LIVE: Iran says Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for ‘enemies’

Iran’s military has insisted the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to the country’s ‘enemies’ as it dismissed Donald Trump’s claims Tehran has asked for a ceasefire.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said the strategic waterway will not open following Trump’s ‘ridiculous displays’.

‘The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is also firmly and dominantly under the control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces,’ the Guards said in a statement carried on state television.

It comes as Donald Trump said he would only consider a ceasefire if it was reopened.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran has asked for a ceasefire but one would only come when the Strait of Hormuz is ‘open, free, and clear.’

‘Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages,’ he added.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian penned a letter today to the ‘people of the United States of America’ where he insisted his country ‘never initiated a war’ despite what he branded ‘enduring occupation and invasion’.

He made no mention of the prospect of a ceasefire whatsoever in his letter.

The Iranian President then seemed to accuse the US of war crimes, adding: ‘Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country “back to the stone ages” serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?’

But Pezeshkian then said that Iranians hold no ill will towards Americans, Europeans or people in neighbouring countries, wrapping up the correspondence by saying the choice between ‘confrontation and engagement’ will ‘shape the future for generations to come’.

United Arab Emirates’s air defence systems have been responding to missile and drone attacks sent over its territory by Iran, according to its ministry of defence.

The systems have been launched across Dubai to intercept incoming attack, the Dubai media office reports.

Some 1,262 Iranians have fled the United Arab Emirates since war broke out last month, according to the nation’s consulate in Dubai.

These travellers arrived in the city via Afghanistan and Armenia amid an ongoing direct travel ban.

Fresh restrictions have been imposed on Iranian nationals travelling to or from the UAE, Iran’s media reports.

Passport holders are no longer allowed to enter or transit through Dubai – this includes Dubai International Airport – one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.

Royal Air Force gunners downed 10 Iranian drones overnight.

The unmanned vehicles were struck by Regiment personnel operating in a ‘high-threat area’, the Ministry of Defence confirmed, without detailing where.

UK fighter jets, including Typhoons and F-35 jets, are participating in defensive missions across Cyprus, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain.

Speaking of Mr Trump’s latest address tonight, there have been some reports seeping out of Washington regarding what the President might talk to us about tonight.

Mr Trump will apparently ‘give an operational update on the progress of Operation Epic Fury, which is meeting or exceeding all of its benchmarks’, according to a White House official, speaking to the Times of Israel.

‘He will highlight the United States military’s success in achieving all of its stated goals prior to the operation.’

The official added that these goals are: Destroying Iran’s deadly ballistic missiles and production facilities, annihilating Iran’s navy, ensuring Iran’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region and guaranteeing that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.

In the buildup to US President Donald Trump’s address to the nation, believed to be containing an ‘important’ update on the war in the Middle East, the BBC has been speaking to people in Tehran.

One woman said: ‘Honestly, I’m tired of everything and every politician. At this point, it feels like we’re all in a circus.’

Another added: ‘To be honest, I felt a bit hopeful last night about the war ending and things calming down. Then I saw that Trump might want to target infrastructure.

‘I’m honestly sick of this kind of contradictory talk.’

A large blaze at Kuwait International Airport has now been put out by firefighters.

The concerning fire started raging after fuel tanks were hit by drones this morning.

Only material damage was caused by the inferno, with no casualties recorded, a government spokesperson said.

The Israeli armed forces hit 15 weapons production sites in Iran last night, the IDF has confirmed.

This included a ‘central complex’ of the Iranian defence ministry for the production and development of ‘advanced’ anti-aircraft missiles.

The force has carried out more than 400 strikes in Iran in the past two days, using over 650 munitions.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency is reporting that the death toll in the country has risen to 1,318 according to figures from the health ministry.

Some 3,935 people have reportedly been wounded during the conflict.

Fifty people have died in the last 24 hours alone.

Hezbollah joined the war in the Middle East on March 2 when it fired missiles towards Israel. This prompted a wave of strikes on Lebanon targeting the terrorist group.

British RAF Regiment gunners have shot down 10 Iranian drones overnight.

The specialist soldiers shot down the aerial robot weapons as part of their duties while protecting British bases in the Middle East.

Elsewhere overnight into today, UK fighter jets, including Typhoons and F-35s, as well as Wildcat helicopters, have continued defensive missions in Cyprus, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building in Beirut yesterday

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander today, it has been claimed. following a strike in Beirut that authorities said killed seven people.

A Lebanese security source and a Hezbollah source told the AFP news agency that the commander, Youssef Hashem, had been responsible for the group’s military affairs in Iraq and was in a meeting inside a tent when Israel struck.

Israel’s military said Hashem was Hezbollah’s commander for its south Lebanon front.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel to avenge a US-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive.

A source close to Hezbollah said Hashem is ‘the highest-ranking official to be targeted since the start of the war’.

Another Hezbollah member, Mohammad Baqir al-Nabulsi, was also killed in the strike on the Beirut area of Jnah, the group said.