US downplays conflict even as strikes, sanctions and naval blockade squeeze IranLast updated: September 05, 2026 | 06:50Gulf News ReportDonald TrumpIranUS-Israel-Iran warStrait of HormuzA juice seller serves beachgoers from his cart as commercial vessels sit anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran. APThe Iran conflict remains fluid, with US Vice President JD Vance saying he would not call it a war despite renewed clashes. Iran has accused the US of a war crime over a strike on a wedding gathering that killed four people. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has warned of more strikes, while US sanctions and a naval blockade deepen Iran’s economic crisis. Shipping risks remain severe around the Strait of Hormuz. Follow all the latest developments here:HighlightsSHOW MORE06:50 AM, 5 September 2026We are closing this live coverage. For the latest updates, click here.11:24 PM, 4 September 2026Trump says US may strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain 'very soon'President ​Donald Trump ‌told reporters on Friday ​that ​the United States ⁠may hit ​Iran's Pickaxe ​Mountain very soon.Pickaxe Mountain, located ​near ​Iran's heavily damaged Natanz ‌uranium ⁠enrichment facility, is a heavily ​fortified ​site ⁠that hosts ​two deeply ​buried ⁠tunnel complexes.11:24 PM, 4 September 2026Photos show destruction and mourning after a strike on an Iranian weddingDays after a missile strike hit a home in southern Iran during a wedding celebration, images show the destruction left behind and mourners gathering for a mass funeral for those killed.11:00 PM, 4 September 2026Trump says Iran war is 'small potatoes' for USPresident Donald Trump said Friday that the Iran war was "small potatoes" for the United States, a day after Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn't describe the conflict as a war."A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing. We did Venezuela, and we did this," Trump told reporters when asked about Vance's comments.10:20 PM, 4 September 2026Israeli strike on Lebanon kills two: state media