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Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States for now, saying Washington must first comply with the terms of an interim agreement reached in June. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran and Washington were not holding direct talks. He said messages were still being exchanged through intermediaries. Araghchi also reiterated Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz. He said the strategic waterway would not reopen simply because Iran and Oman reached an agreement on shipping arrangements. According to Iranian reports, Tehran and Muscat are close to finalising an understanding on a temporary shipping route. However, Iran says the route can only be used after other conditions are met. The Strait of Hormuz has remained at the centre of the wider conflict. Iran has repeatedly linked its reopening to demands directed at Washington. Iranian officials have called for an end to US threats and military action. They have also demanded the lifting of sanctions and blockades and the release of Iranian assets. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has separately warned that the strait will remain closed until Tehran’s conditions are accepted. The force accused its opponents of shifting their focus toward reopening the vital waterway. The strait is one of the world’s most important energy routes. A significant share of global oil and gas shipments normally passes through it. Oman, meanwhile, said discussions with Iran over arrangements for shipping through the waterway had been positive and constructive. Muscat also urged all sides to avoid actions that could undermine the negotiations. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested that the current situation could provide an opportunity for an agreement. He said Iran remained united and strong despite the ongoing conflict. The diplomatic uncertainty comes as tensions continue to affect commercial shipping in the region. The United Arab Emirates said Iran had attacked a vessel linked to its state-owned oil company while it was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported that a vessel caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile. The fire was later brought under control, with no environmental damage reported. Iranian authorities have not immediately commented on the individual incident. Saudi Arabia reports fires at energy facilities Tensions have also spread across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia said firefighters had extinguished a blaze at an Aramco facility in Jizan. The Saudi Energy Ministry said there were no fatalities. Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for an attack on the site, saying it had used a drone in response to alleged Saudi strikes in Yemen. A separate explosion was also reported in the industrial area of Jubail. Regional sources said gas facilities were targeted and that a fire broke out. The exact cause remained unclear. It was not immediately established whether the incidents in Jizan and Jubail were connected. US defence industry ordered to increase weapons production Meanwhile, the United States has asked its defence industry to accelerate weapons production amid shortages linked to the war with Iran. US Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg reportedly instructed defence companies to submit plans aimed at speeding up deliveries and increasing production of critical military equipment. The demand comes amid reports of pressure on US ammunition supplies, including stocks of Patriot missile interceptors. The Trump administration has maintained that the United States has substantial weapons reserves and that additional supplies are being manufactured and delivered. The conflict has also triggered threats from armed groups in the region. The leader of Iraq’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Akram al-Kaabi, has threatened retaliation for US-Saudi strikes on sites belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces. The group has warned that further military action could lead to a response. Iranian military officials, meanwhile, have claimed that the United States and Israel failed to achieve their objectives against Iran. They have praised the country’s military preparedness and vowed to continue resisting pressure. With the Strait of Hormuz still closed and negotiations remaining indirect, the prospect of restoring normal shipping remains uncertain. Iran insists that reopening the waterway depends on Washington accepting its conditions. The United States, meanwhile, has linked the lifting of its blockade to Iran fulfilling commitments under any future agreement.

Iran has vowed to retaliate after the United States launched fresh overnight air strikes on multiple locations across the country, further escalating the conflict that has increasingly drawn several Middle Eastern nations into the fighting. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a strong warning, saying those responsible for the attacks would face punishment. Iranian media quoted the force as saying that the “aggressor” would be held accountable. The latest US strikes reportedly targeted several areas in southern Iran, including Bushehr province, which is home to the country’s only nuclear power plant. Explosions were also reported in Qeshm, Kish, Bandar Abbas, Abadan and other nearby locations. Iranian officials said a residential building on Qeshm Island was struck during the attacks. Local authorities confirmed that three members of the same family, including a child, were killed. Two other children from the same family were injured and shifted to hospital for treatment. The US military said the strikes were launched in response to recent Iranian missile attacks targeting American forces stationed in Jordan. Washington described the operation as a powerful response aimed at deterring further attacks on its troops in the region. The military action came shortly after US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face severe consequences following attacks on American military facilities. Meanwhile, Jordan said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed five Iranian missiles heading toward its territory. Officials said this was the fourth consecutive day that missiles or drones launched from Iran had been intercepted. No casualties or property damage were reported. Iran also strongly condemned recent joint US-Saudi air strikes carried out in Iraq. Tehran described the attacks as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It accused Washington of widening the regional conflict and expressed support for the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government also criticised the strikes and called on all parties to avoid further escalation. Iraqi officials stressed that the country should not become a battleground for regional disputes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was difficult to predict Iran’s next moves regarding the Strait of Hormuz. However, he argued that alternative energy routes could eventually reduce the strategic importance of the vital shipping lane. The United Nations expressed deep concern over the renewed fighting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both the United States and Iran to end hostilities and return to diplomatic negotiations. He also welcomed mediation efforts by regional countries seeking to reduce tensions. The IRGC claimed that two oil tankers attempting to sail through what it described as an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz turned back after a fire reportedly broke out on one vessel. Iranian officials insisted the country maintained control over the strategic waterway and warned that restrictions would remain as long as foreign military threats continued. The United Arab Emirates also condemned drone attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities from Iraqi territory, calling them a serious violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to regional security. The conflict has expanded rapidly over recent days, with military activity reported in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf region. The growing instability has increased concerns over regional security and disrupted global energy markets. Oil prices climbed sharply as investors reacted to fears of further escalation and possible disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy trade routes.