Iran and United States ‘far’ from deal as ships in Strait of Hormuz warned they will be targeted if they attempt to cross: live updates

The US military is reportedly deploying sea drones and other technology to search for mines in the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to restore commercial shipping through the key waterway.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a US defence official said the operation is using a mix of “manned and unmanned capabilities in the countermine operation”.

Military analysts told the newspaper that initial mine-sweeping could be carried out quickly, with further “sea robots” then deployed to destroy any ordnance discovered.

Former US vice admiral Kevin Donegan said:

You can get a small channel in that area surveyed in days not weeks using Unmanned Underwater Vehicles.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard-linked Tasnim News Agency has claimed two more oil tankers were turned back from the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

According to Tasnim, the vessels – sailing under the flags of Botswana and Angola – attempted to pass through the narrow waterway but were “forced to change course and retreat” following what it described as “timely action” by Iranian armed forces.

The move comes after Tehran announced the strait would remain closed until the United States lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, further tightening pressure on one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has insisted Tehran is not seeking war, saying the country is acting purely in self-defence following attacks he blames on the US and Israel.

He accused both nations of striking civilian infrastructure, branding the actions a breach of international law and pointing to what he described as double standards on human rights.

We have not attacked any country, and in the current situation we do not intend to attack any party, and we are simply defending ourselves legitimately.

It should not be suggested that Iran is seeking war. On the contrary, we are peace-loving and what we are doing is legitimate self-defence. Just as every human being reacts to aggression, a nation also defends itself against attack.

UN secretary-general António Guterres has condemned a deadly attack on peacekeepers in southern Lebanon that left one French soldier dead and three others wounded.

In a statement relayed by spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, the UN chief denounced the attack after troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under small-arms fire on Saturday morning.

Two of the injured were said to be in a serious condition.

Emmanuel Macron and UNIFIL both pointed the finger at Hezbollah, although the group has denied any involvement.

Iran has arrested dozens of people accused of spying for the US and Israel, according to officials.

The country’s intelligence agency said it had dismantled “espionage and sabotage networks” allegedly linked to the United States, Israel and the UK in Kerman.

A total of 51 individuals were detained on suspicion of “intelligence gathering, armed organisation and inciting unrest”, authorities claimed.

Officials added that “several spy cells and related groups were also identified and neutralised” as part of the operation.

Iran has flatly ruled out handing over its enriched uranium to the United States, directly contradicting claims made by Donald Trump.

Deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said that any such proposal is off the table, despite Trump suggesting on Friday that Washington would work with Tehran to bring the material back to the US.

I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States. This is non-starter and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are nonstarters.

In the same interview, he also accused the US of refusing to soften its stance in ongoing tensions, adding:

We are still not there yet to move on to an actual meeting because there are issues that the Americans have not yet abandoned their maximalist position.

Anyone who publicly doubts the actions or opinions of President Trump is swiftly accused of being mad. ‘You have Trump Derangement Syndrome,’ I am often told by Mr Trump’s many hyped-up supporters.

Mr Trump himself has descended to this level. In December 2025, he posted on Truth Social about the violent death of one of his prominent critics, Hollywood director Rob Reiner, saying

Mr Reiner died due to ‘his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome’ (he wrote the last three words in block capitals). He described TDS as a ‘raging obsession’ and ‘paranoia.’

Read more here.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has hit out at Donald Trump over attempts to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking in comments carried by the state-linked Iranian Student News Agency and reported by Reuters, Pezeshkian questioned Trump’s authority to limit Iran’s nuclear rights.

He said:

Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?

Fresh uncertainty surrounds efforts to de-escalate tensions, after Iran signalled that no date has been set for a second round of peace talks.

Security has meanwhile been stepped up in Islamabad, with additional police deployed and checkpoints erected across the capital this morning – though the measures stop short of the extensive lockdown seen last weekend.

Shipping chaos continues in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz after Iranian gunboats opened fire on merchant vessels yesterday.

Iranian authorities shut down traffic just hours after briefly reopening the narrow waterway, as tensions escalated and Tehran demanded the US lift its naval blockade on key ports.

The disruption has left fleets stranded across the Middle East Gulf, with Lloyd’s List reporting that most shipowners are now retreating to previous positions amid growing fears for safety.

Movement through the strait remains at a standstill after radio warnings declared the route back under “strict management and control by the Iranian armed forces.”

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has claimed Donald Trump was effectively “pulled” into a conflict with Iran by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking at a fundraising event on Saturday, Harris told supporters: “He entered a war, got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu – let us be clear about that – entered a war that the American people do not want, putting at risk American service members.”

Trump has not directly responded to Harris’s remarks. However, he did take to social media to praise Israel, describing it as a “great ally” of the United States.

In his post, he wrote: “Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America. They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN!”