Iran losing control over Iraqi militias amid weakened IRGC - report

Recent US intelligence assessments show roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact and thousands of one-way attack drones are still in its arsenal despite weeks of US and Israeli strikes, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the findings.

"Thousands of Iranian drones still exist — roughly 50% of the country’s drone capabilities — two of the sources said the intelligence indicated," the report said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday Australia is not taking offensive action against Iran or deploying ground troops, while supporting de-escalation after joining over 40 countries in talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran is deliberately inflicting economic pain on communities worldwide, including the Indo-Pacific, with the costs borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable. Australia joined partners in condemning the Iranian regime’s weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz," Wong posted on X.

US Central Command said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim that it downed an “enemy” fighter jet over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz is false, adding that all US aircraft are accounted for.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that any UN Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz would worsen the situation, according to a statement published on his Telegram channel.

“Issuing a resolution by the Security Council regarding the Strait of Hormuz will not only solve no problem, but will itself become part of the problem,” Araghchi said.

He added that the current insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz stems from US and Israeli military actions, and said vessels from countries not involved in attacks on Iran are continuing to transit the waterway in coordination with Iranian armed forces.

A drone manufacturer backed by President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons is seeking to sell interceptor drones to countries astride the Persian Gulf facing attacks from Iran, the Associated Press reported.

Powerus, a Florida-based firm that recently brought on Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., is pitching its systems to countries reliant on US military support, the report said.

The report cited Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich as saying that the company is making sales pitches that include drone demonstrations in several countries astride the Persian Gulf to show how its defensive drone interceptors could help them ward off Iranian attacks.