumed,” Haider al-Aboudi, a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, said, adding that “the problem has been resolved.”

The report said US security cooperation and funding for Iraqi security services remained suspended.

The Trump administration halted the shipments in April, withholding Iraqi funds earned from oil sales as Washington pushed Baghdad to rein in Iran-linked militias and block prime ministerial candidates seen as close to Tehran, the report said.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti is set to travel to Iran to pay final tributes to the country’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after receiving an official invitation to attend his funeral.

Mohseen Qummi, Director of the International Relations Department at the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has extended a formal invitation to Mehbooba to attend the solemn funeral ceremony as a distinguished guest of India.

"It is an immense honour for me and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive this invitation (from Iran). I will travel there to pay my last respects to the supreme leader," the PDP chief told PTI.

In the invitation letter, it was stated that Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28, and in accordance with the national period of mourning and the protocols of the Islamic Republic, a state funeral ceremony would be held in Tehran from July 3 to 6.

US President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been trying to convey to the Iranians that their demand for tolls could blow up a U.S.-Iran deal that would ultimately be far more lucrative for Iran.

The envoys hoped to reach understandings that would allow negotiations between the US and Iranian technical teams to begin. Two regional sources said the meetings went well and paved the way for the technical talks. It's unclear if Witkoff and Kushner had any direct engagement with Iranian officials. The main issues discussed in Doha were the situation in the strait, Iran's frozen assets, and the ceasefire in Lebanon, the sources said.

Vice President JD Vance said that negotiations with Iran in Doha were "going well", while warning that President Donald Trump would not hesitate to use military force again if Tehran resumed its nuclear programme or attacked commercial shipping.

Speaking to reporters before departing aboard Air Force Two after visiting Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia on Wednesday (local time), Vance said negotiators from the United States, Iran, Qatar and other countries were discussing the next steps following recent US military action against Iranian targets.

"Right now the negotiators are sitting down with the Iranians, with the Qataris and with others in Doha," Vance said. "Right now the talks are going well. It's still pretty early, but talks are going well."

President Donald Trump said that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had reached record levels and predicted further declines in oil prices, offering an upbeat assessment of the situation with Iran during a speech in North Dakota.

"Those boats are coming out of the Hormuz Strait. They're coming out by numbers that nobody ever saw. We're setting records actually," Trump said while dedicating the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora on Wednesday (local time).

"The oil is dropping," he said. "I don't give a damn if they're happy or sad, I want the prices to go down. And the oil is dropping like nobody thought possible. But I told you it would. Total control, we have total control of everything."

Trump also briefly referred to Iran while discussing US foreign policy.

"We're actually doing equally as well with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Maybe you've heard of it," he said, without elaborating.

The remarks came as Trump shifted repeatedly between commemorating Theodore Roosevelt and discussing his administration's domestic and foreign policy agenda. He linked lower energy prices to what he described as a broader economic revival.

US Vice President JD Vance says Iran’s nuclear program has been set back decades thanks to American military strikes against it.

Addressing troops at a naval air, Vance said, “If you look at what our own intelligence says about their nuclear program, they are further away from developing a nuclear bomb than they have ever been since basically the last 20 or 30 years.”

“What the president asks you to accomplish is to destroy the defense industrial base of that country, so that if they ever decided to rebuild their military, or if they ever decided to rebuild that nuclear program, they would be harmless to do it. You did that exactly as well,” Vance tells the US troops.

Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday the Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's command, not CENTCOM's," adding that a military meeting in Bahrain cannot establish a legal or security order for the Persian Gulf.

"Hormuz is defined under Iran's command, not Centcom. A military summit in Bahrain cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf," he posted on X. "The region's security will be ensured through the end of interventions and the US withdrawal from the area, respect for countries' sovereignty, and acceptance of new geopolitical realities—not under the military umbrella of America."

Qatari mediators held separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Wednesday, making "positive progress" on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"Qatar & Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the US & Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit," Majed Al Ansari posted on X.

"The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader," he added.

Direct diplomatic discussions in the Qatari capital have centred on the release of a portion of Iran's initially frozen US$6 billion in assets, alongside serious accusations from Tehran regarding American violations of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to IRNA.

The trilateral meetings, which concluded on Wednesday, involved senior Iranian negotiators alongside Qatari and Pakistani mediators. Speaking after the sessions, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, detailed the scope of the high-level diplomatic track.

A primary focus of the separate technical meetings between Iranian and Qatari officials, including representatives from Qatar's Central Bank, was establishing a mechanism to utilise Iran's frozen capital, as per IRNA.

"In meetings with Qatari officials, including the Central Bank, some issues related to the expenditure of part of the initial USD 6 billion were examined, and it was decided that, according to our country's announced needs, the purchase of necessary goods would be carried out and made available to Iran," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister.

The summit also marked the inaugural meeting of a specialised monitoring group comprised of senior negotiators from Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan, tasked with overseeing the execution of the 14-point MoU.

During these sessions, the Iranian delegation formally raised alarms over Washington's compliance with the pact. Specifically, Gharibabadi targeted alleged American infractions regarding regional stability and hostile rhetoric.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has strongly defended Tehran's ongoing indirect negotiations with the United States, firmly rejecting domestic criticism that his administration acted without higher theological approval.

Speaking at a meeting with officials from the Islamic Development Coordination Council's commemoration headquarters, Pezeshkian insisted that all diplomatic manoeuvres have been executed strictly within the Islamic Republic's established decision-making structures and under the strategic guidance of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Addressing mounting accusations from hardline factions that his government bypassed the country's ultimate authority, Pezeshkian clarified that the executive branch operates entirely in tandem with the leadership.

"If the leadership had ordered no negotiations, we would have certainly obeyed. If he had ordered that no meeting or negotiation be held, we would not have held a meeting or negotiated," he said.

Qatar and Pakistan have concluded separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha, with "positive progress" reported on issues related to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to Qatar's foreign ministry official spokesperson.

In a post on X on Thursday, Majed Al Ansari, adviser to Qatar's prime minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the talks built on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit and would continue after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's former Supreme Leader.

US and Iranian negotiators wrapped up another round of indirect talks in Doha on Wednesday without any visible breakthrough toward a permanent peace agreement, instead focusing on implementing commitments made under an interim deal reached two weeks ago.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the two-day negotiations centred on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the release of frozen Iranian funds, two key issues covered under the temporary agreement.

While both sides continued discussions through mediators, there was no indication that they had narrowed differences on broader issues required for a lasting settlement.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran will not allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to access bombed nuclear sites, saying the restriction is mandated by a law passed by parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.

"Talk of IAEA inspectors' access to bombed sites is false," Ghalibaf said during a televised interview with IRIB.

"We ourselves passed a law in the parliament; the Supreme National Security Council has also passed a law. According to this law, access to sites that have been bombed and damaged is not allowed under any circumstances. This is the law," he said.

"We do not grant any privileges beyond the access levels determined by the Supreme National Security Council. According to the law, the Supreme National Security Council is responsible for determining the level of access, and it has also specified its framework," he added.

India successfully negotiated energy disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict due to proactive measures taken by the government and the planning done over the years to build resilience, former BPCL Director (Marketing) Sukhmal Jain has said.

"There were widespread apprehensions of a severe crisis. However, for the past few years, proactive measures have been continuously taken by the oil companies, the Ministry of Petroleum, and the government. Because of this solid groundwork, we were mentally prepared to a large extent when the crisis hit," he told ANI.

"We decided to tackle this on two fronts: managing the supply side and simultaneously controlling the demand side," Jain added

On the supply front, the government coordinated extensively across multiple departments. "Whether it was the Ministry of External Affairs, the Shipping Ministry, or identifying other countries where we could source products, every possible avenue was explored and utilised," he said.

The US Navy is searching for a missing crew member after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea, the US Naval Forces Central Command, also called the US 5th Fleet, said.

In a post on X, the US 5th Fleet said, "On July 1 at 3:30 a.m. ET, the aircrew of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea."

The Navy said, " There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action."

It added that three of the helicopter's four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition. It said, "Three of the helicopter's four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush."

The US Navy said search operations are underway for the remaining crew member, stating, "US Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing."

The Navy added that the cause of the incident is "under investigation".

US and Iranian negotiators held separate talks with Qatari and Pakistani mediators in Doha on Wednesday, with host Qatar saying the discussions made "positive progress" and would continue after Iran's upcoming leadership transition ceremonies.

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said on X that the next round of negotiations would be scheduled "at the earliest possible time" after the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which is set to begin on Saturday in Tehran.

The US delegation was led by President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, while Iran was represented by its chief negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi.

The talks are aimed at resolving key differences and laying the groundwork for a broader agreement between the two countries. However, major sticking points remain, including issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while travelling along a route not approved by Iranian authorities, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday. No further details about the vessel or the incident were immediately released.

A ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while using a route not approved by Iran, state television in Tehran reported Wednesday. The vessel was identified as a foreign container ship, with no other details.

The report appeared aimed at underlining Tehran’s claims to control the strait, which the world has long considered an international waterway. A fifth of all oil and natural gas passed through it in peacetime.

Since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, Iran has used its ability to choke off the waterway as a key source of leverage, disrupting global markets for energy and other critical goods.

The television report came as US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, were in Doha, Qatar, for talks seeking a permanent end to the war. Iran's top negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, traveled to Qatar with a team as well.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that the "denuclearisation" of Iran was going "well", expressing optimism about the diplomatic process with the Islamic Republic despite the absence of Iran from direct high-level negotiations involving senior US officials in Qatar.

Speaking to reporters as he departs for North Dakota to visit the newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Trump said discussions on Iran's nuclear programme had progressed positively following recent military action on the Islamic Republic over strikes on transiting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

"As far as things are going, the denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well. They've had very good meetings, and we'll see. We hit them very hard for three nights. But we're getting along very well. So I call it denuclearisation. It's all taking place. It's all going well," Trump said.

Former Indian envoy to Iran Dinkar P Srivastava on Wednesday hailed the conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, underlining that it came at a crucial juncture, as Iran seeks to rebuild after the conflict and revive its economic ties with India.

He said the timely conversation comes at a time when Iran has just come out of war, and the peace process is fragile.

"Iran needs to recover its market in India in order to finance reconstruction, and India, in turn, depends on energy security for this region. It used to buy oil, and it should again resume that purchase, but India is also interested in freedom of navigation through Hormuz because it also has relations with Arab countries across the Gulf," Srivastava told ANI.

Srivastava underlined the importance for Iran and India to resume old links.

"India can buy Iranian crude oil. Apart from that, we used to buy a lot of urea and LPG, and these are things which we need. This will generate revenue for Iran, and it is also looking for political support from India because India is also the BRICS chair. So it was a very timely conversation and a very positive conversation," Srivastava said.

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the national men's football team following the conclusion of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, saying that "striving and fighting with all your being until the very last moment is more important than victory".

Iran ended their WC campaign with a third-place in Group G, with three draws in three games against Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand, including a brave goalless draw against Belgium, one of the strongest sides of the tournament. Iran's WC campaign was also marked by a lot of controversies.

In a post on X, Masoud wrote, "To the members of our national football team who returned to dear Iran today, I say well done. Striving and fighting with all your being until the very last moment is more important than victory. Scientific work, maintaining morale, a transformative approach, and high motivation are the conditions for victory in the future."

US Central Command has led a "security dialogue" alongside Bahrain's defence forces with military officials from across the Middle East, CENTCOM said on Wednesday.

Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen discussed "enhancing defence collaboration across the region," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the discussions "underscored our shared commitment to regional security and stability."

The US Navy is searching for a missing aircrew member after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.

US Naval Forces Central Command said there was "no indication" the incident was caused by hostile action. Three of the helicopter's four crew members were recovered and are in stable condition aboard the carrier. Search operations are ongoing for the fourth crew member.

US Vice President JD Vance said negotiations with Iran "have gone extremely well" and that the administration is working to ensure progress continues.

"President Trump's instructions are clear: to press ahead to reach an agreement and to negotiate in good faith," Vance said. "We see significant momentum amongst those within the Iranian regime who are seeking to turn a new page."

The remarks come as indirect US-Iran talks continue in Doha, with discussions focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has insisted it will not discuss other issues until control of the strategic waterway is agreed.

US Vice President JD Vance said Washington "has options" if Iran rebuilds its nuclear program, threatens its neighbors or supports terrorism.

“If the Iranians want to rebuild their nuclear program, the president has options,” Vance told troops at Naval Air Station Oceana on Wednesday.

"If the Iranians try to threaten their neighbors or fund terrorism, we've got options," he added.

Vance said that President Donald Trump was negotiating with Iran from a position of strength after the destruction of its nuclear and conventional military capabilities, while defending recent US strikes as targeted and justified.

“We dropped some bombs a couple of days ago. You know why? Because the Iranians were shooting at commercial ships,” Vance said. “So we dropped some bombs. We applied some leverage, and we've had free commercial transit for the last three days.”

Iran's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday that meetings in Doha to follow up on the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding were held with Qatari and Pakistani delegations, without the presence of a US delegation.

Kazem Gharibabadi added that the trilateral meetings focused in particular on Lebanon and the release of Iran's frozen assets.

The remarks come as indirect US-Iran talks continue in the Qatari capital, with discussions focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has said its negotiators will not move to other areas of dispute until Hormuz control is agreed.

No Iranian assets will be released unless the conditions of the memorandum of understanding are met, and any funds released would be used to buy US agricultural products, Israeli outlet i24NEWS reported, citing a US official.

The report comes as Iran and the US continue indirect talks in Doha, with discussions focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's agriculture minister said on Wednesday that Tehran could increase agricultural trade with US companies if they offered favorable terms.

The MoU, signed earlier this month, included provisions on Iran's frozen funds, but Tehran has repeatedly said Washington has failed to fulfill its conditions.

At least three Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli drone attack near Al-Hilu station, home to a private specialty hospital and fuel station, in Gaza City.

This latest Israeli attack increases the death toll to 73,069 killed and 173,514 others wounded since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pushed back against critics of the Lebanon-Israel framework signed last week in Washington, emphasizing the text is "not an agreement."

"Lebanon's problem is with Israel, and it is a sovereign state that decided to negotiate on its own behalf," Lebanon's National News Agency quoted the president as saying. "It has not relinquished its legal, political, or field principles in the framework agreement, as some are claiming."

Speaking to delegations from the Lebanese bar association and economic bodies, the president warned that "discord is forbidden" and discouraged people from taking to the streets.

The framework does not force Israel to withdraw from the large area of southern Lebanon that it continues to occupy, instead referencing a "sequenced process" contingent on the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Iran could increase agricultural trade with US companies if they offered favorable terms, the agriculture minister said, adding there was no obligation to buy from them.

Gholamreza Nouri Qezeljeh told the Student News Network that some agricultural contracts under the previous administration were signed with US companies and paid for using Tehran's blocked funds tied to sanctions.

He said Iran would source needed goods from elsewhere if prices offered by US companies were not suitable.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 4,297 people have been killed and 12,196 others wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2.

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut have persisted despite a ceasefire in place since April 16.

The rising toll comes as tensions remain high across the region, with Israel continuing military operations in Lebanon while also engaged in conflicts in Gaza and Syria.

Vessels are continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz using the Oman-designated route despite Iran's rejection of the lane and warnings to ships crossing outside routes approved by Tehran.

Maritime data reviewed by Al Jazeera showed 21 ships, including oil tankers, have used the Omani route since the first meeting of the joint Iranian-Omani Hormuz committee on June 29. The committee was set up to continue talks on managing navigation in the strait and related services.

Oman announced the shipping transit route last week, saying it coordinated it with the International Maritime Organization to help ensure freedom of navigation through the strait. The route runs near Oman's Musandam Peninsula and offers ships a shorter, no-fee passage during rising tensions in the Gulf.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel's expansionist policy is spreading chaos, instability and destruction across the Middle East, as rhetoric between the two sides intensifies over Israel's military invasions of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

"Netanyahu's expansionist policy is one that supports chaos, instability, war, tears, destruction, and genocide in the region," Fidan said at a press conference in Ankara.

Fidan said Turkey has discussed with allies at every opportunity possible measures to stop Israel from its military push throughout the region.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that a ceasefire in the Middle East was a prerequisite for any discussion about reconstruction in the region.

"As soon as it comes to rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure in the region, then we can discuss everything, but first of all the fighting must stop," Merz told a press conference.

The remarks come as US and Iran continue indirect talks in Doha, with a fragile ceasefire holding after weeks of military escalation around the Strait of Hormuz.

The US president says Iran has “come a long way” as he speaks about the ongoing talks with Tehran.

“We hit them very hard last week,” he said.

Trump added: “The nuclearisation of Iran is very simple, and Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

US President Donald Trump was still pursuing a nuclear deal with Iran even as military plans for an attack were falling into place, according to a new book that offers a detailed account of how diplomacy gave way to strikes on the Islamic Republic.

Regime Change, published this week, portrays a president who continued to believe diplomacy remained possible almost until the operation began. Yet as negotiations stalled, he grew increasingly convinced Iran was vulnerable, repeatedly telling advisers he had "a good feeling" about striking and, according to the authors Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, wanted to "wipe out the regime and figure out the details later."

The book details Trump's final hours of decision-making, with the president weighing diplomatic options against military action. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the US was "getting along very well" with Iran and that recent meetings in Qatar "went well," while also saying "the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said some financial and currency restrictions on Iran have been eased, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Pezeshkian said the continued export of oil, the easing of some financial and foreign-exchange restrictions, and new opportunities for economic cooperation are among the results of Iran's recent agreements.

The remarks come as indirect US-Iran talks continue in Doha, with discussions focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's currency reached an all-time low this year during increased tensions with the West and unrest gripping the country. The US unilaterally abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 and imposed harsh sanctions, triggering a new currency crisis.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States was "getting along very well" with Iran and that recent meetings in Qatar went well.

"The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well," Trump told reporters before leaving for a trip. "They've had very good meetings, and we'll see."

The remarks come as US and Iranian officials continue indirect talks in Doha, with discussions focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz.

A suspicious small craft carrying four people armed with an RPG approached a vessel south of Balhaf, Yemen, on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said.

The vessel's security officer reported minor damage to the bridge. The craft has since departed but remains active in the area and could pose a risk to other vessels, UKMTO said.

The agency said it was continuing to investigate and advised vessels to transit with caution.

The spokesperson for Iran's funeral committee denied reports that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members have been temporarily buried, saying their bodies have been preserved under "religious and legal standards."

Attarzadeh dismissed claims that Khamenei's body had been buried, without providing further details on when or where the funeral would take place.

The denial comes as Iran prepares for the funeral of Khamenei, who was killed in recent strikes, with the Guardian Council urging mass turnout to display national unity.

Shipping unions and companies will continue to designate the Strait of Hormuz as a warlike operations area until at least July 9, following attacks on two ships last week despite a ceasefire between Iran and the US.

"This decision recognises the continuing and significant risk to life and the rapidly evolving situation in the area," the International Transport Workers' Federation and the Joint Negotiating Group said in a joint statement.

The Strait was first designated a warlike operations area on March 5 after ships attempting to cross were attacked. The status will now be reassessed weekly, the statement said.

Under the designation, mariners get double pay and other benefits, increasing costs for shipping companies. At least 14 seafarers have been killed and more than 40 ships attacked since the war began on February 28.

Israel's former army chief Gadi Eisenkot has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making up claims that Iran possessed nuclear weapons to frighten the public, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

"Netanyahu said repugnant things. Iran had no nuclear bombs whatsoever. He is fabricating reality to frighten the Israeli public," Eisenkot, who also heads the opposition Yashar Party, was quoted as saying at a conference in central Israel.

Eisenkot was responding to Netanyahu's comments on Tuesday in an interview with Israel's Channel 14, in which the prime minister said: "I entered Iran twice to save us from annihilation by atomic bombs that were already in their hands."

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any threat against Iran's people and leadership will receive an "immediate powerful response."

The warning comes as tensions remain high in the region following weeks of military escalation between Iran and the US, and ongoing negotiations in Doha.

Araghchi's remarks also follow the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran's calls for national unity ahead of his funeral.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said President Donald Trump has committed the United States to "muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv," warning that if Israel ignores its "master," Iran will "school them."

Araghchi's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, with the US acting as a mediator in the fragile ceasefire negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

The Iranian minister's comments were a sharp reference to Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon, which Iran has repeatedly called on the US to stop.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says Israel could target Iran again “if it deems it necessary” despite ongoing US efforts to pursue diplomacy.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for those killed in the 2006 war in Lebanon, Katz said: “We have attacked twice with proactive, preemptive strikes in Iran and, if necessary, we will strike a third time as well.”

Israeli forces will remain indefinitely in what he called “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza to protect Israeli communities, he added.

Iran's oil industry is prioritizing the rapid sale of crude and emptying storage tanks after production cuts linked to restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, the oil export union spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Hamid Hosseini said there was enough demand for Iranian oil and that exports were unlikely to wait for letters of credit or a full normalisation of banking ties.