Iran Live Updates: After Intense U.S. Strikes, Iran Targets Gulf States and Claims Strait is Closed

Key Points:

• President Trump claimed a near-deal with Iran was disrupted by an Iranian drone attack on a commercial ship, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes; Iran denies agreeing to any deal and insists on controlling all shipping through its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
• The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint, with Iran closing it indefinitely after firing warning shots at a merchant vessel, while the U.S. continues military strikes in response, escalating tensions and threatening the fragile cease-fire agreed in June.
• Iran’s internal political landscape is divided between hard-liners opposing concessions to the U.S. and pragmatists favoring negotiations to revive the economy, complicated by the recent death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the uncertain status of his successor.
• The ongoing conflict and threats have unsettled global energy markets, with shipping traffic through the strait at a low and oil prices elevated, while regional countries like Kuwait and the UAE report missile and drone attacks linked to the Iran-U.S. confrontation.
• Despite efforts at negotiation, mutual distrust persists, with both sides exchanging threats and military actions, casting doubt on the prospects for a comprehensive peace deal and the future of Iran’s nuclear program talks.