Middle East crisis live: Trump orders US to ‘shoot and kill’ boats laying mines in Hormuz strait; Israel-Lebanon truce extended
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- The US has offered a $10 million reward for information on Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, leader of the Iran-backed Shia militia Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) in Iraq, labeling the group as terrorist and accusing it of attacks on Iraqi civilians and US forces.
- The US and Israel are intensifying efforts to target Iran’s network of militant groups in the Middle East, with Iraq becoming a significant front in this covert confrontation involving Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- Asian stock markets mostly declined and oil prices rose amid ongoing US-Iran tensions, with Brent crude oil prices reaching over $107 per barrel before settling near $99, reflecting stalled talks to end the conflict.
- US President Donald Trump ordered military action against small Iranian boats deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and claimed US forces are clearing mines there, while also announcing a three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
- The conflict has escalated with international outrage over Israel’s killing of a Lebanese journalist, Iran denying internal leadership divisions, and calls from global figures like Pope Leo XIV urging renewed peace talks and a move away from violence.
