US renews strikes on IRGC; Iran vows retaliation as peace, ceasefire stall

Andy Burnham, who is expected to be named Britain’s new prime minister later this month, said the U.K. should increase pressure on Israel over its actions in Gaza, he told The Guardian.

Burnham criticized the British government’s early response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, saying the U.K. was “too slow to call for a ceasefire.”

He said Britain should consider further sanctions on those involved in violence in Gaza, as well as measures targeting trade in goods linked to settlements.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Dozens of Iranian drones and missiles have been intercepted by U.S. and partner forces since last night, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

The official confirmed earlier ABC News reporting that “dozens” of Iranian drones and missiles had been taken down as Iran and the U.S. exchange strikes after President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire all but over amid Iran violations.

The interceptions point to a continued high-tempo defensive effort by U.S. and allied forces as Iran launches waves of aerial threats across the region.

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.

The U.S. military is continuing to help commercial vessels move through the Strait of Hormuz, most with their transponders turned off for security while monitor by U.S. forces, a U.S. official told Fox News.

The U.S. facilitated transits the past few days and will continue to do so and the effort to help commercial shipping get through the Strait of Hormuz has not stopped, despite reports to the contrary, the official added.

“Since early May, U.S. forces have helped facilitate the successful transit of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” a U.S. official told FOX Business earlier Thursday.

Oil prices slid over 1% on Thursday as markets assessed the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran and its implications for efforts to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

About 20% of global oil supplies passed through the strait before the Iran war.

Brent futures LCOc1 fell $1.12, or 1.4%, to $76.90 a barrel at 11:02 a.m. ET, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 fell $1.20, or 1.6%, to $72.32.

WTI closed Wednesday at its highest since June 22.

The U.S. military effort does not amount to a physical escort mission. A U.S. Central Command spokesperson said June 1 that American forces “are not escorting” commercial vessels, but continue to “communicate and coordinate with commercial ships seeking to freely and safely transit the Strait of Hormuz.”

A U.S. defense official previously told Fox News that the Navy remains in near-constant communication with commercial ships seeking passage, sharing threat information, timing guidance, weather conditions and coordinates.

Many of the vessels have crossed with transponders turned off.

The continued U.S. role comes as commercial shipping remains under strain in the region.

A Joint Maritime Information Center advisory said the Strait of Hormuz threat level is “SEVERE,” citing Iranian attacks, navigation interference, mine-risk reporting and continued IRGC hailing and routing pressure on vessels.

Reuters, Fox News’ Liz Friden and FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti contributed to this report.

Violent far-left and anarchist networks are increasingly converging with pro-Hamas and Iran-backed actors, a State Department official warned, saying the administration is using counterterrorism tools and international partnerships to confront what it views as an emerging transnational threat.

Since the Oct. 7 attacks, the official said, U.S. partners have raised concerns that “pro-Hamas, very violent groups” operating in multiple countries are beginning to overlap with far-left and anarchist groups that use political violence.

“The resurgence of violent far-left political terrorism is not a new phenomenon — it is an old threat re-emerging with strong transnational links and new convergences,” the official said on background.

The U.S. remains focused on major terrorist threats such as ISIS, al-Qaida and other Salafi-jihadist groups, the official added, saying violent far-left, anarchist and anti-capitalist networks now fit into a broader category of “new and emerging threats.”

The State Department has taken what the official described as unprecedented steps over the past year to target transnational far-left and anarchist terrorism, including antifa-aligned groups.

“Our efforts target violent activity meeting the definition of terrorism,” the official said, citing assassinations, kidnappings, threats against U.S. facilities and law enforcement, and attacks on critical infrastructure, military personnel and civilians.

Fox News’ Nicholas Kalman contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is stressing the key fact of having gotten “380 million barrels of crude” out of the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire that now might lead to a new U.S.-forced blockade amid Iran violations.

“Since early May, U.S. forces have helped facilitate the successful transit of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” a U.S. official told FOX Business on Thursday.

Oil traded around $73 a barrel as markets continued to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments.

Before renewed overnight strikes, 25 vessels crossed the strait Wednesday, including three crude oil tankers.

Two of the tankers were empty, while one headed into the Gulf, where its loading activity and eventual exit route will be closely watched.

Route tracking showed 14 Iranian vessels, seven IMO-designated vessels, three dark or unknown vessels and one Omani vessel crossing the waterway.

The data comes as traders remain focused on whether regional tensions could disrupt shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil corridors.

FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti contributed to this report.

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is operating under a “severe” threat warning after a string of Iranian-linked maritime attacks and fresh reporting of mine risks, navigation interference and continued IRGC pressure on vessels moving through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, according to Joint Maritime Information Center advisory Thursday.

Iranian attacks — six since June 12 — have raised the Strait of Hormuz threat level due to “deliberate hostile action” considered likely under current conditions.

The advisory warns that vessels should maintain “extreme vigilance” as navigation interference persists and mine-risk reporting remains relevant inside and near the Traffic Separation Scheme.

Iran’s foreign minister held separate phone calls with his Turkish and Omani counterparts as regional diplomacy continues around the latest developments and a possible ceasefire.

Iran’s foreign minister discussed the latest regional developments with his Omani and Turkish counterparts, including recent events in the Strait of Hormuz and stressing the need to use diplomatic channels to prevent further escalation, according to a joint statement.

Iran’s foreign minister also discussed the latest regional developments with Pakistan’s army chief, according to a statement.

The calls point to continued regional efforts to manage the conflict, with Turkey and Oman both positioned as key Strait of Hormuz diplomatic interlocutors as fighting and ceasefire uncertainty keep pressure on the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has a major opening to intensify pressure on Iran after Trump declared the ceasefire over and raised the possibility of taking over Kharg Island, according to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward said.

“They’re all cheering: They know the opportunity the president has,” Harward said Thursday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” arguing Trump’s use of force had exposed Iranian weakness and shown Tehran had not mounted a meaningful response.

Harward, a former Navy SEAL who served on President George W. Bush’s National Security Council and grew up in Tehran, said Iran has historically used negotiations and standoffs to strengthen its position rather than capitulate.

“Iran has never capitulated on anything,” he added. “They’ve only worked to enhance their position, their financial status, and the president understands this.”

Reconstituting a blockade would allow Trump to use military, financial and political pressure to “finish the job and go after the government of Iran,” he urged.

Harward also urged the administration to look beyond the Gulf for potential targets, saying remote coastal areas would be difficult for the regime to defend or resupply.

“Start there. Take it out. Put boots on the ground if you’d have to,” he said, arguing that such a move would send the Iranian public a message that “America is serious.”

Iran’s terrain and supply lines create vulnerabilities, particularly if a blockade prevents Tehran from moving reinforcements south, he concluded.

“Work your way up the Gulf, take out the coastline, but ultimately also hold Tehran at risk as well,” he said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard is boldly making statements to attempt to project power over the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy warned Thursday that foreign powers have “no stake” in the Strait of Hormuz and said U.S. involvement in determining traffic routes through the key waterway would draw a “crushing response.”

In a statement, the IRGC Navy accused Washington of “adventurism and interference” as tensions rise over commercial shipping in one of the world’s most important oil corridors.

American bases in the region would be targeted if what the IRGC called “U.S. aggression” is repeated, according to state media.

The IRGC also claimed Iran had increased vessel transit through the strait over the past two weeks, but said recent U.S. actions had seriously disrupted the process of reopening the route.

Transit capacity under Iran’s supervision had recovered to about 50% of pre-war levels over the past two weeks, the IRGC claimed, adding that transit capacity was only being expanded for vessels granted permits to use routes designated by Iran.

The warning comes as the U.S. and Iran trade strikes and threats over maritime security in the Gulf, with Washington saying its military operations are aimed at protecting commercial vessels and civilian mariners.

Tehran has since taken effective control of the strait, allowing it to force a stalemate in its confrontation with the world’s most powerful military.

“The U.S. has yet to learn that bullying and breaking its commitments no longer come without a cost. Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck back,” Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad ​Baqer Qalibaf, wrote Wednesday night on X.

“The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through U.S. threats.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

Qatar has reportedly paused efforts to increase output at its Ras Laffan LNG complex after an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, keeping operations at minimum levels as the Iran war continues to rattle energy markets.

The move was reported by Thursday by Bloomberg.

Ras Laffan is one of the world’s most important LNG hubs, and any delay in restoring higher production risks tightening supply for buyers already watching the Gulf’s shipping lanes with growing alarm.

Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill Thursday as renewed U.S. strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation in the Gulf sharply raised shipping risks.

“Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right now than any statement from Washington or Tehran,” Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, wrote in a report.

Just two tankers had sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday, according to Kpler data and analysis cited by Reuters.

They included the crude supertanker Berg 1, which had loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island and is subject to U.S. sanctions, and the Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker Well Sail.

Shipping industry sources said more vessels were switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to monitor traffic through the critical oil chokepoint.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Kuwait’s armed forces detected and intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 10 hostile drones in its airspace at dawn Thursday, marking the latest sign that the Iran war is testing defenses across the Gulf.

Debris from the interceptions caused material damage in several locations across the country and left one person injured, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense wrote on X. The injured person was receiving medical care and was in stable condition, the ministry said.

Kuwait said its land force engineering teams responded to several reports involving remnants from the interception operations.

The armed forces remain on alert and are continuing their duties to protect the country and safeguard citizens and residents, the ministry said.

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Sirens sounded in Jordan on Thursday after missiles launched from Iran were detected in the kingdom’s airspace, the state news agency reported.

Jordan reportedly intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran, with no casualties or damage reported, a Reuters alert later announced.

The Jordan government spokesperson said the Jordanian Armed Forces were on high alert and prepared to respond to any threat targeting Jordan’s security.

The alert underscored the regional risks from the latest escalation involving Iran, with neighboring countries bracing for potential spillover as missile and military activity intensifies.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iraq will announce a new political cooperation and economic partnership with the United States ahead of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington later this month, his office said Thursday.

Iraq is working to create “a state of rapprochement” between Washington and Tehran, as Baghdad continues to balance its ties with both the U.S. and neighboring Iran, according to Al-Zaidi on Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV.

The planned announcement comes as Iraq seeks to deepen economic ties with Washington while maintaining its role as a regional intermediary between two longtime rivals.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran’s deputy governor of Bushehr province claimed a U.S. projectile struck the area surrounding Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant Thursday, according to Iranian state media.

President Donald Trump and the White House have frequently warned that Iranian talking points and peacemakers cannot be trusted to be truthful.

The official said several locations in Bushehr province, including the perimeter area of the nuclear facility, were hit in U.S. attacks.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump did not think the latest military strikes would have to escalate into a full-fledged conflict with Iran.

“Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly,” Trump said Wednesday before returning overnight to Washington, D.C., “and will only make it safer, including for oil.”

Asked before the NATO summit on Wednesday whether the memorandum of understanding with Iran was over, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s ​over. I don’t want to deal with them.”

“If we make a deal with Iran I’m not sure that will stick,” Trump said later.

A U.S. official reportedly told Axios that the latest escalation with Iran could last “a day or two, a week or a month,” depending on whether Tehran continues attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil traded around $73 a barrel as markets continued to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments.

Before renewed overnight strikes, 25 vessels crossed the strait Wednesday, including three crude oil tankers.

Two of the tankers were empty, while one headed into the Gulf, where its loading activity and eventual exit route will be closely watched.

Route tracking showed 14 Iranian vessels, seven IMO-designated vessels, three dark or unknown vessels and one Omani vessel crossing the waterway.

The data comes as traders remain focused on whether regional tensions could disrupt shipping flows through one of the world’s most important oil corridors.

FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti contributed to this report.

U.S. forces hit roughly 90 Iranian military targets Wednesday in another round of strikes aimed at weakening Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said.

CENTCOM said the targets included air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.

The strikes followed a separate operation the night before, when U.S. forces hit about 80 Iranian military targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats, after Iran attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to CENTCOM.

The command said the latest operation was designed to “further degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and civilian mariners in the critical waterway.

“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” CENTCOM said.

President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over” Wednesday, concluding the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

The U.S. military struck roughly 90 targets in Iran on Wednesday, widening a fast-moving exchange after the end of the ceasefire.

U.S. officials said the strikes were aimed at Iranian military sites tied to missile, drone and maritime threats after attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by warning of “grave consequences” for U.S. allies involved in the operation and signaling that further retaliation could follow.

President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran effectively “over,” because Tehran had continued the targeting shipping in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

The renewed fighting sent oil prices higher and raised concerns that the conflict could again spill across the Gulf.

Iranian forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. positions in the region, according to reports, while Gulf states issued safety advisories amid the escalating exchange.