Iran War Latest News: Key Developments on May 28
Iran war latest news: Key developments on May 28 The Israeli army says it attacked 135 Hezbollah targets over the last 24 hours in its intense air raids on southern Lebanon, reported Al Jazeera. About 10 “launch sites used by Hezbollah” to attack Israel “were struck in the areas of Bekaa and southern Lebanon”, along with a “training camp”. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tehran is “controlling and managing” the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any attempt to disrupt the strategic waterway would be met with a “decisive response”. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iranian forces violated the ceasefire hours after launching five one-way attack drones that it described as a “clear threat” in and near the Strait of Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, the drones were launched by Iranian regime forces and posed risks to regional security and maritime traffic in the strategic waterway. The statement comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf and fragile negotiations aimed at turning the current ceasefire into a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its navy stopped two vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorization on Wednesday night, reiterating that all ships must obtain permission and coordinate with Iranian naval authorities before transiting the waterway. The IRGC said “obtaining permission and coordinating with the navy are mandatory” for passage through the strategic strait, which remains at the center of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. US forces deployed in active war zones have been tracked and targeted using commercially available location data, according to a letter from US Central Command (CENTCOM) shared by Senator Ron Wyden. Reuters first reported the alarming security breach on Thursday, revealing that CENTCOM had received "multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater." Iran targeted a US air base on Thursday after American forces struck what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions despite ongoing diplomatic efforts. The developments came after US President Donald Trump rejected reports of a possible compromise deal with Tehran. At least six people, including two children, have been killed in an Israeli incursion in the town of Adloun, in the Sidon district. The victims were killed in a car, reported the National News Agency. US military officials have warned that commercially available location data is being exploited to surveil or potentially target American forces deployed in conflict zones, highlighting growing concerns over digital tracking on the battlefield. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had received “multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater.” The United States struck Iranian military targets for the second time this week, while Kuwait said it had responded to missile and drone threats, underlining the fragility of the ceasefire and the difficulty of securing a broader peace deal that could restore global energy flows. Iran has condemned a reported US attack on areas near Bandar Abbas, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei calling the action a violation of international law. In a statement on Thursday, Baghaei also expressed solidarity with Oman following what he described as threats from US officials. His remarks came after US President Donald Trump warned that Oman would have to “behave like everybody else” regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences. Iran condemned what it called repeated US violations on Thursday following strikes on the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, warning that it would take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty. The Israeli military on Thursday pounded Lebanon's fourth largest city, killing at least eight people in its ongoing military escalation against the Hezbollah group ahead of crucial talks in Washington. Several others were injured in the strikes, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. Three people were killed after an Israeli strike hit an apartment in the Qiya’a area of Sidon in southern Lebanon at dawn, according to Lebanese media reports. Lebanon’s official National News Agency said rescue teams recovered the bodies from the targeted building and rushed five injured people to nearby hospitals for treatment. Israel has continued heavy bombardment across parts of southern Lebanon amid the widening regional conflict. Several Israeli politicians strongly criticised the United Nations after reports claimed that Israeli bodies, including the Israeli Prison Service, had been added to a UN blacklist linked to sexual violence in war zones. Israeli politician and former army chief Benny Gantz accused the UN of bias against Israel. “The UN proved today, once again, that it is an anti-Semitic and hypocritical body suffering from severe moral blindness,” Gantz said. He also defended Israel’s military, adding, “The UN’s false blood libels and slanders against the IDF and the State of Israel will not divert us from our path.” According to American officials, the US military action was defensive in nature. A US official said Iran launched four one-way attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening both American forces and the few commercial ships still operating in the area. The US military then struck a drone control station in Bandar Abbas before a fifth drone could be launched. The official spoke anonymously because of the sensitive nature of military operations. This was not the first such confrontation this week. On Monday, the US carried out strikes on Iranian missile launch sites and also targeted Iranian boats allegedly trying to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command, said American intelligence had detected potentially threatening Iranian military activity in the 24 hours leading up to those strikes. US warplanes also sank two speedboats belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Officials claimed the boats were attempting to lay mines in the strait. Before the war began, nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply moved through the Strait of Hormuz every day. Iran has effectively blocked the route since the conflict escalated. US officials also revealed that Iran had launched attack drones near US warplanes and Navy ships stationed around the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. American analysts reportedly noticed increased activity at Iranian missile sites near the strait as well. The United Nations has added Israel to its blacklist of parties accused of sexual violence in conflict zones, according to Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon. Danon revealed the decision in a social media post, accusing the UN of acting out of politics rather than facts. “This is a political decision! Disconnected from the facts and reality!” he wrote, adding that Israel had submitted evidence challenging the findings included in the UN reports. Israeli media reports said the Israeli Prison Service was among several Israeli bodies added to the list, along with other state authorities. The development comes as international scrutiny over Israel’s actions during the Gaza war continues to grow. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces have recently increased attacks after repeated drone launches from Hezbollah positions. Israeli officials also issued evacuation orders covering large parts of southern Lebanon, including Tyre city and nearby regions south of the Zahrani River. The military warned residents to move farther north, saying buildings marked on military maps were close to Hezbollah facilities. But people inside Lebanon said residential neighbourhoods were among the places being hit. “It’s been strike after strike in the city of Tyre,” one journalist reporting from Beirut said. “The city is under constant bombardment, with massive explosions and widespread damage.” The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire announced in April. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued almost daily since then. An Israeli soldier was also killed during military operations in northern Israel, according to the Israeli army. Two other soldiers were injured in the same incident. The US Treasury Department added Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority to its sanctions list. The body had been created by Iran to manage ship transit requests through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the move is part of its broader pressure campaign aimed at forcing Iran toward an agreement to end the ongoing conflict. Oil prices climbed about 2 percent in early trading on Thursday after reports of fresh US strikes on an Iranian military site. Brent crude rose by $1.90, or 2.02 percent, to $96.19 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude went up by $1.73, or 1.95 percent, to $90.41. Traders reacted to growing uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. Reuters and The Associated Press reported that US forces shot down four Iranian attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, citing unnamed US officials. The reports said US forces also struck a drone ground-control station in Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone. Officials described the action as defensive. “These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” an unnamed US official told Reuters. The four drones were also assessed as a threat to US forces operating in the region. Around the same time, Kuwait’s army said its air defence systems were actively intercepting hostile drones and missiles. The statement on social media did not specify how many projectiles were involved or where they originated from. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said early Thursday that it had responded to recent US strikes on the port city of Bandar Abbas by targeting the American base from which the attacks were launched. The statement, carried by Iranian state media, did not specify where the US base is located or how the strike was carried out. The IRGC also warned that any further attacks would be met with a “more decisive” response, without giving additional details. Iranian officials have reportedly suggested that nuclear discussions would happen during a second round of talks, though that position may not sit well with many of Trump’s allies. Iran continues to insist its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s position during the cabinet meeting. “The bottom line is Iran’s never going to have a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said. The United States currently has around 15,000 troops enforcing the blockade on Iran, along with thousands more stationed at military bases across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. US naval vessels carrying thousands of sailors and Marines continue to operate across the region as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high despite ongoing negotiations. Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said Iran would not step away from its key demands, including uranium enrichment, authority over the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of sanctions. “It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement,” Azizi wrote on X. The war, which began on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has now stretched into its third month. Thousands of people have reportedly been killed, while global oil prices have surged because of fears over energy supplies. At the same time, violence continued in Gaza. An Israeli air strike on a residential apartment building in Gaza City killed at least seven people, according to reports. The dead included two children and a woman. Footage from the scene showed heavy destruction after the strike hit the residential building. The Israeli military says it has launched strikes targeting Hezbollah “infrastructure” in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East. The attacks came shortly after the Israeli army issued forced displacement orders covering the entire city of Tyre and nearby areas. Israel also warned residents across southern Lebanon to move north of the Zahrani River, which lies around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Israeli border inside Lebanese territory. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that one Israeli air strike hit a building and a cafe in Tyre during the early hours of Thursday morning. Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out flames and search through rubble for possible casualties. The latest attacks added to growing fears that the conflict in the region could widen further. Iranian state TV earlier claimed the reported draft agreement would also require the United States to lift its blockade on Iranian ports and withdraw military forces from areas near Iran. However, the White House rejected the report as a “complete fabrication.” Oil markets reacted immediately to the rumours of a possible deal. Prices fell more than 5% after the Iranian television report emerged. But prices rose again in early Asian trading on Thursday, with US crude futures climbing nearly 2% to $90.38 per barrel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy said only 23 ships, including oil tankers and container vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz with its permission over the last 24 hours. Before the conflict, between 125 and 140 vessels crossed the strait daily. Iran has also started restoring internet access after nearly three months of severe restrictions imposed once the war began. Monitoring group NetBlocks said the country was seeing a “partial restoration to internet connectivity” after 88 days, calling it “the longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history.” The exact source of the blasts was not immediately known. Iranian reports said investigations were underway while air defence systems in Bandar Abbas were briefly activated. Bandar Abbas is one of Iran’s most important port cities and sits close to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a large portion of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass. The latest military action comes despite a ceasefire between the United States and Iran that officially took effect in early April. Earlier this week, the US military had also carried out strikes in southern Iran. Washington described those attacks as defensive measures, but Tehran called them a “gross violation” of the ceasefire agreement. The United States carried out new strikes inside Iran targeting a military site near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official, just hours after President Donald Trump dismissed reports of a possible agreement to restore shipping through the crucial waterway. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the target was believed to pose a threat to American forces and commercial ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes reportedly targeted an Iranian ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch drones. The official said the US military also shot down four Iranian attack drones in the area before carrying out the strike against the control station, which was allegedly about to launch a fifth drone. “These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said.
