Iran-US war latest: Trump throws ceasefire into doubt after claiming Tehran ‘doing poor job’ opening Strait of Hormuz

President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that Ukrainian teams sent to the Middle East amid the US-Israeli war on Iran have show down Iranian Shahed drones.

“We sent our military experts to the Middle East, including specialists in interceptor drones and electronic warfare,” he wrote in a post on X on Friday.

“We demonstrated to some countries how to work with interceptors. Did we destroy Iranian ‘shaheds?’ Yes, we did. Did we do it in just one country? No, in several. And in my view, this is a success.”

Zelensky explained the support was “not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work.”

The Ukrainian leader said that teams helped countries with advice and direct experience in defence.

“We also shot down drones with jet engines. This is a very good signal, I think. We showed that this works. Now it is only a matter of time before we begin mass production of interceptors that will destroy drones with jet engines.”

It follows statements by Zelensky that Ukraine is in talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain on security cooperation.

For the past month, Ms Roddis, from Coventry, has been “ill with stress”. Most of her immediate family is in the south of Lebanon, which has been regularly targeted by Israel.

Since hostilities broke out between Israel and Lebanon last month, she has been “absolutely terrified” that one of her loved ones will die. “I cry every day,” she told The Independent.

Former foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi has died from injuries sustained in an attack earlier this month, Iranian media outlets have reported.

Kharrazi, a prominent reformist figure and head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, had also served as an adviser to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was the foreign minister from 1997 to 2005.

Reform-leaning Jamaran news had earlier reported that he was “severely injured and hospitalised” after an attack on his home in Tehran on 1 April, which also reportedly killed his wife.

A satellite image showed smoke billowing at a Saudi Aramco oil facility after a reported attack.

Saudi Arabia’s key east–west oil pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked on Wednesday, with a pumping station reportedly hit, according to people familiar with the matter.

The strike – likely by a drone – targeted one of several stations along the 1,200km pipeline, a critical route as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain heavily disrupted despite a two-week ceasefire.

While initial assessments suggest operations may continue using backup stations, a full evaluation is ongoing.

Saudi Aramco declined to comment, while Saudi authorities said air defences had intercepted multiple drones in recent hours.

Iran has denied attacking Gulf states following the ceasefire.

The streets of Islamabad are under strict lockdown, with more than 10,000 security personnel deployed as Pakistan prepares to host high-stakes negotiations between the US and Iran that could shape the course of the war.

A multi-layered security operation – overseen by the military and supported by Rangers and police – has sealed off the capital’s red zone, with troops, Quick Response Force units and checkpoints positioned across Islamabad.

Despite the heavy security and rising regional tensions, Pakistani officials say the make-or-break talks will go ahead over the weekend as planned.

The government has declared a public holiday for Thursday and Friday.

The streets remain eerily empty.

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to “take revenge” for those killed in the country’s war with the United States, including his father, signalling a hardening stance despite a fragile ceasefire.

In a statement attributed to him, Khamenei said Iran would “seek compensation for every damage inflicted, as well as blood money for the martyrs and compensation for the wounded”, underscoring Tehran’s intent to pursue accountability after the conflict.

The 56-year-old, son of former leader Ali Khamenei, was reportedly wounded in the same strike that killed his father 40 days ago and has not been seen in public since. Iranian officials, however, said he remains in “full health” and “in control of everything”, amid growing speculation over his condition.

Khamenei also indicated that Iran would bring management of the Strait of Hormuz “into a new phase”, raising further questions about the fate of the vital shipping route.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it has not carried out any attacks since the start of the two-week ceasefire, rejecting reports of missile strikes during the truce.

In a statement carried by the Fars News Agency, the IRGC said its armed forces had “not launched any missiles at any country” during the ceasefire period so far.

It added that any such claims were likely to have originated from Israel or the United States, and insisted that any Iranian military action would be openly acknowledged.

“If the armed forces… hit any target, they will boldly announce it in an official statement,” it said, adding that any actions not confirmed by Tehran “have nothing to do with us.”

Kuwait’s military said on Thursday its air defences are responding to drone attacks targeting vital facilities, including oil sites, power stations and water desalination plants.

In a statement on X, the army said it was intercepting a wave of drones, while a National Guard spokesperson confirmed one site had been hit, causing significant material damage.

A key oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been hit in recent attacks, according to state media, raising fresh concerns over energy security despite the US–Iran ceasefire.

The kingdom’s east–west pipeline – which transports crude to the Red Sea – was struck earlier this week, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an official source. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.

Japan will release an additional 20 days’ worth of oil from its reserves starting May, prime minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday, as Tokyo scrambles to stabilise domestic supply amid ongoing disruption from the Iran conflict.

Japan, which depends on the Middle East for around 95 per cent of its oil, had already begun releasing reserves in March as part of a broader plan to make up to 50 days’ supply available. The latest tranche will come from public stockpiles, which stood at around 230 days’ worth of oil as of early April.

Takaichi said Japan expects to secure more than half of its oil imports via routes that bypass the Strait by May, including increased shipments from the United States.

Imports from the US are set to rise sharply, alongside efforts to source crude from countries such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Nigeria and Angola.

Tokyo is also relying on alternative Middle Eastern routes that avoid Hormuz, including shipments via Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu and the UAE’s Fujairah port.

The government has asked suppliers to prioritise direct fuel deliveries to critical sectors, including healthcare, transport and agriculture, as authorities brace for continued volatility in global energy markets.

Islamabad has been placed on high alert, with more than 10,000 security personnel deployed across Islamabad, the capital preparing to host crucial peace talks between the United States and Iran.

Authorities have implemented a sweeping, multi-layered security plan overseen by the military, with support from paramilitary Rangers, as well as Islamabad and Punjab police forces. Traffic and highway police have also been mobilised to manage movement across the city.

The deployment includes around 6,000 Islamabad police personnel, 900 Frontier Constabulary troops and 3,000 members of the Punjab Constabulary, alongside Rangers and Pakistan Army units. An additional 1,000 traffic police officers have been stationed to control roads and diversions.

Talks are scheduled for Saturday but the delegations are expected to start arriving on Friday.

The Dawn newspaper reported that a 30-member US team has already arrived in Islamabad to review security arrangements.

The US delegation to the Islamabad talks will be led by vice president JD Vance, joined by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, signa.

Iran will be represented by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reflecting high-level engagement from both sides as efforts continue to stabilise the fragile ceasefire.

Security has been tightened particularly in the city’s high-security “red zone”, where key govepnment buildings and diplomatic sites are located.