Iran war day 97: Tehran says no progress in talks; Israel attacks Lebanon

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with the United States have made no progress, but channels of communication remain open after tensions escalated between Washington and Tehran.

Araghchi also defended Iran’s attacks on US allies in the Gulf as self-defence, warning that further sanctions or military action would not force Tehran to change course.

Meanwhile, Kuwait said Iranian missile and drone attacks on Wednesday killed one person and wounded more than 60 others.

Here is what we know:

Iran

• Iranian officials said US forces struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a communications facility on Qeshm Island late on Tuesday, triggering Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US-linked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday. Iran said it would respond to attacks on its territory and interests.
• As summer demand increases, Iran faces a gap between energy supply and consumption. At the same time, the economic impact of the war has left the government with fewer options to address the crisis. Residents and business owners report sharply higher electricity bills, with some attributing the rise to the financial strain of the conflict.

War diplomacy

• The US said Lebanon and Israel have agreed to implement a ceasefire following talks in Washington, with the deal requiring an end to Hezbollah fire, the withdrawal of Hezbollah operatives from south of the Litani River, and the establishment of security zones under the exclusive control of Lebanese forces. Both sides are expected to resume negotiations later this month.
• According to analysts, Hezbollah is likely to seek guarantees that Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon and that attacks will stop before fully committing to the deal. Previous ceasefires have struggled to hold, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

In the Gulf

• Kuwaiti authorities say Iranian drone and missile strikes on Wednesday hit a terminal at the country’s international airport, killing one person, injuring more than 60 others, and causing what officials described as “significant material damage”.

United States

• US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are going “very well” and a deal to end the conflict “could happen over the weekend”. However, he added, “Who knows?”
• The House of Representatives voted 215-208 to require Trump to seek congressional authorisation for military action against Iran, with four Republicans joining Democrats. The measure is unlikely to become law, but it marks the first successful House vote this year intended to curb Trump’s war powers and serves as a rebuke of his decision to join Israel’s attacks on Iran without congressional approval.