What to know about the Iran war today:
o "We don't need a deal with Iran," President Trump declared Thursday in a social media post, hours after he again declared victory in the war during a Veterans Day address, but acknowledged the conflict wasn't over. "Just a question of when we want to end it," he said.

o A senior Iranian security official insisted Thursday that Tehran would "decide on the manner and agenda of any negotiations" with the U.S. only after its "seven conditions are fulfilled and accepted." Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called those conditions "unacceptable."

o The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council vowed Wednesday that Tehran would not allow the removal of "even a single particle of enriched nuclear material" from the country, casting doubt on diplomatic efforts as the U.S. has long sought a peace deal that would see Iran give up its enriched uranium.

31m ago
Iran claims U.S. asked Russia to mediate deal
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, told Al Jazeera that U.S. officials requested that Russian President Vladimir Putin facilitate negotiations between the country and Iran.

"It was the Americans who, during a visit to Moscow, spoke with Mr. Putin and asked him to speak with Iran so that, in any case, Iran would agree to speak directly with them," Qalibaf said.

The White House did not directly respond to the Associated Press' query about whether the U.S. has asked Putin to facilitate talks with Iran.

President Trump's senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Russia on Thursday, where they met with Putin to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. In their remarks after the meeting, neither Putin nor Mr. Trump's envoys mentioned any discussion about Iran.

Witkoff and Kushner are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for further discussions in Dublin, Ireland.

12:37 PM
Iran foreign ministry spokesperson warns against "direct or indirect" acts of aggression or "economic terrorism"
A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry warned on Thursday that any "direct or indirect" acts of aggression or economic "terrorism" against Tehran will be regarded as hostile and unlawful acts.

Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post that acts could include the deployment of naval forces, military and logistical support equipment and personnel.

"Our message is unequivocal: No bilateral agreement or commitment with the United States can constitute legitimate grounds for violating a state's obligations under international law or for participating in the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran," he wrote. "Any state that may participate in such unlawful aggressions, in whatever form, shall bear full responsibility for the resulting repercussions."

10:32 AM
2 Iranians guilty in London of spying on journalists for Tehran
Two Iranian men who spied on journalists working for a Persian-language broadcaster in London were found guilty Thursday of spying for Iran.

Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were convicted of engaging in conduct likely to assist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC was outlawed by the U.K. in July under new powers to counteract state threats, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison for anyone convicted of supporting or assisting the organization.

A third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted on all charges.

"This was a calculated operation to spy on those critical of the Iranian regime," said Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter-terrorism division.

He said the pair were promised rewards in exchange for sending intelligence back to Iran, while Sepahvand was willing to go beyond surveillance to commit serious violence against their targets.

These included Iran International journalists Mojtaba Pourmohsen and Kambiz Hosseini, and Jonathan Turner, a founding member of UK Lawyers for Israel. Iran International is banned by the government in Tehran.

London's Metropolitan Police said this was the fourth case in recent years involving a direct threat to Iran International journalists and that it is "working hard to keep them safe."

"The threat from hostile states to the U.K. is increasing and Iran continues to adapt its approach to using 'proxies'," said Vicki Evans, a deputy assistant commissioner at the London police.

"We have seen examples of people who fly into the country to carry out criminal activity and then leave shortly afterwards, to using British nationals or, in this case, Iranian nationals with settled immigration status," she added.

The Iranian Embassy in the U.K. has said that it "categorically rejects" allegations of involvement in "violent activities or incidents in the United Kingdom."

The pair will be sentenced at London's Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, on Dec. 17.

Iranian army says 2 more "rogue oil tankers" on fire after hitting mines east of Strait of Hormuz
Two more "rogue oil tankers" hit sea mines and caught on fire after entering "a prohibited and unsafe area east of the Strait of Hormuz," Iran's army said Thursday.

According to a statement from the Army Public Relations Office cited widely by state media, the unidentified tankers were struck Thursday afternoon after "disregarding warnings and switching off their radar systems" - a tactic used by vessels trying to transit the strait along southern shipping lanes that the Trump administration and U.S. military claim are safe and open.

"Responsibility for the tankers catching fire in the unsafe and prohibited area lies, first and foremost, with the lying U.S. president, and then with the ships' owners, who trust his false propaganda," the army statement said.

9:40 AM
Iran's powerful Assembly of Experts urges regime to abandon nuclear non-proliferation treaty
Iran's powerful Assembly of Experts has called on the Islamic Republic leadership to consider pulling Iran out of the international Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), citing perceived needs to revise "the country's defense doctrine" and establish "the necessary deterrence" given threats from adversaries.

The consideration has "become an unavoidable necessity and a public and national demand," the assembly has determined, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency and Iran's state-run Press TV network, citing a statement by the body.

"It is hoped that the esteemed officials, drawing on the wise guidance of the dear Leader, will heed this demand. Should the failed enemies seek to try their luck again and launch another attack, they will certainly face an immediate and effective response, without geographical limits, from our heroic forces," the report cited the assembly as saying.

Iran, like the United States, has long been a party to the treaty, aimed at limiting the number of nuclear weapons around the world and work on developing new ones. Iran ratified the treaty prior to the 1978 Islamic Revolution that brought the current regime to power.

The Iranian regime has long rejected any desire to develop nuclear weapons, rejecting accusations by the Trump administration and Israel that it was secretly working toward the goal, and often citing its NPT commitment.

While the supreme leader has the final say on all matters in Iran, the Assembly of Experts, elected by the public, wields significant influence both as the body responsible for choosing the leader, and for guiding policy decisions.

8:47 AM
Trump says "we don't need a deal with Iran"
President Trump said Thursday that the United States doesn't need a peace deal with Iran, claiming the U.S. holds Tehran's money, possibly referring to frozen financial assets, and that the U.S. has control over the Strait of Hormuz.

"Those days have long since passed," the president wrote on Truth Social of the prospects for a peace deal. "We've got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we've got their Strait!"

His remarks, offered without further context in a post that was largely about U.S. politics, came after he renewed his assertion Wednesday that the U.S. had already "won" the war, and it was "just a question of when we want to end it.

Iran has refused to enter into negotiations on contentious issues including its nuclear program until and unless the U.S. meets seven key demands, which the Trump administration has dismissed as "unacceptable."

While major combat ended over the summer, Iran continues attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, keeping pressure on global energy markets, and it claims it has rebuilt its military and defense industrial capacities during the ongoing stalemate in the war.

8:08 AM
U.S. pulls boys' Under-17 World Cup team out of championship in Qatar over security concerns
The United States soccer body pulled its team from the boys' Under-17 World Cup in Qatar starting next week for security reasons, FIFA confirmed Thursday. Qatar and the Gulf region have been on high security alert since the United States military attacks on Iran started in February, though an F1 race is scheduled in Doha this month.

The 48-nation FIFA tournament kicks off in Doha on Wednesday and the U.S. team's scheduled first game was Nov. 21 against Montenegro. Its other group opponents were Chile and Algeria.

"FIFA understands that U.S. Soccer's decision was made in light of the existing U.S. Level 3 travel advisory," FIFA said in a statement, noting other sports events staged safely in Qatar this year. They included a track and field Diamond League meeting, a MotoGP race last week and qualifying games for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in men's basketball.

FIFA said "security assessments remain unchanged, and no new developments affecting the security situation around the tournament have occurred."

FIFA tournament regulations state the U.S. Soccer Federation should be fined "at least" 20,000 Swiss francs ($24,000) by the FIFA disciplinary committee for withdrawing fewer than 30 days before the opening game.

The USSF informed players Wednesday of the decision, hours after FIFA published the American squad among official player lists for the tournament. The 21 players picked by coach Alex Aldaz last week were drawn from clubs in the U.S., England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

"The safety and security of all participants and fans remains paramount," FIFA said. "As with all FIFA tournaments and events, we are in close contact with the relevant authorities and are looking forward to the tournament kickoff in Qatar."

6:37 AM
Senior official says Iran will only decide "manner and agenda of any negotiations" after its 7 conditions met
The head of Iran's feared paramilitary police force the Basij said Thursday that Iran would "decide on the manner and agenda of any negotiations only after its seven conditions are fulfilled and accepted by the other side," according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.

It was a reiteration of Iran's refusal to budge on its core demands for a preliminary peace deal with the U.S. — and a seemingly deliberate response to President Trump's assertion on Wednesday that the costly conflict had already been a victory for his administration, and it was "just a question of when we want to end it."

Basij chief Hossein Taeb said it made no difference to Iran how long the process of ending the war might take, and that "the main issue is the fulfillment of the conditions set by the Islamic Republic of Iran. After that, Iran will decide on the manner and subjects of negotiations."

As laid out by Vahid Ahmadi, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission at the end of September, the conditions that must be met before "substantive negotiations" on matters such as Iran's nuclear program can begin are:

o An ending to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon and Gaza
o The easing of what Iran considers "unjust and illegal sanctions"
o The lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and vessels
o An accepted system for Iran and Oman to control Strait of Hormuz traffic
o A plan to compensate Iran for damage inflicted during the war
o The release of frozen Iranian financial assets held abroad
o An end to all threats against Iran

"These issues only make sense when considered together," Vahid said at the time, adding that some of the conditions could potentially be met during an initial ceasefire, rather than as a prerequisite for one.

"You cannot continue threats and war on the one hand, maintain maritime restrictions, keep Iran's assets frozen and refuse to compensate for the damage inflicted, while expecting Iran to enter serious negotiations on the other," he said, according to the Iranian news outlet IRAF.

Speaking Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran's demands "unacceptable" and made it clear there was little expectation of any near-term diplomatic breakthrough.

Hours later, Iran offered to shorten the proposed implementation period for a ceasefire deal, during which some of its seven conditions could be fully met, from seven days to two, calling it a "sign of goodwill." The regime has not, however, shown any willingness to change its core demands.

5:48 AM
U.K. maritime risk firm confirms strike caused fire on commercial ship near Strait of Hormuz
British maritime risk company Ambrey said Thursday that a commercial ship was hit the previous day by an unknown projectile just west of the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire in the engine room but no known injuries or pollution. Ambrey said the vessel was struck 14 nautical miles off the coast of Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates.

It is the latest in a series of unceasing attacks on ships in and near the vital shipping lanes of the strait that have kept logistics firms and insurers wary, and global oil prices more than 40% higher than they were before the U.S. launched its war against Iran in conjunction with Israel more than eight months ago.

Despite repeated assertions by the Trump administration and U.S. military since the summer that a southern route through the strait, which skirts close to the UAE and Omani coasts, is safe and open, Iran has claimed numerous attacks on ships attempting to use those shipping lanes, which it has warned vessels against using.

The Ambrey report came hours after Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corp said two tankers carrying over four million barrels of oil had caught on fire after an "accident" while attempting to use what Tehran considers the unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, striking several ships this autumn it accuses of trying to breach the restrictions. U.S. forces have also been escorting tankers along the southern route through the strait, some of which Iran has claimed to attack even while they are under American protection.

The U.K. navy's Maritime Trade Operations center separately reported "an incident involving a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz" on Wednesday evening, but the location given was different to that noted by Ambrey in its report.

It was unclear if the two reports by the Western maritime monitoring groups referred to the same two ships Iran said had experienced "massive explosions" on Wednesday.

3:33 AM
Iran says "accident" left two oil tankers on fire in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corp said Thursday that two tankers carrying over four million barrels of oil had caught fire after an "accident" on an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the outbreak of the Middle East war in late February, Tehran has heavily restricted traffic through the strategic shipping channel, insisting vessels use routes it has approved.

In response, the United States has in response imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil.

"Last night, two tankers -- acting in violation of regulations and despite repeated warnings from the Revolutionary Guards Navy regarding the unauthorized and dangerous nature of the southern maritime route -- were involved in an accident while traversing this prohibited path in the strait," the IRGC said in a statement.

It didn't specify the nature of the "accident" but said it left the two tankers immobilized after they were hit with a "violent explosion."

"These two supertankers were carrying a combined total of over four million barrels of oil, which are now ablaze -- a consequence of the blind trust placed in the aggressive American military," the statement said.

Iranian forces have made multiple announcements in recent weeks of ships catching fire attempting to use routes that Tehran considers off-limits.

Tehran has often said they struck mines, though the U.S. military recently claimed all mines had been cleared from the strait.

2:15 AM
Saudi coalition says it intercepted 2 drones
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels said Thursday it had intercepted a drone in the Riyadh region and another in Saudi Arabia's east, amid a surge in attacks by the Iran-backed group.

The coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Houthis, also said Wednesday night that it had destroyed two ballistic missiles targeting western Saudi Arabia.

Two more drones were destroyed in the country's south and the region around the holy city of Mecca, it added late Wednesday.

It said those attacks had also been launched by the Houthis.

According to the Saudi civil defense, missile debris fell in the village of Sabouha, about 22 miles from Mecca.

Since fighting resumed in July, Saudi Arabia has been regularly targeted by the Houthis, who have attacked airports, energy infrastructure, military sites and Riyadh's financial district. But the Houthis have repeatedly denied targeting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

3:18 PM / November 11, 2026
Bessent is latest U.S. official targeted or threatened by Iran
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the latest U.S. official to be threatened or targeted by Iran, but he is far from the first.

The Iranian regime has been implicated in various plots to target top U.S. officials since 2020, when President Trump ordered the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

Threats against Americans have ramped up since the start of the war with Iran. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned in October that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel" abroad, with plots to kill Americans reaching "advanced stages" in the Middle East and other countries.

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