Germany demands Iran renounce nuclear weapons; US approves $12 billion in arms sales to Middle East allies

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Thursday demanded Iran fully and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghtschi. "As a close ally of the US, we share the same goal: Iran must fully and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz," Wadephul wrote on X. Araghtschi only said that regional and international developments were discussed.

US President Donald Trump said he would review an Iranian proposal to end the war but doubted it would be acceptable. "I can't imagine that it will be acceptable," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that Tehran had not yet paid a "sufficiently high price." Trump did not rule out resuming attacks on Iran, saying the possibility exists when asked by a journalist in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The US State Department approved the sale of Patriot missile defense systems to Qatar worth over $4 billion, citing an "emergency" to improve the security of a friendly country facing "current and future threats" in reference to the Iran war. The department also approved weapons sales to Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates worth over $8.6 billion. The planned arms deals require confirmation by the US Congress.

Iranian Vice Foreign Minister Kasem Gharibabadi said Iran is "ready for both options" – diplomacy or confrontation. "Iran presented its plan to the Pakistani mediator to permanently end the imposed war," Gharibabadi told foreign ambassadors in Tehran. "The ball is now in the US court." Iranian Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Niksad announced a law to put the Strait of Hormuz under full military authority, with transit fees and a ban on Israel-linked ships. "We will not give up our rights in the strait," Niksad said.

Israel purchased two new squadrons of fighter jets – F-35 and F-15IA – worth several billion shekels (one euro currently at 3.5 shekels). The Israeli Defense Ministry said the purchase is part of a broader strategy to strengthen readiness for a challenging decade for Israeli security. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Iran war demonstrated the air force's strength and its decisive role in protecting Israel, and that capabilities must be expanded to ensure Israel's edge in the coming decades.

The Israeli military damaged a building on a "religious site" in the village of Jarun in southern Lebanon during an operation against Hezbollah. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee said soldiers destroying "terrorist infrastructure" damaged one of the houses in a "religious compound," adding there were "no visible signs that it was a religious building." The French Catholic aid organization L'Oeuvre d'Orient said the site was a Salvatorian convent and condemned "this deliberate act of destruction of a place of worship." The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied the site was destroyed, posting on X that it was "intact and safe." The Israeli military ordered residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate at least one kilometer into open ground, saying it is conducting operations against Hezbollah after it violated the ceasefire agreement.

Iran executed two men convicted of spying for Israel, according to judiciary website "Misan Online." One man was accused of filming and photographing military and security sites and sending the footage to a Mossad officer during the 12-day war between Iran and the United States in June 2025. The other was accused of passing information about "religious and provincial figures" and "important centers such as the Natanz area" to Mossad. Natanz houses a major Iranian nuclear facility.