US launches strikes on Iran, clashes reported at sea in Gulf

The live blog has now ended and will be back tomorrow at 9 am BST. You can read more of The New Arab's coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran here.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that he spoke directly with Iranian officials who asked him to stop strikes on the country, according to a reporter at the network.

Iran's Tasnim news agency has said that the IRGC struck two "violating ships" passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The claim comes after reports in Iranian media that clashes were underway at sea in the Gulf.

Iran's top joint military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.

Iran's state media has said that its armed forces have launched missiles and drones at US ships in the Gulf, as clashes erupt amid US airstrikes on Iran.

Iranian media is reporting further strikes across the country, including:

• The port of Kangan, where several explosions were heard
• Sirik, where a "location" was hit by "enemy" projectiles
• The Islands of Qeshm and Hengam
• The port city of Bandar Abbas

Further, clashes at sea between Iranian and US forces have also been reported, according to Mehr news agency.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the start of airstrikes against Iran, saying in a post on X that the strikes are "against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief's direction."

"The strikes are in response to Irna's unwarranted and continued aggression."

U.S. Central Command forces began launching additional self-defense strikes today at 5:15 p.m. ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction. The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 10, 2026

Iranian media is now reporting explosions across several parts of Iran, including Minab and Sirik.

Meanwhile, air defences were reported as being activated in western Tehran and Asaluyeh.

Around Kish and Qeshm Islands in the Gulf, sounds previously reported are related to clashes in the Gulf, Iranian media also reported.

Iranian media is reporting that sounds are being heard on Kish Island, though the source of the sounds is unknown.

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency said that air defences were activated in Fars.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council on Wednesday that a sustainable deal to end the war could not be reached through threats, intimidation and the use of force and urged the US to refrain from threats like those made by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will hit Iran hard on on Wednesday and bomb "key facilities."

Iran's ambassador in Vienna on Wednesday called a new resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog demanding access to Tehran's nuclear sites "counter-productive" and an obstacle to talks with Washington.

Ambassador Reza Najafi told AFP the International Atomic Energy Agency resolution was "politically motivated" and "legally flawed".

The vote "cannot help and, would be indeed counterproductive to the current situation," he added. "It further complicates, the volatile, situation, volatile ceasefire, and the unfinished negotiations between Iran and the US."

An American warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade, the US military said Wednesday.

Late the previous day, the aircraft "fired precision munitions into the ship's engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces," US Central Command said in a post on X, identifying the vessel as the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello.

https://t.co/YgShlznGPQ

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 10, 2026

US President Donald Trump warned Wednesday he will renew attacks on Iran, saying Tehran's peace negotiators "keep playing us for suckers."

"We're going to be attacking them - attacking them very hard," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers."

Iran's military spokesperson, Shekarchi, has said in comments carried by state media that the country has proven that it will respond to threats appropriately. 

The comments were made in response to Trump's threats against Iranian infrastructure.

Three Indian seafarers are still missing after 21 other Indian mariners were rescued following an attack on their tanker off the coast of Oman, India's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

"We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, earlier today," the ministry said in a statement.

"Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation."

Maritime officials said the oil products tanker had been hit in a suspected US missile strike.

The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a US-backed resolution on Wednesday telling Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stocks and let inspectors verify them, which could complicate Washington's talks with Tehran.

The move came within hours of the US and Iran trading military strikes after US President Donald Trump said Iran had downed a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli and US attacks in June of last year destroyed or badly damaged Iranian uranium-enrichment plants but much of the enriched uranium they produced, including material close to weapons-grade, is thought to have survived.

Iran still has not informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the fate of that material, or let IAEA inspectors return to the bombed sites to check. The US led the push for the resolution, but Iran has called it "whitewashing military aggression", since inspectors had access before the strikes.

The resolution text submitted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany was passed with 21 votes in favour, three against and 10 abstentions, diplomats at the closed-door meeting said. The countries opposing were Russia, China and Niger, they said, adding that Venezuela was not allowed to take part. 

An intense Israeli bombardment on southern Lebanon is being reported by Lebanon's National News Agency, with strikes targeting the town of Qlayeh, and heavy shelling targeting Mazraat Bayout Al-Sayyad.

Strikes were also reported in Baraachit, the outskirts of Hanniyeh, and Mansouri, NNA added.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday of the risk of return to "full war" in the Middle East after Iran and the United States traded strikes.

"We should not minimize the risks of a lesser fire becoming full fire, or in another word -- full war," Secretary-General Guterres said at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in the tinderbox region.