Strait of Hormuz shut until Tehran's conditions met, Ghalibaf says
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint with peace talks stalled.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
Those talks broke down as the U.S. and Iran continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz as the primary flashpoint. Trump then said in August that the U.S. would launch a "crushing economic operation" to force Tehran into submission.
Key Headlines
- Strait of Hormuz won't open until Iranian conditions met, Ghalibaf says
- State Department advises Americans to 'seriously reconsider' travel in Middle East, citing Houthi hostilities in Saudi Arabia
- Iran’s security chief calls for end to Saudi-Yemen war, says future nuclear policy depends on US conduct
- Saudi Arabia confirms Houthis tried to attack Riyadh with a ballistic missile
Trump says US is 'talking' to Houthis
President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with NewsNation Friday that the U.S. is currently "talking" with the Houthis, and claimed the Iran-backed group is looking to secure a deal.
"We're talking to the Houthis also and they would like to see if we can make a deal," he reportedly said.
Trump said something similar in Ireland last week, when he claimed that the U.S. and Houthis have had "discussions."
When asked about his comments to Axios Thursday, in which the president said he has a "big decision" to make on whether or not he should "annihilate" Iran, Trump did not provide NewsNation with new details.
He repeated his insistence that Iran wants to make a deal saying, "we’ll see what happens."
"Right now they want to make a deal. If the deal's not a correct deal then I wouldn't even think about it," he told NewsNation.
-ABC News' Emily Chang
Houthis deny reports of targeting Mecca, vow to continue fight
The Houthis will continue to fight "the Saudi enemy" and blockade Saudi ships in the Red Sea, the Houthis' military arm said in a statement Friday.
The statement primarily addressed the Saudi claim that the Houthis had targeted the holy city of Mecca. The Houthis called the claim the "Big Lie" and a "monstrous slander leveled against our people."
"We assert our natural right to respond to this aggression through all legitimate means and forms of retaliation, and we authorize our leadership and army to respond in the appropriate manner," the statement read.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaulé
Diesel prices at record highs, oil holds above $100
The average price for a gallon of diesel was still hovering around a record-high of $6.43 as of Friday morning, according to the latest data published by GasBuddy.
Oil prices, meanwhile, edged lower but remained above $100 a barrel. Brent crude oil prices, a benchmark for global trading, were around $103 per barrel as of Friday morning, down roughly 1.3%. WTI crude oil, used as the North American benchmark, was trading at around $102 per barrel down 0.4%.
The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular gas was at $4.47 as of Friday, according to GasBuddy -- up $1.53 since the U.S. war with Iran started.
-ABC News' Zunaira Zaki
Italian fighter jet hit in attack on Saudi air base, defense minister says
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed on Friday that an Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet was "hit" during a Thursday night attack on the King Fahad Air Base in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
"An Italian F-2000 aircraft was hit, which was located inside the base in a remote area," Crosetto said in a statement posted to X by the Italian Defense Ministry, using the Italian air force's designation for the Typhoon. "There are no other damages to vehicles or infrastructure used by our personnel."
The air base, Crosetto said, "has been the target of several attacks." Italian troops engaged in Operation Inherent Resolve -- the U.S.-led coalition campaign against ISIS -- are deployed at the facility, which is also known as the Taif air base.
Crosetto did say who was responsible for the strike. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed multiple drone and ballistic missile attacks on the King Fahad Air Base in recent weeks.