Middle East crisis live: Trump claims Iran ‘begging to make a deal’ and has let some tankers through strait as a ‘present’

Key Points:

• Former President Trump reiterated his demand for Iran to permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions, warning that if Iran does not comply, the US will continue military actions unimpeded, asserting American military superiority.
• Trump criticized NATO and specifically mocked the UK’s aircraft carriers as inadequate compared to US capabilities, dismissing Britain's offer to send carriers during the conflict as unnecessary.
• Iran responded to Trump’s 15-point peace proposal via intermediaries, setting conditions including an end to aggression, reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and guarantees against future wars, while expressing skepticism about US intentions.
• Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least five people amid ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, which has launched rocket attacks into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
• Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement declared readiness to strike the Red Sea, potentially targeting the Bab al-Mandab Strait to support Iran, which could escalate the regional conflict and disrupt global oil and maritime traffic.