5m ago / 10:26 AM EDTIranian Navy fired on four ships that attempted to pass through Persian Gulf, Iranian media reportsIranian media reported that the Iranian Navy fired warning shots at four vessels that attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this morning without authorization. The vessels were forced to stop and turn away, Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim said, citing military sources.The Iranian Navy meanwhile said in a statement that it stopped several ships that attempted to enter the Persian Gulf without authorization.In its statement, the Iranian Navy said that the ships attempted to enter the Persian Gulf without permission by altering and turning off their navigation systems. After several radio warnings, it stopped two vessels in place and the others were forced to turn back, the statemet said. It did not say whether shots were fired.The statement also said 26 commercial ships and oil tankers were permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, having coordinated with Iranian authorities.The Iranian Navy also threatened a "harsh response" if the U.S. continues to strike Iran, accusing the U.S. military of violating the ceasefire agreement by firing several missiles near Bandar Abbas.32m ago / 9:59 AM EDTGulf Cooperation Council condemns latest Iranian attack on KuwaitThe Gulf Cooperation Council, which is composed of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, today said it condemned in the strongest terms “the continued heinous Iranian attacks on the State of Kuwait.”Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the secretary general of the council, said in a statement that the “treacherous attacks” were a “flagrant violation” of international law and the United Nations Charter.Albudaiwi said the GCC and its member states fully support Kuwait “in all measures it undertakes to maintain its security and stability, as well as the safety of its citizens and residents.”2h ago / 9:22 AM EDTIsraeli strikes kill at least 14 in major Lebanon city ahead of Washington talksThe Israeli military early Thursday pounded Lebanon’s fourth largest city, killing at least 14 people across the south of the country in its ongoing military escalation against the Hezbollah group ahead of crucial talks in Washington.Among those killed in the flurry of strikes were five women and children and a Lebanese soldier. Dozens of others were wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and the state-run National News Agency.A man surveys the damage at the site of an Israeli strike today in Tyre, southern Lebanon. Kawnat Haju / AFP via Getty ImagesAn Israeli soldier meanwhile was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel, the Israeli military said.The intensification comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion in the Israeli military’s attacks in Lebanon, apparently sparked by Hezbollah’s use of fiber-optic exploding drones that have struck Israeli troops in Lebanon and reached some of Israel’s northern border towns.Read the full story here.2h ago / 9:22 AM EDTTrump says he’s not thinking about politics during Iran nuclear talks Under pressure from soaring gas prices, President Trump said he’s not thinking about the midterms as he tries to wrangle a deal to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."They thought they were going to out wait me," he said. "Very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." 2h ago / 9:22 AM EDTIran and U.S. trade new strikes as Trump dismisses pressure to end war Iran fired a missile at an American airbase in Kuwait Thursday just hours after the U.S. attacked the Islamic Republic, with both sides accusing the other of violating their shaky ceasefire and further imperiling diplomatic efforts to end the war.Kuwait shot down the ballistic missile, the American and Kuwaiti militaries said. No damage or casualties were reported.A U.S. official said that American forces in Kuwait were the suspected target. Iran said it had targeted a U.S. base responsible for strikes late Wednesday in Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port city near the Strait of Hormuz.Hours earlier, President Donald Trump signaled an agreement between the two sides wasn’t close, and that he would not be rushed by either international economic pressure or the political pressure of upcoming midterm elections.Read full story here.