US-Iran war LIVE: Explosions heard, air defences activated in Tehran; IRGC attacks airbases in Kuwait, Jordan

Iran war LIVE updates: Israel has returned the body of Lebanese Presidential Guard Patrick Bakarian, who had been missing since April, according to Lebanon’s L’Orient-Le Jour newspaper.

Bakarian’s remains were handed over through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday, citing the Lebanese army. He had been missing since April 19, when Israeli forces reportedly targeted his vehicle.

US-Iran war LIVE: Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Wednesday as the United States and Iran continued exchanging strikes, according to shipping data. Seven vessels transited the strategic waterway, down from 13 the previous day, with most using the Iranian route.

Four empty vessels entered the Gulf, while three ships carrying liquefied petroleum gas, coal and fuel oil exited. No Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers passed through the strait. The slowdown follows Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports, disrupting one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes. (Reuters)

US-Iran war LIVE: Greater Tunb is one of three strategically important islands in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, over which Iran asserts sovereignty.

The islands are critical because they overlook one of the world’s busiest energy shipping lanes, giving whoever controls them a strategic advantage over maritime traffic through the strait.

Greater Tunb also hosts Iranian military infrastructure and serves as a forward defence outpost within Iran’s layered coastal defence network. The US strikes on the island come as Iran continues to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz and tighten restrictions on shipping through the vital waterway.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iranian state media claimed that the Iranian army targeted US military communication systems and fuel storage tanks at Azraq Air Base in Jordan.

US-Iran war LIVE: The United States launched another night of strikes targeting strategic sites across southern Iran, with explosions reported in Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak and Rask. Blasts were also reported in Ahvaz, where a hospital was hit or damaged, forcing an evacuation, including from a children’s cancer treatment facility.

Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 35 people have been killed and more than 300 injured since the latest round of attacks began. Iranian officials also said the country carried out retaliatory strikes against US military sites across the region.

US-Iran war LIVE: Residents of Khorramabad in western Iran reported hearing at least two explosions, according to the Fars news agency. The city, located about 490 km southwest of Tehran, is among several locations reporting blasts.

US-Iran war LIVE: Oil prices rose for a fourth straight day after fresh US strikes on Iranian military targets heightened concerns over supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude gained 0.4% to $85.28 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate rose 0.5% to $80.02.

Prices have climbed throughout the week as the conflict disrupted shipping through the strait, a key route that previously handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Goldman Sachs said Brent crude could climb above $110 a barrel in the fourth quarter if Gulf exports remain constrained.

US-Iran war LIVE: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it carried out a combined missile and drone attack on the US-operated Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC said it targeted a C-RAM early-warning radar and an assembly point for US troops during the eighth phase of its “Nasr 2” operation.

It also accused the United States of using Kuwaiti territory to launch attacks on Iran and asked Kuwaitis to demand the withdrawal of US forces from the country.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, targeting command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.

The military said the operation aimed to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and used precision munitions to strike multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM also said US forces carried out a 90-minute operation earlier on Wednesday against coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island.

US-Iran war LIVE updates: Iran activated its air defence systems in Tehran and the nearby city of Pakdasht as reports of fresh explosions emerged from several parts of the country.

Unconfirmed reports also indicated blasts in Parchin, while the Fars news agency reported explosions in Semnan and Khorramabad.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its air force shot down an enemy MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk in Khuzestan province.

Earlier in the night, explosions were also reported along Iran’s southern coast, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik and Konarak.