Trump says he 'couldn't care less' as Iran abandons interim MoU

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Sunday that it had shot down another US surveillance drone in the country’s south, saying the aircraft was carrying out reconnaissance over operational areas.

The IRGC’s aerospace force also said it downed a US MQ-9 drone over Ahvaz in southwestern Iran, according to Al Jazeera.

Separately, Iran’s army claimed it intercepted a US cruise missile in the western part of the country, state news agency IRNA reported.

Israel’s military said on Sunday it was closely monitoring developments in Iran and remained on high alert, warning that it was prepared to resume fighting if necessary.

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the military had tracked a missile launch towards the Jordanian port city of Aqaba earlier in the day and that Israel’s air defence systems remained on alert to protect the country.

“We are prepared to immediately resume fighting and will act with great force against anyone who harms us,” Zamir said during a visit to the West Bank, according to a military statement.

Iranian authorities said a missile strike hit an area on the outskirts of Abadan in Khuzestan province on Sunday, claiming the attack was carried out by the United States. Officials said there were no casualties.

Valiullah Hayati, Deputy Security and Police Officer of the Khuzestan Governorate, said the missiles struck an area outside the city limits of Abadan. He added that authorities would release more details later.

The reported strike came hours after Iran accused the US of attacking the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the same province, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said the alleged attack took place at around 3:39 am local time on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington, DC, as the two sides discussed Lebanon’s agreement with Israel and the United States.

In a statement, the US State Department said Rubio praised Aoun’s leadership and commended the Lebanese government’s efforts to restore the country’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, dismantle its militant infrastructure, and move towards peace.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog on Sunday called for restraint after Iran claimed the United States had struck the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the country’s southwest.

The appeal came as hostilities between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate. The United States carried out fresh airstrikes, saying they were in response to the deaths of two American service members in Jordan on Friday.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization accused US forces of carrying out an “aggressive and brutal” attack on the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, saying multiple projectiles hit the construction site. The claim was carried by Iranian state television.

US President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to include Iran in a proposed sanctions bill targeting Russia, saying the move had long been supported by Senator Lindsey Graham.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Republicans should add Iran to the Russian Sanctions Bill. That’s what Lindsey wanted to do, and it was going to happen. IMPORTANT!!!”

An Iranian missile struck Jordan’s Aqaba Airport on Sunday, according to Israeli media reports. The impact of the strike was reportedly visible from the Israeli city of Eilat, located across the Gulf of Aqaba.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday it was investigating reports of an overnight attack on the construction site of Iran’s planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant.

The UN nuclear watchdog said the facility was still in the early stages of construction and did not contain any nuclear material during its most recent inspection.

Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles that were headed towards the kingdom, while a fourth missile landed in a remote area, according to the state news agency.

A military official said there were no casualties or material damage from the attacks.

Israel is set to receive additional US aerial refuelling aircraft as fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies, an Israeli military official said on Sunday.

The move comes after hostilities between Washington and Tehran escalated following the collapse of an interim ceasefire agreement signed a month ago, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Israel has not taken part in the latest US strikes on Iran.

According to the Israeli official, the United States has decided to adjust its military posture in the region by reinforcing the fleet of aerial refuelling aircraft already stationed in Israel with additional tankers.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said the United States targeted the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the country’s southwest during its latest strikes.

Iran said it launched drone strikes targeting two US military bases in Kuwait, while Kuwait and Bahrain said their armed forces responded to aerial attacks as Tehran expanded its retaliatory military operations across the Gulf.

According to the Iranian military, the strikes targeted an ammunition depot at Camp Udairi as well as Patriot radar and air surveillance systems at Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Air raid sirens were heard across Kuwait and Bahrain during the attacks. The two Gulf nations said their militaries had responded to the incoming aerial threats.

The US Embassy in Jordan on Sunday said authorities had evacuated Aqaba’s international airport and seaport following what it described as a “specific and credible threat.”

In a statement, the embassy advised American citizens to avoid travelling to either the airport or the seaport until further notice.

“Due to a specific and credible threat, Jordanian authorities evacuated the international airport and seaport in Aqaba. We strongly advise all Americans to refrain from traveling to either the airport or seaport,” the statement said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two vessels attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through what it described as an “unsafe route” were involved in separate “accidents” and had to stop, while two other ships declined to continue along the same passage.

The IRGC did not provide details about the nature of the reported accidents.

It alleged that the vessels had switched off their navigation systems and ignored repeated warnings from Iranian authorities.

The US Embassy in Jordan has urged American citizens to avoid travelling to Aqaba’s international airport and seaport after Jordanian authorities evacuated both facilities over what it described as a “specific and credible threat”. The advisory was issued through the embassy’s official social media channels.

The embassy also asked US citizens to follow all instructions issued by Jordanian authorities and reiterated its earlier warning against travelling to military bases in the country.

Bahrain’s military said on Sunday that its air defence systems successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple missiles and drones launched from Iran, describing the strikes as “treacherous” attacks, Al Jazeera reported.

The Bahrain Defence Force said the interceptions were carried out with a high level of combat readiness, preventing the projectiles from reaching their intended targets.

In a statement, the military urged residents to remain cautious and avoid approaching any unidentified or suspicious objects that may have fallen after the interceptions.

At least eight Iranian Kurdish rebels were wounded in a drone strike in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Sunday, according to an exiled opposition group, which blamed Iran for carrying out the attack. There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the allegation.

Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, home to US military personnel, foreign energy companies and several exiled Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, has repeatedly come under attack during the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Iran has claimed that its forces shot down four MQ-9 Reaper drones, aircraft widely used for long-endurance surveillance and precision strike missions.

Tehran has also asserted that it has brought down more than 150 drones of various types since the conflict with the US began, including around 30 MQ-9 Reapers, though these claims have not been independently verified.

The MQ-9 Reaper is among the world’s most well-known military drones, capable of monitoring targets for extended periods, gathering intelligence over vast areas and carrying out precision attacks without placing a pilot at risk.

US President Donald Trump dismissed Iran’s decision to stop complying with the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month, saying he was unconcerned by Tehran’s announcement.

In a brief phone interview with US broadcaster NewsNation, Trump responded to the development by saying, “I couldn’t care less.”

The US President also reiterated that Washington’s primary objective remains preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “Never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon” continues to be the central goal of US policy, Trump said.

Kuwait’s military said on Sunday that it was responding to aerial attacks launched by Iran a day after the Gulf state faced barrages from the Islamic republic that struck a power plant and oil facility.

“Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression,” the army said in a statement, as reported by AFP.

Israeli forces carried out a series of new incursions into Syria’s Quneitra countryside over the past two days, an Al Jazeera report, citing Syria’s state news agency SANA, said.

According to the report, five Israeli military vehicles entered the village of al-Samdaniyah al-Sharqiyah, where troops set up a temporary checkpoint and searched people passing through the area.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces stationed in al-Hamidiyah fired a mortar shell and a smoke grenade toward a nearby location, with no casualties reported.

Warning sirens sounded across Bahrain on Sunday as Iran continued launching missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf countries, prompting authorities to issue an emergency alert and urge people to move to safe locations.

In a statement, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry asked citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest shelter after the warning sirens were activated.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone over Ahvaz, a city in the eastern Khuzestan region bordering Iraq.

According to the US Air Force, the MQ-9 is a large, remotely piloted, unmanned aerial vehicle primarily designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and air strike missions.

Kuwait’s military said that its air defence systems were engaged in intercepting missiles and drones launched by Iran, a day after the Gulf nation came under barrages from the Islamic republic that hit a power plant and an oil facility.

In a statement, the army said, “Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression,” as an AFP journalist reported warning sirens sounding across Kuwait City.

Iran has warned it will launch “full-scale offensive operations” if US bombardments persist, as American airstrikes continue to intensify across the region. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Tehran would no longer confine its response to “like-for-like” retaliation. Meanwhile, Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump of attempting to provoke a wider conflict and warned that Iran and its allies had “unforgettable lessons” in store for Washington.

Kuwait has accused Iran of targeting a power and water plant in the country for the second time on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera. The reported attack has heightened concerns among residents that continued strikes could affect essential services and disrupt supply chains.

Citing local residents, the report said demand for bottled water and canned food had risen as people feared basic necessities could become difficult to obtain.

One resident also told the broadcaster that streets and beaches were unusually deserted despite the public holiday.

Kuwait’s General Staff announced that the country’s air defence systems are actively responding to what it described as “hostile missile and drone attacks” following what it called “sinful Iranian aggression”.

In a post on X, the military said, “Any explosions heard are a result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks”.

Public attacks on President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi during Ali Khamenei’s funeral have exposed deepening divisions within Iran’s leadership over efforts to pursue a peace truce with the United States. Read More

• The US military said it had concluded its eighth consecutive night of operations against Iran, targeting coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime assets, and sites used to store missiles and drones.
• Iranian media reported explosions across several coastal locations, including Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Hajiabad and Shadegan.
• Meanwhile, Iran’s army claimed it had carried out a large-scale drone attack targeting an ammunition depot at Camp Al Adiri and air defence radar systems at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
• Iran’s embassy in India said seven civilians, including two girls, were killed in a US air strike on a bridge in Bandar Khamir.
• Iranian media reported that a magnitude 5 earthquake struck the southwestern province of Khuzestan, where several US strikes were carried out overnight.
• Iraq said it is examining plans for a strategic oil pipeline linking Basra to Kirkuk and extending to Turkiye’s Ceyhan port, with a possible branch to Syria’s Banias, as Baghdad looks to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.

The US said its latest strikes targeted members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards allegedly responsible for the deadly attack in Jordan.