Iran-US war latest: White House accuses Tehran of ‘acting like bunch of pirates’ after attack on ships as Trump hints peace talks may be imminent

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed a journalist and wounded another.

Journalist Amal Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town ⁠of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle ​in ⁠front of them.

They ran into a nearby house, which was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, Lebanon’s health ministry, a Lebanese military official and press advocates said.

Rescuers were able to retrieve Faraj, who had suffered a head wound, according to Elsy ​Moufarrej, who ⁠runs the Union of Journalists in Lebanon.

When ‌rescuers returned to help Khalil, the Israeli military dropped a sound grenade, blocking their access to the damaged building, Moufarrej and the senior military official said.

Local media say Khalil was found dead.

The health ministry said Israel’s military had “prevented ‌the completion of the humanitarian mission by firing a sound grenade and ‌live ammunition at the ambulance”.

Israel’s military said it had received reports that two journalists were injured as a result of its strikes, and denied it was preventing rescue teams from reaching the area.

US president Donald Trump says Iran has ​agreed not to execute eight women protesters in a sign of respect for him, but officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the president of spreading falsehoods.

“Very ⁠good news,” Mr Trump said in a social media post.

Iran called the whole issue a ​fabrication ⁠and said he was trying to ‌save face.

In case you missed it: ​Iran has executed yet another man convicted of spying for ⁠Israel’s intelligence service and passing sensitive information, the judiciary’s ⁠news ​outlet Mizan has reported.

Mizan identified the ⁠man as ​Mehdi Farid, ⁠saying he ‌had held a position in a ‌civil defence unit ‌within a sensitive organisation and had ⁠used his access to gather and transmit information to Israel’s Mossad.

His death sentence was upheld ‌by the ​Supreme Court ‌and carried out ⁠after legal ⁠procedures were completed, Mizan ‌said.

President Trump tested Nato and its member countries failed, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has claimed.

“We hear a lot of talk from the Europeans,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don’t see enough action, as far as President Trump is concerned.

“In his view, he tested Nato and they failed. They failed to come to the defence and to join forces with the United States as the president engaged in this very bold and courageous operation to take out the number one state sponsor of terrorism in this world – the Iranian regime.

“Again, through Operation Epic Fury, the United States on its own, of course, with the help of our partner and friend, Israel, but on its own, irrespective of the European nations and our Nato allies, has completely degraded Iran’s military.

“We have completely confused and obliterated their regime. They are in a very weak position thanks to the actions taken by President Trump and our great United States Armed Forces.

“And so we will continue this important mission on our own. And again, we’ve seen a lot of talk but very little action. And the President is well aware of that.”

The US Navy could sink Iran’s fast, small boats, Karoline Leavitt said.

“We have sunk more than 16 of their naval vessel classes, of Iranian warships. I mean, their traditional and conventional Navy has been completely destroyed. They were the most lethal Navy in the Middle East, and again, now they sit at the bottom of the ocean, as the United States Navy is stronger than ever.

“So yes, the commander in chief has a number of options at his disposal, but right now, the blockade continues to be massively effective and inflicting maximum leverage and economic pressure on the regime,” she told Fox News.

The point of the US blockade of Iran’s ports was economic leverage over Iran, and the US was choking its economy, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

“We are strangling their main source of revenue – they can’t pay their own people. They’re losing $500 million every single day, Kharg Island is completely full of oil because they can’t transport it to and from…”

She said the cards were in the President Trump’s hands.

“The United States maintains control over the situation, he has all of the leverage, and again, that’s why he’s maintained a little bit of flexibility with the extension of the ceasefire, as we await a unified response from the Iranians to the President’s very clear proposal. ”

Iran is acting like a bunch of pirates, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has claimed.

“Iran has gone from having the most lethal Navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates,” she told Fox News.

“They don’t have control over the strait. This is piracy that we are seeing on display, and the naval blockade that the United States has imposed continues to be incredibly effective.

“And to be clear, the blockade is on ships going to and from Iranian ports.”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt says Iran’s seizure of ships does not violate the ceasefire because they were not US ships.

“These were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels,” she told Fox News.

President Trump had completely obliterated Iran’s conventional navy, she claimed.