Iran-US war latest: Washington and Tehran trade strikes as shipping through Strait of Hormuz ‘plummets’

Israel has shared intelligence with the US that it said indicates a new plot to kill President Donald Trump, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

Trump has had a target on his back ever since he launched an airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, during his first term.

As hostilities with Iran resumed, Trump told reporters, “I’m No. 1 on the list for killing”.

The Independent has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., and the White House for comment.

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade has said US Secretary of State Rubio needs to “take the lead” in negotiations with Iran.

Kilmeade suggested sidelining US envoys Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff.

“I don’t think that Witkoff and Kushner should be the ones doing this. They’re business guys. They have not been effective in Ukraine, not been effective in Gaza. They have not been effective in this”, the TV host said.

“We have a State Department for a reason”, he added. “Marco Rubio, even Democrats admit, has been looked at as a genius, internationally…he should take the lead on this. Because you can’t do this like a business deal. You have to understand the history of the region and how distrustful the Iranians have been”.

The US military has issued a “fact check” on Iran’s claims that it controls the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iranian state media claims that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is only permitted through routes designated by Iran”, US Central Command wrote on X.

CENTCOM then refuted the claim.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. 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 vital international trade corridor,” the US military wrote.

The US is still engaging in technical talks with Iran and is committed to finding a resolution, an official has said.

A US official reiterated its oft-stated vow that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, telling CNN: “The United States is still committed to finding a resolution, and technical talks continue. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official said.

They added that the memorandum of understanding is “performance-based,” and Iran’s actions “constitute failed performance at an unacceptable level.

“Iran’s attacks on these innocent vessels are acts of terrorism.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, President Trump suggested the US might realign or pull back US troops in response to his frustrations over European leaders’ handling of the Greenland and Iran crises.

The Republican said “a lot’s going to depend on Greenland,” the Nato ally the US has been pushing to take over despite firm protests from Denmark and numerous other European nations.

Trump also claimed “a lot’s dependent on Iran”, reiterating his regular criticisms that Europe didn’t do enough to support the original US war effort.

“When they had a chance, an opportunity to help, they chose not to”, the president said. “But we’re sort of forgetting about that”.

A US official said on Thursday that Washington is still committed to finding a resolution with Iran and that technical talks were continuing.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump held a call on Thursday and agreed to continue coordination between their countries on various fronts.

“As part of the continuous contact between prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump, an additional conversation took place this evening between the two, during which the continued coordination between the countries in various sectors was established,” a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said.

It added that president Trump updated Netanyahu on “American ‌moves ​in ‌the Gulf.

“The prime minister, on his part, raised the severity of the statements made by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his people against the existence of the state of Israel, as well as the need for security zones along Israel’s borders.”

Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill on Thursday, according to data and sources, as shipping risks escalated after the U.S. renewed airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf.

Just two tankers had so far sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday. They included the crude supertanker Berg 1, which had loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island and is subject to U.S. sanctions, according to analysis from Kpler.

The Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker Well Sail, also transited the strait, Kpler analysis showed. Its previous loading destination was near Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, according to LSEG ship tracking data.

Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all of the ships crossing.