Iran-US war latest: Two more drones downed over Strait of Hormuz as Trump claims he ‘destroyed’ Tehran’s military – UK Times

Good morning. We’re continuing our live coverage of the US-Iran conflict – here’s everything you need to know:

• US Central Command said American forces shot down two more Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz late on Saturday

• It followed strikes from the US on Iranian coastal radar sites, which it said was in retaliation to earlier drones launched at Hormuz

• The US is set to use seized Iranian assets to fund the billions in damage inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, a source has told Reuters

• Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi has touched down in Tehran to mediate a fresh round of talks

• The Iran Football Federation is accusing the United States of “vindictive behavior” over the refusal of visas for managerial and administrative members of its World Cup traveling party

In a post on X late on Saturday, US Central Command said American forces shot down two more Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

It came at the end of a day in which a fragile ceasefire between the ​US and ⁠Iran was again tested by a number of strikes carried out by both sides.

The Centcom statement read: “Earlier today, US forces in the Middle East shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

“American forces remain postured and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression.”

Etihad Airways is ordering more wide-body planes as the Middle East carrier expects to be flying about 8 per cent more than a year ago by 15 June, CEO Antonoaldo Neves told Reuters.

He said on the sidelines of a ⁠global gathering of airline CEOs ​in ⁠Brazil on Saturday ‌that the Abu Dhabi carrier is buying wide-body planes in ‌the double digits, ‌declining to specify further.

Etihad is restoring flights after making cuts in March as the US-Israeli war on Iran turned regional, raising fuel prices, Neves said. He said Etihad does not plan to trim costs by cutting flights at ‌the moment.

“The biggest cost we have is an empty plane,” he said. “So the way I cut cost is I don’t haveempty planes.”

US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, further complicating efforts to end the war.

A US official said the military believed the four Iranian drones were targeting maritime traffic. Centcom said US forces then attacked Iranian surveillance sites in Goruk and Qeshm island.

Iran’s foreign ministry accused the US of breaking the ceasefire agreement, adding that recent violations showed Washington had no intention of de-escalating.

It also threatened that the United States would bear responsibility for the consequences of its “illegal actions”.

Iran’s IRGC said they had attacked US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to US strikes, and fired at four tankers trying to cross the Strait without permission.

Kuwait’s army said on Saturday it engaged seven ballistic missiles that passed over residential areas, resulting in material damage but no casualties. In Bahrain, sirens sounded and residents were urged to seek shelter.

Iran said on Saturday that reported explosions on Kharg Island were linked to controlled ammunition detonations.

Similar announcements have been made in recent weeks, as the US resumes operations targeting infrastructure on other islands other islands.

Centcom said separately on Saturday that US forces had attacked Iranian surveillance sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island.

Here’s what to know about the strategically important Kharg Island:

When Donald Trump warned that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’, millions of Iranians feared the worst, says Camelia Entekhabifard.

As an American Democrat who voted for him, I found myself questioning whether the anti-war candidate I supported had lost his way:

Benjamin Netanyahu has long portrayed himself to the Israeli public as being uniquely adept in dealing with Donald Trump, capable of winning and sustaining the president’s backing.

But an acrimonious phone call this week where the president called the prime minister “f***ing crazy”, first leaked to the media and later publicly confirmed by Trump himself, laid bare the strains that have at times emerged between the two leaders.

​Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that the ⁠UN nuclear watchdog should avoid turning technical reports into “tools ⁠of political pressure” ​if ⁠it wanted to contribute ⁠to a diplomatic ​solution.

He ⁠said that ‌the loss of the agency’s oversight ‌at some facilities resulted ‌from the attacks rather than a ⁠lack of cooperation by Iran, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency was using the consequences ‌of US and ​Israeli strikes ‌on Iranian nuclear ⁠sites to create “ambiguity” ⁠about Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The Iran Football Federation is accusing the United States of “vindictive behavior” over the refusal of visas for managerial and administrative members of its World Cup traveling party.

IFF said 14 officials and staffers have been refused visas prior to upcoming matches in Inglewood, California, and Seattle. The list includes the federation’s vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi and secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini.

According to the IFF, the visa denials have “effectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination.”

The Iran squad has been preparing for the World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, and was set to fly to Mexico on Saturday. The team said it has received its visas from the Mexico Embassy in Antalya.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that the Iranian traveling party would be watched closely for people with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.