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Trump said he and Xi Jinping discussed Iran and want the Strait of Hormuz open, as China offered help to control Iran tensions. Reports say Trump may decide his next move after returning from Beijing. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.🔽 iranintl.com/en/liveblog/20…

Republican Senator Tom Cotton introduced a bill to revoke visas from close relatives of terrorists and bar them from entering the United States, after reports that relatives of high-ranking Iranian officials had been living in the US legally. “Relatives of terrorists have no business being in our country,” Cotton told Breitbart News. “My bill would revoke visas from family members of terrorists to keep Arkansans safer.”

A representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in Alborz province said during Friday prayers in Karaj that Israel’s punishment should be its “annihilation,” while also calling for the United States to be punished. “Punishment for the vile usurping Zionist regime is its annihilation from the face of time,” Mohammad-Mahdi Hosseini Hamedani said, adding that “punishing America means ensuring it no longer dares to attack any of the oppressed people of the world.” The cleric said Iran must continue fighting “sedition” and prevent its enemies from rebuilding their strength, according to remarks carried by state media. iranintl.com/en/202605150272

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said on Friday 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranian citizens who had been aboard ships seized by the United States have been repatriated. Dar said they were expected to arrive in Islamabad tonight, after which Pakistan would facilitate the return of the Iranian nationals to Iran.

France said Friday its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is operating near the Middle East but not inside the Strait of Hormuz right now, stressing that its mission is defensive and aimed at protecting freedom of navigation. Speaking to BFMTV, French Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo said the carrier had passed through the Suez Canal and Red Sea and was “on station,” giving France the ability to monitor developments and maintain diplomatic leverage in the region. “We want to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait in a way that is entirely defensive and in line with international law,” she said. iranintl.com/en/202605156376

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar in a phone call on Friday reviewed efforts to enhance security and stability in the Middle East, Al-Arabiya reported.

A Greek-owned oil tanker has left the Persian Gulf for India after passing through the Strait of Hormuz, France 24 reported citing ship-tracking data.

The United Arab Emirates said on Friday it retains the right to defend itself against Iran after accusing Tehran of carrying out more than 3,000 missile and drone attacks since February 28. Speaking at a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in India, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Almarar said Emirati air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones targeting civilian infrastructure including airports, ports, oil facilities and residential areas. He also accused Iran of disrupting international shipping routes and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of “economic blackmail.”

US President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of the media on Friday during a question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One, singling out The New York Times. Trump called reporting by New York Times journalist David Sanger “treasonous” after Sanger asked about a potential resumption of US bombing on Iran. “You should be ashamed of yourself. I actually think it’s treason,” Trump said.

Iran's national football team was given a leaving ceremony with chants of "Death to America" on Wednesday, despite the Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj saying no visas were issued yet for the squad. Within the celebration, a Hezbollah flag was being waved along with Islamic Republic flags. Taj said no visas had been confirmed and that team members were required to travel to Ankara for fingerprinting and collection, with efforts under way to relocate that process to Antalya, Turkey. Canada, which is co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico, said it refused entry to Taj two week ago because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Ahmad Alamolhoda, firebrand Friday prayer leader of the religious city of Mashhad, said the United States would suffer greater losses if fighting resumes, adding that Iran’s forces were better prepared than at the start of the war. “If America wants to continue the war, it will certainly suffer a greater defeat,” Alamolhoda said. “We were somewhat caught off guard at the start of the war, but now our fighters are more prepared.” Alamolhoda also said US air defense systems failed to intercept Iranian missiles and argued the conflict had damaged Washington’s standing as a global power.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he told Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that Tehran would continue its “historical duty” in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. “In fruitful engagement with my host Dr. S. Jaishankar, discussed regional developments and clarified that Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz,” Araghchi wrote on X. Araghchi added that “Iran is a reliable partner of all friendly nations, who can rely on safety of commerce.”

US President Donald Trump said a American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had effectively halted Iranian trade for around two and a half weeks, costing the country approximately $500 million a day. Trump said he had not asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran into reopening the strait, adding that the US did not need favours as it had "essentially wiped out" Iran's armed forces. Trump added the ceasefire with Iran had been agreed at the request of Pakistan and that he expected China would independently favour reopening the waterway, given that Beijing sources around 40 percent of its oil through it.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations, adding Tehran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. “We agree: Iran must come to the negotiating table now,” Merz wrote on X.

Talks between Iran and the United States are continuing, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, but warned a deal would only be reached on Tehran's terms, after negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce an agreement. Araghchi said Iran would not accept anything beyond what he described as a fair and balanced deal.

A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, shipping data showed, becoming the fourth Malaysian-linked ship to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war. The Sapura 1200 was among seven vessels Kuala Lumpur sought Iranian permission to move through the strait, which has been largely restricted since fighting erupted in late February, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The vessel hugged Iran’s coastline before entering Oman’s Muscat port, according to LSEG shipping data.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a BRICS member state with “special relations” with Israel had blocked the meeting’s final statement, calling it “very unfortunate.” He said Iran had no quarrel with the country itself and had targeted only US military sites on its soil, arguing its alignment with Israel and the United States had made it less secure.

US President Donald Trump disputed reports that Iran preserved much of its missile arsenal during the conflict, saying Tehran had lost the bulk of its capabilities. “They say Iran maintained its missile capacity. No, 80% is gone,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump said he will decide in the coming days whether to lift sanctions on Chinese oil companies that purchase Iranian crude. “I’m going to make a decision over the next few days,” Trump said when asked about sanctions on Chinese firms buying Iranian oil.

US President Donald Trump said he could accept Iran suspending its nuclear program for 20 years if Tehran makes what he described as a “real” commitment. Trump made the remarks on Air Force One following departure from Beijing on Friday.