US Daytime Airstrikes Hit Iran s Cruise Missile Sites Tehran Downs Drone Firstpost Live

The United States has fired on a commercial oil tanker for the first time since reimposing its naval blockade on Iran. A US military aircraft fired Hellfire missiles to disable a tanker that was allegedly heading towards an Iranian port after it ignored repeated warnings. The strike marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Tehran. The United States says any ship attempting to breach its blockade will face military action. According to the US Central Command, the Khorasow-flagged oil tanker MT Belmar was sailing towards Karg Island, Iran's most important oil export terminal. The Pentagon says the ship was unladen, meaning it was not carrying crude at the time. The US said the vessel was stopped before it could reach Iranian waters. This is also the first known daylight strike carried out as part of the new blockade campaign. But this was only one part of a much larger military operation. For the first time, the Trump administration carried out daylight airstrikes across Iran. US forces launched multiple waves of attacks targeting coastal defences, cruise missile launch sites, drone facilities and naval assets. US officials say the campaign is aimed at weakening Iran's capability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking before arriving at the Defence and Innovation Summit in Pennsylvania, Trump said he believes Tehran wants to reach a settlement with Washington. We're doing really well with Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not happy right now. It should have been done 47 years ago. It should have been done at least during the 47-year period. And it wasn't. Other presidents didn't do what was right. They should have done it a long time ago. It would have been much easier. And they want to settle so badly. They don't like what we're doing. And they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them or just finish it off. You know the story. They better behave. And in the latest, reports claim the IRGC has shot down a US drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. According to Fars News Agency, the drone was destroyed by IRGC air defence systems. And so far, there has been no immediate comment from the United States on the Iranian claim. Iran has also responded to the latest wave of American strikes. Tehran says the Iranian army has targeted US military facilities in Jordan. According to Iran's state broadcaster, the strikes were carried out using kamikaze drones. The Iranian military claimed it targeted communication systems and fuel storage facilities used by US forces. Tehran has also condemned the US strikes as an act of aggression. Iranian authorities say the latest American attacks have caused heavy casualties. The Iranian health ministry says at least 35 people were killed and more than 300 were injured in the recent strikes. Officials said the dead included two women and a teenager. Over the past few days, Tehran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities across West Asia. Iran's leadership continues to insist that the country will defend its security and its strategic interests. Today, our national security lies in preserving the Iranian arrangements over the Strait of Hormuz. The enemy wants to weaken the Iranian arrangements by force. The enemy is applying pressure to compensate for its defeat. But Iran, relying on its own power, will not allow the enemy's will to be imposed. The country's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also questioned the future of the peace memorandum signed between Iran and the United States in June. That agreement envisioned a 60-day negotiation period to work towards a broader settlement. But with both sides now exchanging fire, the future of that understanding appears increasingly uncertain, with Iranian President Massoud Pazashkian calling for national unity. Our first step for us is that the internal unity must be maintained. Every action or word which can cause division in society will reduce our strength. It means, even before America could create a problem for us, we could cause a problem for ourselves. As a result, we should avoid any message that may cause division and discord. And this is the most important thing. With every passing hour, the West-Asia conflict is moving into more dangerous territory. Diplomatic channels remain open on paper. But on the ground, the sound of negotiations is being drowned out by the sound of Massoud's.