Day 196 | ‘Israel’ blows up Ali Al-Taher heights as Tehran strikes US boat

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Read more: Day 197 | Muscat talks loom as new 'Israeli' strikes hit southern Lebanon

• Pezeshkian says pressure on Iran’s trade, energy, infrastructure, and finances will have wider economic consequences.
• Iranian president begins his first official India visit ahead of the BRICS summit and a meeting with Modi.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Friday that economic, political, and military pressure exerted by the United States and 'Israel' against Iran has reached a critical and dangerous level.

Speaking in India ahead of an upcoming BRICS summit, Pezeshkian observed that the world is navigating a period of "unprecedented complexity," cautioning that the application of economic pressure levers only deepens existing global instability.

Pezeshkian noted that while Iran has endured severe sanctions over recent years, the overall situation escalated significantly in recent months following foreign military action.

"Iran has been subjected to heavy sanctions in recent years; this pressure has reached a critical and dangerous stage in recent months following the military aggression by the United States and Israel," Pezeshkian stated.

Energy transit disruptions

The current crisis escalated after the U.S. and 'Israel' initiated the Middle East war in late February through military strikes against Iran, whose national economy had already suffered from decades of international sanctions.

In response to the military strikes, the Islamic Republic retaliated by shutting down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime transit point for global energy exports, triggering a sharp surge in international oil and energy prices.

Pezeshkian stressed that targeting Iran's economic and core operational sectors generates widespread international fallout.

"When a country is subjected to political and military pressure on its trade, energy, infrastructure and financial system, the repercussions extend beyond its borders," he said.

The remarks were delivered during Pezeshkian's initial official visit to India.

According to Indian diplomatic sources, the Iranian president is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Friday.

Three massive explosions shook the town of Al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon on Friday afternoon following targeted operations conducted by the 'Israeli' military.

The powerful blasts, which reverberated across the coastal district of Tyre, coincided with renewed airstrikes and artillery shelling aimed at key positions in the village.

• Trump says America will never forget 9/11 and pledges “total victory.”
• He calls Iran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
• Trump vows Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.

US President Donald Trump commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks during a solemn ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday, vowing that the nation would honor the victims by continuing its fight against global security threats.

Opting to attend the ceremony at the defense headquarters rather than traditional memorial events in New York, Trump renewed what he termed a sacred national oath established a quarter-century ago.

"Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago. We will never, ever forget. That's why we fight today," Trump stated during his address. "We don't have a choice. There can only be victory. We fight hard. We fight to win."

Trump doesn't forget Iran

Expanding on current international security operations, Trump explicitly linked the national security legacy of 9/11 to ongoing confrontation with Tehran, identifying the Islamic Republic of Iran as the foremost sponsor of international terror.

He used the platform to salute active-duty military personnel, reaffirming Washington's alleged commitment to permanently block Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

"We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never, ever have a nuclear weapon," Trump added.

• Araghchi cites rising 30-year Treasury yields as evidence of weakening confidence in the US financial system.
• Araghchi dismisses Bessent’s “fever” description and warns of a US fiscal meltdown.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a sharp response to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on social media, claiming Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran has failed while alleging the US financial system of undergoing systemic instability.

Araghchi's statements come amid escalating geopolitical tensions and growing volatility in US sovereign debt markets, where 30-year Treasury yields recently surged to their highest levels since 2007.

Taking to X, the Iranian foreign minister directly targeted Bessent, asserting that Washington’s economic containment strategy against Iran is unraveling alongside rising borrowing costs in the United States.

"The U.S. Treasury Secretary has been gleefully boasting about wanting to impoverish Iranians and collapse our economy," Araghchi posted. "Instead, he stands powerless and exposed as the world loses belief in the U.S. financial system. Meltdown over cost of funding U.S. debt is only the beginning."

Iran highlights US debt pressures

Araghchi's critique specifically targeted Bessent’s recent public statements describing the spike in long-term borrowing costs as a temporary market "fever" that required intervention through expanded Treasury bond buyback operations.

The exchange highlights how Iranian leadership is attempting to leverage turbulence in Western debt markets to counter Washington’s economic warfare.

As the US Treasury attempts to stabilize long-term yields through extraordinary debt-repurchase measures, Iranian officials maintain that elevated yields signal a broader erosion of international confidence in US fiscal stability.

• The two spoke by phone Thursday; talks covered the US-'Israeli' war on Iran, prospects of returning to negotiations, and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, have discussed ways to restore diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating Tehran's ongoing conflict with the US, a Pakistani security official told Reuters on Friday. 

According to the official, the two spoke by phone on Thursday, with the conversation centering on the broader US-’Israeli’ war on Iran, prospects for returning to negotiations, and recent attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia. 

This is a developing story.

Read more: South Korea, Iran discuss Strait of Hormuz tensions

• South Korea expressed deep concern about the situation in the Middle East and said it hoped for sustainable peace and stability. 
• Both ministers agreed to maintain communication on regional and bilateral issues via bilateral and multilateral channels. 

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, on Friday, with the two officials discussing the broader situation in the Middle East and the increasingly sensitive question of security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. 

The call took place as Seoul weighs whether to send military assets to help safeguard the strategically vital waterway, a step Washington has been pushing its ally to consider. 

Iran, for its part, has firmly rejected any foreign military presence in the strait, making the issue a delicate one for South Korean policymakers caught between alliance obligations and Tehran's objections. 

During the conversation, Cho conveyed deep concern over recent developments in the Middle East and expressed hope that lasting peace and stability could be restored to the region, the ministry said.

Turning to the Strait of Hormuz specifically, Cho reaffirmed South Korea's ongoing participation in international efforts to preserve freedom of navigation through the waterway. 

He reiterated Seoul's longstanding position that the free and safe passage of all vessels must be guaranteed, regardless of the broader political tensions in the region.

Cho also asked Iran to pay close attention to the safety of South Korean nationals living in or traveling through the region.

For his part, Araghchi outlined Iran's stance on the current state of affairs in the Middle East, according to the ministry's readout. 

The two ministers agreed to keep communication channels open on both regional developments and bilateral matters, through both direct dialogue and multilateral forums. 

Friday's conversation marked the sixth known phone call between Cho and Araghchi since the US-Iran conflict erupted in late February. 

The ministry noted that this latest call was held at Araghchi's request, underscoring Tehran's continued interest in keeping Seoul informed of its position as South Korea deliberates over its potential role in the Strait of Hormuz.

The renewed dialogue highlights the diplomatic balancing act facing South Korea, which must weigh its security alliance with the United States against its economic and diplomatic relationship with Iran, all while safeguarding the interests and safety of its own citizens in the region.

Read more: Iran says Hormuz agreement ready after Qatari talks

US President Donald Trump is defending his handling of the war with Iran, predicting that the conflict will end after the US midterm elections.

Trump accused Tehran of holding out for a political change in Washington, saying Iranian officials believe Democrats would allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“They think the Democrats will let them essentially have a nuclear weapon. They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

He reiterated that preventing a nuclear-armed Iran remains the central US objective as fighting continues and tensions remain high.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has voiced support for Yemen’s Houthis in a post on X.

“The brave Yemeni people will certainly triumph,” Ghalibaf wrote.

His comments come amid escalating tensions around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb, a key maritime chokepoint for global trade.

Note: The claim that the Houthis have seized the Red Sea city of Mocha and expanded their control over Bab al-Mandeb should be independently verified before publication.

Houthi-affiliated war media released footage showing what it said was the wreckage of a Saudi Royal Naval Forces Karayel surveillance drone after it was downed over Yemen’s northwestern Hajjah province.

Washington is taking action against Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group, as part of efforts targeting financial networks linked to Iran, the US State Department said.

“Today, the United States is taking action under Operation Economic Outcast targeting Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), Hizballah, and the broader financial networks that sustain Iran’s campaign of regional destabilization,” State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said.

Pigott described Kataib Hezbollah and those linked to it as Iran’s “instruments for projecting violence and subversion across the Middle East.” He said the group poses threats to Iraq, Lebanon, US personnel and diplomatic facilities in the region, as well as global energy flows.

Kataib Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the US. The group has rejected the Iraqi government’s mandate for paramilitary factions to disarm, saying it will retain what it calls “resistance weapons” and continue developing its arsenal.

Palestinian engineer Hudaifa Hamdi Mamar has been killed in ‘Israeli’ attacks near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.

The Palestinian Dialogue Forum (PALDF) said Mamar was killed when ‘Israeli’ forces shelled residential areas in the al-Mawasi district west of Khan Younis.

The reported killing comes as ‘Israel’ has intensified shelling and airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in recent days, with casualties continuing to rise.

Two vessels were reportedly hit by four unknown projectiles off the coast of Oman, causing a fire on one vessel, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre.

UKMTO said it received a report of an incident about four nautical miles west of the port of Khasab.

The master of another vessel reported seeing the projectiles strike two unknown vessels about six nautical miles north of his position. The status of the second vessel remains unclear.

Saudi Arabia’s UN representative Abdulaziz al-Wasil said Riyadh will take “all necessary measures” to deter Houthi attacks and protect its security and sovereignty.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, al-Wasil said Saudi Arabia would act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

He reaffirmed Riyadh’s support for Yemeni-led political solutions aimed at achieving security, stability and prosperity for the Yemeni people.

Al-Wasil also urged the Security Council to demand an end to attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, military escalation in Yemen, and threats to international navigation.

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Read more: Day 195 | Trump predicts Iran war will end ‘immediately after the election’