Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers, here are the latest updates: US President Donald Trump mentioned that Washington might seek European nations to release diesel from their emergency reserves due to the war's impact on global fuel supplies. Trump stated, "We may ask them to do that," during a press conference on Thursday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advised European states to do so immediately.

Yemen's armed forces announced that their warplanes conducted 20 precision strikes on Houthi targets over the past three hours in Taiz province. The spokesperson revealed that the attacks targeted Houthi movements, reinforcements, gatherings, personnel, vehicles, and military equipment, resulting in losses for the group. Trump warned of severe consequences if Iran fails to reach an agreement with Washington, stating that the confrontation with Tehran will end very soon.

He proclaimed, "Either they’ll do something very proper and smart, or they won’t be around very long." The Quds Force commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, described the US situation as "humiliating" across the Middle East. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior advisor to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, also suggested that the US withdrawal from Iraq indicates a decline in Washington's regional power.

An oil supertanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a missile, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. The attack occurred eight kilometers off the coast of Oman, but no perpetrator was attributed.