US President Donald Trump is privately considering declaring the war with Iran over, even as the Pentagon quietly extends troop deployments in the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The newspaper reported on Wednesday that Trump has discussed with senior aides "whether to declare the Iran war over," a move the president reportedly "favours." He believes that maintaining intense economic pressure will eventually force Tehran to "either dismantle its nuclear programme or collapse."

The US launched Operation Economic Outcast last week, targeting Iran’s key economic lifelines, including its oil, shipping, aviation, gold, technology and digital asset sectors.

Despite the private discussions, the Pentagon is extending deployments, a sign that the war could drag on "well into next year.”

Iran has claimed that it laid additional naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while dismissing US claims of control over the strategic passage.

"During last night's operation, more naval mines were laid along the illicit routes south of the Strait of Hormuz," Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, wrote on US social media company X.

Kuwait’s army says its air defence systems are responding to missile and drone threats from Iran, describing the attacks as part of what it called “Iranian aggression.”

The military urged the public to follow official safety instructions as tensions continue to rise across the region.

The US military has escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, US media reported, marking a wartime high for such operations.

US forces struck nearly 60 Iranian military targets around the waterway during the operation, two US officials familiar with the operation told CNN.

Before the war began more than six months ago, roughly 20 million barrels of oil transited the strait daily. On Monday, more than 17 million barrels passed through, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC.

Oil prices edged lower on Thursday as markets assessed uncertainty surrounding renewed military strikes between the US and Iran and their potential impact on regional supplies.

Brent crude futures fell 43 cents, or 0.45%, to $95.20 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 24 cents, or 0.26%, to $90.77.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply alarmed” by reports of civilian casualties in Iran, including an attack reportedly targeting a wedding ceremony, his spokesperson said.

Speaking at the UN’s daily briefing on Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said Guterres condemned attacks on civilians and expressed serious concern over the renewed fighting between the US and Iran.

Dujarric said Guterres was calling for an immediate end to military action, warning that further escalation could have “devastating consequences for civilians and the wider region.”

US President Donald Trump has said that the US is confronting Iran to protect the Middle East, Israel and Western nations from potential attacks.

"We're doing it to help the Middle East. We're doing it to help Israel. We're doing it to help ourselves because after they annihilate Israel, which they would have done very gladly, and then the Middle East, then they come after Europe and they come after some of our cities," said Trump.

He said the US is "doing really well with Iran."

Israel has accelerated airstrikes, demolitions and artillery shelling in several areas of southern Lebanon after an escalation that began earlier in the day, killing one person and injuring another, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA).

It reported a series of Israeli airstrikes on towns and areas across southern Lebanon.

At around 7.40 pm local time (1440GMT), an Israeli warplane struck the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

About 30 minutes later, Israeli aircraft carried out two strikes on the outskirts of the town’s al-Deir neighbourhood before another strike hit the Ali al-Taher heights, said the agency.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has warned that US efforts to sustain its military campaign against Iran will fail, saying Tehran has adopted a new strategy to counter Washington’s actions in the region.

In a post on X, Rezaei said the conflict had entered its seventh month without the United States achieving its stated objectives. He said Iran’s strategy would combine military, diplomatic and economic measures, and warned that Washington would face the consequences of its actions.

Beirut says fabricated claims are part of an effort to weaken confidence in the military as tensions persist in southern Lebanon and security arrangements remain under discussion.

The US president suggests renaming Hormuz as "Trump Strait".

Tehran links renewed maritime access to Washington’s compliance with commitments under an Islamabad-brokered understanding as tensions persist over Iran’s nuclear and regional policies.

President Donald Trump has told reporters that the renewed US attacks against Iran would not continue for too long.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran was trying to build a rocket that drops mines and the US had destroyed it. He also said Iran had been working to restore its radar and missile systems, which were also targeted in the US strikes.

"We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz, some defensive, some offensive. It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want," he said.

Eighteen people were killed and 108 others wounded in Iran during Tuesday's US attacks, Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB cited Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi as saying.

The outlet did not provide further details.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over a renewed exchange of fire overnight between the US and Iran, and voiced alarm over reported civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran.

"I can tell the secretary-general is gravely concerned by the renewed exchange of fire overnight between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The secretary-general is deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference.

"The secretary-general condemns all attacks against civilians. He recalls that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution," he added.

The three countries warn that missile and drone strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain could widen regional confrontation, threaten security and disrupt diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

Reuters says the officials want US to keep Iran war contained as Republicans defend slim majorities in November 3 elections in which Democrats are modestly favoured to retake House while Republicans hold edge in Senate.

Iranian border guards have seized a vessel with 382,000 litres of smuggled fuel in the northern Gulf and arrested its foreign crew of 11, the state broadcaster IRIB reported, without giving the nationality of the detained.

Iran, which has some of the world's lowest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies and a sharp fall in the value of its national currency, has been seeking to curb widespread fuel smuggling by land to neighbouring countries and by sea to Gulf states.

Iran has added more ships it deems non-compliant and subject to fines, confiscation or detention if they try to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a government website.

Tehran said on August 24 it had blacklisted 45 tankers that had broken its rules for navigating the Strait of Hormuz and would take action against ​any vessels transferring loads, escalating its threats over the key waterway six months into the ‌war.

In an update on the website of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a body set up by Iran to manage the strait, 11 more ships were added – with the total of blacklisted vessels listed as 56.

Iran has threatened to take a tougher line in its war with the United States after the heaviest exchanges in weeks left at least 19 Iranians dead, including four at a wedding, an incident slammed as a "war crime" by Tehran.

Iran's security chief warned the United States would face a "new strategy" from Tehran in the six-month war.

"You will soon see that Iran's new strategy on the battlefield, in diplomacy and in confronting the economic blockade will shatter your foundations," Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei wrote on X.

US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait".

"Now that we have it under USA control, should we change the name of the Hormuz Strait to the Trump Strait??? Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before!" Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the US must fulfil its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding before Tehran moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Americans must fulfil their commitments so that we can proceed with reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” Ghalibaf said during a meeting in Tehran with Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official responsible for Islamic relations, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Referring to negotiations between Iran and the US, Ghalibaf said Tehran does not reject diplomacy but considers negotiations a tool in its broader struggle.

Iran has condemned late Tuesday's US military strikes on the country, saying attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure killed and injured dozens and calling on the UN to respond to what it described as violations of international law.

In a statement cited by the official IRNA news agency, the Iranian foreign ministry said US forces struck civilian areas and service infrastructure, including communications towers and sites, in the provinces of Khuzestan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman.

The ministry said the attacks caused deaths and injuries among Iranian civilians and damaged public and private property.

Top aides to US President Donald Trump are pushing to keep the war on Iran from escalating before November's midterm elections to staunch Republican electoral losses, four people familiar with the discussions said, a strategy that is already under strain as the US and Iran resume their back-and-forth attacks, Reuters reported.

White House officials will consider ramping up military action after the November 3 vote, said the sources, who requested anonymity to describe internal thinking, though any return to full-scale conflict is far from a given.

For now, they said, the administration is focused on tightening the economic pressure on Iran in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that months of military action failed to secure.

"We are keeping the pressure on Iran," one White House official said. "But November is a priority."

Global markets faced increased selling pressure on Wednesday as rising oil prices and surging bond yields fuelled inflation concerns amid escalating US attacks on Iran.

Rising oil prices fuelled concerns that the US Federal Reserve could adopt a tighter monetary policy stance, adding to selling pressure in bond markets.

The US 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 4.8 percent on Wednesday, reaching its highest level since November 2023, while the two-year yield also rose. Brent crude climbed above $95 a barrel on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude bound for October traded above $90 as escalating tensions raised concerns over energy supplies.

Two sailors were killed in a security incident involving a Saudi oil tanker while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company, Bahri, said on Wednesday.

Bahri said in a statement that its tanker SIDR was involved in a “security incident” at around 11.40 pm local time (2040GMT) on Monday while passing through the strategic waterway.

“Two of our seafarers, both Filipino nationals, lost their lives as a result of this incident,” the company said.

It did not provide details about the nature or cause of the incident.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that two oil tankers exploded after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz and warned shipping companies of further measures if they use what Tehran considers unauthorised routes through the strategic waterway.

The IRGC said in a statement that the two tankers had disembarked their crews and were handed over to personnel linked to the US military to pass through what it described as an “illegal route.”

The vessels “hit mines, exploded and were brought to a halt,” the statement said, adding that they were on fire. The IRGC did not identify the tankers or provide details about their flags, exact location, or possible casualties.

Israel's defence minister has said his country was prepared to respond "with great force" if attacked by Iran, after Iranian forces targeted US military positions across the region.

Israel Katz said Israeli forces were prepared for a possible attack from Iran over the Jewish high holiday season, which begins in mid-September.

"For now, they are striking throughout the region except us," he told a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

"But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively," he added. If Iran attacks, Israel would "respond with great force, independently of anyone else", Katz said, adding that "our planes are ready to take off".

Kuwait has strongly condemned Iranian strikes on the country, warning that they threaten its security and stability.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the attacks constituted a “blatant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and a “threat to its security and stability.”

The ministry said the continuation of such attacks represents a “serious breach of international law and the UN Charter,” as well as an “explicit violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817.”

It warned that the escalation poses a “serious threat to regional security and stability” and undermines diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving de-escalation and reducing tensions.

Kuwait reaffirmed its “full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, protect its security and interests, and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents in accordance with international law.”

Qatar and Egypt have condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, warning that continued military escalation risks deepening regional instability and undermining diplomatic efforts to contain tensions.

Egypt strongly condemned the attacks, saying they “violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the three Arab states and represent a “dangerous escalation threatening regional security, stability and the safety of their peoples.”

Cairo also warned that continued escalation could lead to a “vicious cycle” of confrontation and instability, threatening both regional and international security as well as freedom of international navigation.

Similarly, Qatar warned that renewed Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait constitute a dangerous escalation that could complicate efforts to contain tensions and undermine diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring security and stability in the region.

In a statement, the Qatari foreign ministry said the attacks represent a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the targeted countries and a “breach of international law, the UN Charter and the principles of good-neighbourly relations.”