Summary

• Israeli Defense Minister Katz: "soon we will need to act again in Iran to ensure that the regime cannot threaten Israel for years to come." Oil spikes on this and new reports of Israeli defense build-up at ports, air hubs.

• Not giving up nuclear program: Iran will "guard" its "advanced technologies" like it does its own borders, Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written speech read aloud by state TV. It will "secure the Persian Gulf region and dismantle the hostile enemy's exploitation of this waterway."

• US military teases cutting-edge, not yet tested in battle, hypersonic missiles for Mideast region as CENTCOM head set to brief Trump on further military options at White House.

• Brent crude for June delivery reached as much as $126 a barrel in trading on Thursday, before easing to $114 - as oil prices have surge to their highest levels since 2022 as Trump mulls a military-enforced Iran blockade extension.

Oil Spikes on Israeli Defense Chief's Threats of New Strikes

Israel Defense Minister Katz has said in a Thursday briefing: "It is possible that soon we will need to act again in Iran to ensure that the regime cannot threaten Israel for years to come," according to a local reporter.

According to more, he said that while Israel supports the United States' diplomatic efforts with Iran, it may "soon be required to act again" to remove the "existential threats" posed by the Islamic Republic.