Iran-Trump live: US military ‘to strike within days’ after White House warns Tehran to make a deal

Iran is expected to submit a written proposal on how to avoid its standoff with the United States.

A senior US official told Reuters a proposal was expected on Wednesday, following talks in Geneva earlier this week.

They added that top national security advisors had been briefed that the US would otherwise have all its forces deployed to the region by mid-March.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on the weekend of February 28, the official said.

“The boss is getting fed up,” a Trump advisor told Axios as nuclear talks fail to make a breakthrough.

“Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90 per cent chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”

Here’s why Trump insiders think strikes are getting closer despite the restarting of talks:

The son of the British couple sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran says he hopes the UK government will act and use every available avenue to secure their release.

Joe Bennett, the son of Lindsay Foreman, said in a statement on Thursday: “My parents have now been sentenced to ten years following a trial that lasted just three hours and in which they were not allowed to present any defence.

“They have consistently denied the allegations. We have seen no evidence to support the charge of espionage.

“They have already spent more than thirteen months in detention. We are deeply concerned about their welfare and about the lack of transparency in the judicial process.”

“We were previously told that once sentencing occurred, further action would follow. We now hope that the UK Government will act decisively and use every available avenue to secure their release.”

A British couple detained in Iran since last year have been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested last January while travelling the world and accused of gathering information.

They were sentenced following an October court appearance in which they were not permitted to present a defence.

Family members said no evidence was disclosed at the trial. The Foremans deny the allegations against them.

Ms Foreman told the BBC from Evin prison that they wanted to “exercise their right to be heard” and use Iran’s legal system to show what it was doing was “unfair and unjust”.

“We have done what we can to be respectful of their system, to be patient with the legal process and believing that our innocence will prevail but it doesn't seem to be the case,” she said.

According to the family, the Foremans have been subjected to long periods of solitary confinement, have been delayed access to funds for basic necessities, and have received limited or delayed access to legal representation since they arrived.

The family said they will seek further engagement from the foreign secretary following the verdict. Yvette Cooper said they would pursue the case “pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family”.

The Kremlin urged restraint from both sides on Thursday, as it prepared for joint naval drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman.

Moscow said it was developing relations with the regime, while warning Tehran “and other parties” to exercise “restraint and prudence”.

A statement clarified that today’s naval drills were planned well in advance of the current tensions.

Iranian navy commander Hassan Maghsoodloo told Iranian media earlier that the drills would focus on countering “activities threatening maritime security and safety” including “maritime terrorism”.

Iran temporarily shut part of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route this week to carry out naval drills amid growing tensions with the US.

Tuesday’s move was the first time the waterway had been closed since the 1980s.

One of the world’s most strategically important routes, around 20 per cent of oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Experts have previously warned that closing the Strait could cause a hike in oil prices if fuel is unable to get through.

State media announced it would be partially shut for several hours due to “security precautions” as the Revolutionary Guard carried out military drills.

Iran was today preparing for joint drills with Russia in the Sea of Oman.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck southern Iran, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said on Thursday.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles), GFZ said.

Polish citizens in Iran should leave immediately, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday, warning that due to the potential for armed conflict evacuation may no longer be possible in a matter of hours.

"Please leave Iran immediately... and do not go to this country under any circumstances," Tusk said.

Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that the joint US base at Diego Garcia and the US-operated RAF base at Fairford could be used in strikes against Iran.

Fairford is owned by the British ministry of defence but used by the US Air Force as a bomber forward operating base.

Trump defended the suggestion by arguing that Iran could potentially attack the UK otherwise.