President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire,initial U.S.-Iran talksin Pakistan in April failed to reach a peace deal.
Trump later announced the open-ended extension of the ceasefire and the continuation of a U.S. blockade until negotiations are concluded "one way or the other."
A bulk carrier ship was struck by an "unknown projectile" in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Doha, Qatar, according to U.K. Marine Trade Operations, a maritime monitoring organization."The Master of a Bulk Carrier reports being hit by an unknown projectile," UKMTO said ina warningposted early on Sunday. "There was a small fire that has been extinguished, there are no casualties."The ship, which was not identified by UKMTO, was about 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha when it was struck, the organization said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Saturday with Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister of the Gulf country, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.The readout says only that the pair discussed "Qatar's partnership on a range of issues."
Ina post on X, Rubio confirmed the meeting, writing that the two officials met to "discuss U.S. support for Qatar’s defense." Rubio's post added: "Our partnership is important to deterring threats and promoting stability in the Middle East."-ABC News' Chris Boccia
Iranian missiles and drones "are locked on American targets in the region and aggressor enemy ships," Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force Gen. Majid Mousavi said in a short statement on Saturday, Islamic Republic state media reported.Mousavi added that the military is "awaiting the command to fire."In a separate note, the IRGC Navy Command warned in a post on X that any attack on Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels will result in "heavy attack on one of the American centers in the region and enemy ships," the Iranian state media reported.-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
Iranian officials on Saturday denied Reuters' report on a suspected oil spill near Kharg Island, calling the claims "false and part of the enemy’s psychological operations.""No official report has confirmed this issue so far," Musa Ahmadi, chairman of the energy commission of Iran’s parliament, told the semi-official ISNA News Agency on Saturday. "I have followed up on the matter, and official reports have not confirmed it," he added.Responding to claims about damage to Iranian oil reserves and oil leaking into the sea due to the country’s inability to store it, Ahmadi said Iran had adopted "appropriate measures for oil storage and production management."He added that oil production across the country’s fields continues "without any problems.""The stains observed in satellite images around Kharg Island are linked to oil residue and ballast water discharged by tankers," Pourkabgani said, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Saturday.He claimed that a European tanker "had discharged waste into the sea, causing environmental damage," but provided no further details about the vessel.-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
The U.S. Central Command said it redirected 58commercial vessels and disabled four since April 13 as part of its blockade on Iran.
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"The U.S. Naval blockade against Iran continues be to fully enforced," CENTCOM said in aposton X.
The United Kingdom said it is sending a destroyer, the HMS Dragon, to the Middle East in anticipation of the deployment of a future international mission in the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported in a post on X.The destroyer is currently in the Mediterranean, the AFP report added.The U.K. and France said in April they were planning a "peaceful multinational mission" that would ensure safe passage for ships in the strait as a defensive measure. The two countries said it would be separate from the warring parties to the conflict and intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit.
On Wednesday, France deployed its carrier strike group to the Red Sea as part of planning for a potential mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
As the U.S. awaits Iran’s response to its peace proposal, President Donald Trump said Saturday that he "expects to hear very soon" from the Iranians, according to French news outlet TF1 Info.In an interview, Trump also told the outlet "they still very much want to conclude a deal."
President Donald Trump told reporters he was expecting to receive a response on a peace plan from Iran on Friday night but said, "We'll see what happens."Trump made his remarks as he left the White House on Friday evening.Asked if the U.S. had received a response from Iran, Trump said: "We're receiving a letter, supposedly tonight, but we'll see how that goes."
Trump was pressed on Iranian attacks that have persisted in Kurdish areas of Iraq amid the ceasefire, with the president saying that he was focused on getting the entire conflict in the Middle East ended."We want to get the whole thing ended, and we will," he said.-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Michelle Stoddard
The Treasury Departmentannouncedsanctions targeting 10 individuals and companies it claims are "enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons" and providing raw materials for its drone and ballistic missile program.The individuals and companies are based across the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, the department said."Under President Trump's decisive leadership, we will continue to act to Keep America Safe and target foreign individuals and companies providing Iran's military with weapons for use against U.S. forces," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
During the U.S.-Israeli strikes at the beginning of the war, Iran's supreme leader,Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured by a blast wave and suffered injuries to his kneecap, back and the area behind his ear, an Iranian official revealed during a state gathering on Friday, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.This marks the first time an Iranian official has detailed the injuries sustained by the new leader of the Islamic Republic during the opening strikes.
The official -- Mazaher Hosseini, head of visits at the office of the late Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei -- said that Mojtaba Khamenei was going up the stairs at the time and was thrown to the ground by the blast wave.He has recovered from his back injury and his kneecap is expected to heal soon, Hosseini said, adding that the leader is in "perfect health."-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian
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