Trump-Iran latest: US president warns of fresh strikes as Kuwait intercepts missiles from Tehran

Trump-Iran latest: US president warns of fresh strikes as Kuwait intercepts missiles from Tehran Iran’s military accused the US of ‘moving down the path of escalating tensions’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Donald Trump has threatened new strikes against Iran with US officials warning they could take place as soon as this weekend. In a cabinet meeting on Friday, the US president said: “We will be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’” Both countries have resumed direct strikes after a brief true collapsed last month, with negotiations to secure a ceasefire failing to make significant progress. "The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region," said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran's military central command. "Any country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war." Meanwhile, Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted drone threats in its airspace early Saturday morning local time, a defence ministry spokesperson said. The attacks, which Kuwaiti authorities said were “Iranian aggression,” struck a government facility in the northern part of the country. In other Middle East news, Mr Trump has said Israel is "very happy" with the agreement reached by the Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza. Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over his criticism of Israel on US trip, says report Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confronted US Vice President JD Vance over his criticism of Israel during a recent trip to America, according to a new report. Netanyahu made his seventh state visit to the US this week to attend the funeral of his close friend Lindsey Graham and had meetings with US President Donald Trump, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vance. The vice president has been the most vocal critic of Israel in the Trump administration and recently accused the country of “trying to kill your way out of solving every single national security problem”. In a one-to-one meeting at Blair House in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed his criticism in a “frank and candid conversation”, an Israeli official told Axios. A US official confirmed the nature of the discussion saying: “The conversation was direct”. Read on... Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over criticism of Israel on US trip, says report Trump considering new strikes on Iran Donald Trump has threatened new strikes against Iran with US officials warning they could take place as soon as this weekend. The scope of those strikes is currently unclear, and officials have warned that they could be called off. In a cabinet meeting on Friday, the US president said: “We will be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’” There were no US strikes on Iran overnight, but Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had struck another two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and Kuwait said it intercepted drones. Watch: Trump offers soundbite to recap US shooting down Iranian missiles ICYMI: Trump claims Board of Peace has reached ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops The parties in the Israel-Hamas war have agreed to a “historic” framework paving the way to rebuild Gaza and remake its government, Donald Trump announced on Thursday. The deal includes the “COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” the US president wrote on Truth Social. Hamas communicated via mediators that it has agreed to the terms of the multi-step road map, US and Board of Peace officials told The Independent. The deal will eventually see the group hand security and political control to an international stabilization force of troops, a newly trained Palestinian police force and a transitional group of technocratic experts overseeing basic services, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the officials said. The Israeli military, meanwhile, will pull back its troops from Gaza in phases, according to Trump. Read on... Trump claims ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision' Analysis: Hamas agreement 'calling Israel's bluff', say experts Chatham House expert and associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Dr Julie Norman told The Independent that Hama’s agreement “calls Israel’s bluff”. “Hamas’s reported agreement to Trump’s disarmament plan essentially calls Israel’s bluff: for the past nine months, Hamas’s refusal to disarm has been held up as the primary obstacle to unlocking other elements of the ceasefire plan, including the entry of the technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and the International Security Force,” she said. “Moreover, it has precluded any discussion of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, with Israel’s control of the Strip only increasing over the same period. “The announcement can shift that dynamic. In reality, it’s unlikely things will change on the ground anytime soon. “The last thing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants going into October’s elections is US pressure to withdraw from Gaza, and it’s likely he will foot-drag any further negotiations as much as possible. “Slow-walking the process also suits Hamas. It’s a pragmatic move by new Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya that keeps the group in the conversation and improves their positioning with the Board of Peace. But they know that actual decommissioning will not be immediate. “Indeed, both actors will likely double down on sequencing priorities that have stymied previous attempts to reach agreements in Gaza: Israel will demand full Hamas disarmament before withdrawal, while Hamas will demand Israeli withdrawal before decommissioning. “The question is if the Board of Peace in general, and Trump in particular, are willing to put the pressure on both parties to move past the current stalemate.” Analysis: Hamas disarmament is not the first time Trump has declared ‘historic’ peace in Gaza - major questions remain The million (if not billion) dollar question right now is: has Donald Trump actually finally made “a monumental step towards lasting peace and security” for Gaza? Will this agreement announced overnight, actually see Israel withdraw from the 40km-long territory they have utterly destroyed? Will Hamas militant group really surrender its weapons? The short answer is: this is a significant announcement. It is a step forward in a process that for 10 months has shuddered to halt, while civilians on the ground continue to be slaughtered and displaced despite a “ceasefire” in place. But the jury is out on whether it will actually go anywhere. Existential sticking points remain. Read on... This is not first time Trump has declared peace in Gaza - and major questions remain US military says it redirected 30 ships during blockade US Central Command has said that it redirected 30 ships, disabled two and boarded two as of Friday while enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports. Strait of Hormuz traffic remains muted Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has remained muted as the Iran war drags on. Just 10 ships passed through the vital oil waterway in the past 24 hours, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments