US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

Iranian authorities confirmed an incident at the Lavan Island oil refinery this morning at 06:30 GMT, according to a statement from the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company.
The company’s statement, relayed through the Mehr news agency, indicated that emergency responders were actively working to contain and extinguish the fire, as well as secure the facility.
Fortunately, the swift evacuation of personnel appears to have prevented any reported injuries at this time.

Despite a temporary ceasefire with Iran, a growing number of US antiwar activists are voicing their discontent with President Donald Trump’s handling of the situation, arguing that a two-week pause on military action does little to alleviate the underlying tensions.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has publicly acknowledged the invaluable assistance provided by China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar in facilitating the ceasefire process. In a social media post on X, Sharif commended these nations for their unwavering support in enabling diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict. He specifically highlighted the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, praising their unwavering commitment to regional peace and stability, which he deemed crucial to Pakistan’s ceasefire endeavors. Sharif also extended his appreciation to the leadership of the United States, crediting them with exceptional strategic vision, prudence, and patience in promoting a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

In a statement on Truth Social, US President Trump declared that Iran’s uranium enrichment activities will be brought to a halt, outlining his administration’s stance on Tehran’s nuclear program ahead of planned talks in Islamabad on Friday. Trump’s assertion came as he expressed confidence in the prospect of a “very productive Regime Change” in Iran, which he claimed his administration has already identified. According to Trump, the US will collaborate with Iran to eliminate all buried nuclear materials, which he referred to as “Nuclear ‘Dust’.” The US president also claimed that the country’s satellite surveillance has been monitoring Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile since the attack on its nuclear facilities last June.

The Kremlin has issued a statement of support for a ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserting that Russia’s goal is to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East through a delicate balance of regional interests.

Russian diplomatic circles are not unanimous in their views, however, with some voices cautioning that the conflict has never been resolvable through military means. They argue that a US-led military operation against Iran would ultimately be remembered as a strategic failure, rather than a triumph. Furthermore, the Iranian crisis has exposed vulnerabilities in the collective defense capabilities of NATO, the EU, and the UK, and it may be premature to speculate about the prospects of US-Iranian negotiations in Pakistan. Moreover, the conflict in the region remains far from over.

Meanwhile, a prevailing narrative, particularly abroad, suggests that Russia has capitalized economically on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and the resulting disruptions to oil and fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, given its status as a leading global oil and fertilizer exporter. Nonetheless, ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure complicate this assessment, making it challenging to determine whether Russia has indeed benefited from the crisis.

In a recent Truth Social update, Trump revealed that the US will be offering Iran a reprieve from sanctions and tariffs. He noted that a significant portion of the 15 key points proposed to bring an end to the conflict have already garnered agreement. As of now, Iran remains silent on Trump’s latest statements.

Despite hinting at a potential long-term peace agreement between the US and Iran on social media, the US president simultaneously issued a stern warning to Tehran’s allies and partners. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that any country supplying military arms to Iran would face a 50% tariff on all US-bound goods, effective immediately, with no exceptions or exemptions allowed.

As a poignant tribute unfolded mere hours before the US and Iran agreed to a temporary two-week truce, Iranians gathered to pay their respects to the 168 lives lost in the devastating US strike on a Minab girls’ school, a tragic casualty of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

In a significant development, Qatar’s cabinet has issued a statement expressing its support for the recently brokered US-Iran ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan, which was announced in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
The statement underscores the imperative of an immediate cessation of all hostile activities and practices that imperil regional stability, compromise state sovereignty, and jeopardize maritime security, freedom of navigation, and international trade.
The cabinet’s statement was made despite ongoing attacks against Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait on Wednesday, mere hours after the ceasefire announcement.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran has confirmed adherence to the directives of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, yet maintains a state of heightened readiness.