By The Associated Press 

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war’s aim is a popular overthrow of Iran’s government, and “we are breaking their bones.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump “is not making anything up” as he offers varying justifications for launching the war.

The U.S. stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Tuesday after Trump’s signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets. The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 U.S. troops have been injured, 8 severely.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed any suggestion of seeking a ceasefire, while another top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, warned Trump himself, writing on X that “Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”

Here is the latest:
G7 Leaders to hold talks on energy issues prompted by the war in the Middle East
Leaders of the Group of Seven most advanced economies will hold the meeting via videoconference Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement.
The talks will focus on “the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East, in particular the energy situation and measures to mitigate its impact,” it said.

France currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7.
Earlier Tuesday a meeting of G7 energy ministers discussed a potential use of strategic oil reserves to bring down prices.
Energy Department blames staffer for inaccurate social media post on oil tanker escort

A spokesperson said the video clip posted by Energy Secretary Chris Wright was deleted from his official X account after it was determined that it was incorrectly captioned by department staff. The post, which claimed that the U.S. Navy had helped an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, was quickly taken down.

Spokesperson Ben Dietderich said the secretary and other officials are “closely monitoring the situation” in the strait, a key access point for oil and natural gas shipments in the Middle East. The military is considering additional options to keep it open “including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” Dietderich said.

The prospect of military escorts could help reduce price pressures created by the war.

Trump says US targeted mine-laying vessels
Trump says the U.S. military “completely destroyed” 10 inactive Iranian mine-laying vessels after reports of Iranian action in the Strait of Hormuz.

And in his social media post he added that there would be “more to follow.” The announcement came soon after two other social media postings by the U.S. president in which he said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway, but also warned Tehran that if it did, he wants them immediately removed.

Iranian diplomat says the UN is ‘turning a blind eye’ to the impact of US-Israeli strikes
The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations once again criticized the U.N. and its most powerful body — the Security Council — for what he characterized as continued silence while the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran stretches into its 11th day.

“The Council is turning a blind eye to these grave violations, despite its primary responsibility under the U.N. Charter to maintain international peace and security,” Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters Tuesday.

“Today it is Iran,” he said, “tomorrow it could be any other sovereign state.”

US stocks slip as Wall Street waits for the next signal on how long war with Iran may last

The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Tuesday after giving up an early gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat.

Oil prices pulled back from where they were in the final moments of the U.S. stock market’s trading late Monday. That was after they plunged from nearly $120 per barrel toward $90 on hopes for a quick end to the war.

Stocks rose in Asia and Europe in their first chance to trade after that fall for oil prices.

Trump is worried about Iran putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. president said he has no reports of Iran putting explosive mines in the strategic waterway. But if Tehran did, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” he posted on social media.

“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote.

The concern is that mines could make it impossible for tankers to pass through the strait, which could cause oil and natural gas prices to rise. Trump has been sensitive to higher energy prices as a domestic political issue, as his economic argument to voters is based on keeping gasoline costs low.

A fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, which is only about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

UN Security Council to vote on demanding Iran stop attacking its Arab neighbors
The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, condemns Iran’s attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The measure calls for an immediate end to all strikes and threats against neighboring states, including through proxies.

A vote has been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, three diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

The draft, sponsored by Gulf Cooperation Council members, would be the first Security Council resolution considered since Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran and Tehran responded with attacks against Israel and across the region.
— Edith M. Lederer

Trump administration offers $20 billion in reinsurance to get tankers moving
Military escorts could reopen the Strait of Hormuz for oil and natural gas shipments and reduce a global supply shortage created by the Iran war. And Trump has said the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the strait if necessary. But those escorts haven’t happened yet, the White House said Tuesday.

For now, the Trump administration is providing ship reinsurance — $20 billion on a rolling basis, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. said — so that shipping companies operating in the Gulf region can be insured against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions or violence.

There are currently about 400 oil and product tankers idle in the Gulf, and one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident on Monday, according to data from MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data.

More explosions heard in Doha as Iran’s neighbors intercept missiles
The Qatari Defense Ministry says it intercepted another missile attack from Iran. Earlier in the day, Qatar said it intercepted five Iranian ballistic missiles launched, with no casualties or damage reported.

The defense ministry of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, said it has intercepted 105 ballistic missiles and 176 drones since the war began. One hit a residential building in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight others, the Interior Ministry said.

Israel’s military said it launched new airstrikes targeting Iran’s capital, Tehran, where witnesses reported some of the heaviest bombing yet. Hegseth said Tuesday’s U.S. bombardments would be the most intense so far in the war.

The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said nine drones hit the country on Tuesday, while it intercepted eight missiles and 26 drones, and that the attacks have killed six people and injured 122 others.

A ship likely came under attack in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Abu Dhabi, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported. If confirmed, that would expand the radius of ongoing assaults against shipping by Iran.

Germany’s foreign minister says Iran is ‘not ready’ for an end the war
“If they were ready for a diplomatic solution, it is achievable,” Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Jerusalem. “But for now, this is what we hear from Tehran, they are not ready for a diplomatic solution. And as long as this is not the case, we still have to wait.”

Wadephul met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar. It is the first visit by a European official to Israel since the beginning of the war with Iran.

White House avoids explaining why Trump erroneously claimed Iran has Tomahawks
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t answer why Trump falsely asserted on Monday that Iran has access to the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, the weapon likely used to strike a girls school in Iran, killing 165 people.

She responded in part that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.”

Raytheon, the U.S. manufacturer of the Tomahawk, sells the weapon to some allies, but there is no evidence to suggest that Iran has gotten its hands on the cruise missile.

Israel says Iran is using cluster munitions. What to know about the weapons

Israel says Iran has been firing cluster munitions throughout this war, adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s already-stretched air defenses.

The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proved lethal.

Normally restrictive about releasing information on Iranian hits and damage, Israeli authorities in recent days have sought to educate the public about their dangers, which can persist as unexploded bombs on the ground even after civilians leave shelters. At least three people have been killed, including two at a construction site in central Israel on Tuesday.

Over 120 countries have signed an international convention banning the use of cluster munitions. Israel, the United States and Iran are among the nations that have not joined the treaty. Israel used the weapon when it fought the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in 2006.