Iran-US war latest: US forces fire at ship ‘running Hormuz blockade’ while Israel intensifies war in Lebanon
US forces attacked a cargo ship they claimed was attempting to breach their naval blockade of Iran on Saturday.
Centcom said Lian Star ignored over 20 warnings before its forces struck the Gambia-flagged vessel’s engine room with a missile, stranding it in the Gulf of Oman.
In Lebanon, Israeli troops pushed beyond the Litani river and seized the Crusader-era Beaufort fortress in their deepest invasion of the neighbouring country in over 25 years. The military said it was prepared “to expand the operation if needed”.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, renewed criticism of Pope Leo for his stance on the US-Israeli war against Iran. “Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!” he wrote on Truth Social.
The pope responded: “If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully.”
In Iran, a senior official accused Trump of “betraying diplomacy for the third time”. Mohsen Rezaei pointed at the continuing naval blockade and what he called the president’s excessive demands in negotiations as he blamed the White House for failure to reach a peace deal.
