Iran warns of 'long and painful strikes' as Strait of Hormuz stays shut

IN BRIEF

• Iran said it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway. READ MORE BELOW

• Air defenses were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran after they were activated for about 20 minutes to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported. 

• US President Donald Trump's administration faced a looming midnight deadline to secure congressional authorization for the war against Iran, setting up a clash between the White House and Congress. The Trump administration argued that the 60-day clock to seek authorization was effectively paused by a ceasefire announced last month.

• The US embassy in Lebanon called for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least 15 people despite an ongoing ceasefire. READ MORE BELOW

• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the "continuing Israeli violations" in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring "despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day."

• UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm over the worsening global economic impacts of the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed due to the Iran war. The closure of the vital waterway is "strangling the global economy," the secretary-general warned.

• Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed his country's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz would ensure a future without US presence in the area, in a post on X to mark the national Persian Gulf day. 

• Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with the US crude benchmark Brent for June delivery spiking more than 7% to $126.41, while West Texas Intermediate was up 3.4% to $110.31.

• The world is facing a "major energy and economic challenge" as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told a meeting on the energy transition in Paris.

• US President Donald Trump said the United States was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's refusal to join Washington's war against Iran - a force estimated between 35,000 and 50,000 troops.

• President Trump said he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war. "Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible," he said.

• Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country may soon have to "act again" against Iran, to ensure the Islamic republic "does not once again become a threat to Israel."

• The United Arab Emirates said it had banned its citizens from travelling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged those currently in those countries to leave immediately and return home, citing regional developments.

IN DETAIL 

US-Iran talks: Not 'realistic' to expect quick results

Iran said it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if Washington renewed attacks and restated its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.

Two months into the US-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.

Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse, with a ceasefire in place since April 8 but Iran still blocking the strait in response to a US naval blockade of Iran's oil exports, Tehran's economic lifeline.

US President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict, a US official told reporters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said it was not reasonable to expect quick results from US talks, according to the official IRNA news agency.

"Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic," he was quoted as saying.

'Number of killed and wounded rises day after day' in Lebanon

Lebanon's health ministry said six people were killed in an Israeli strike on the village of Zebdine, raising the number of people killed in raids on the country's south on Thursday to at least 15.

The state-run National News Agency said an Israeli drone targeted the group in Zebdine "while they were gathered near the village's cemetery."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the "continuing Israeli violations" in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring "despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day."

"Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defense, and humanitarian health and relief organizations," he added.

US President Donald Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam has affirmed that he will continue to work hard to recover every inch of occupied Lebanese territory.

In a post on X on the occasion of Labor Day, Salam added that the government will "continue the hard work to improve your living conditions … and revive the economy in a way that creates new job opportunities, restores stability, and sets the country on the path to genuine recovery."