US-Iran war as it happened: One Iranian soccer player reverses asylum decision and will return to Iran; Ships targeted in Strait of Hormuz; ACCC investigates petrol price gouging

Thank you for reading our rolling coverage of the Israeli-US war on Iran and its impacts throughout the world.

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Here’s a recap of today’s biggest stories.

• One member of the Iranian women’s soccer team who accepted a humanitarian visa to stay in Australia has changed her mind and sought to return to Iran, said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. That means a total of six Iranians have accepted the government’s offer to remain in Australia. While waiting to board a flight leaving Australia last night, several players interviewed by this masthead – flanked by chaperones – said they wanted to return home to be with their families.
• Speculation remained over the health of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after the son of Iran’s president said, “he is healthy and there is no problem”. This is contrary to references in state media that Khamenei was wounded in the war, and reports that he was injured in the initial US-Israeli strike.
• Three cargo ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz today, as Iran vows to control the major oil choke point despite threats from US President Donald Trump.
• Two Iranian drones have struck near Dubai International Airport and wounded four people, though flights continue, officials say. The attack caused “minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national,” the city-state’s government said.
• Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are causing a widening humanitarian crisis. Almost 700,000 people have been displaced since the latest Israeli incursion across Lebanon’s southern border. Strikes across the country killed 14, Lebanon’s health ministry said. An apartment in Beirut was also struck, terrifying residents.
• The Australian dollar has emerged as an unlikely haven, buoyed by elevated oil and gas prices and growing bets that the central bank may raise interest rates as early as next week. The Aussie climbed to its highest level since June 2022 – US71.68¢ – and reached more than a 35-year high against the yen, making it the top-performing major currency this year.

World shares were mixed today as the recent rally faded and oil prices resumed climbing with no end to the Iran war in sight.

Oil prices have remained sharply below their peaks near $US120 a barrel. Such spikes have been rocking financial markets worldwide due to worries that the war could block the global flow of oil and natural gas for an extended time.

Early on Wednesday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, had jumped 2.6 per cent to $US90.11. US benchmark crude oil was up 3.2 per cent at $US86 a barrel.

The Australian sharemarket rose 0.6 per cent to 8743.50.

In Germany, the DAX slipped 1.6 per cent to 23,600.11, while the CAC 40 in Paris fell 1 per cent to 7980.45. Britain’s FTSE 100 also shed 1 per cent, to 10,307.63.

Markets were mixed in Asia, where Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.4 per cent to 55,025.37.

South Korea’s Kospi picked up 1.4 per cent to 5,609.95 after gaining more than 3 per cent earlier in the day.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng fell back, slipping 0.2 per cent to 25,898.76, while the Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.3 per cent to 4133.43.

Taiwan’s benchmark climbed 4.1 per cent and the Sensex in India fell 1.5 per cent. In Bangkok, the SET gained 0.7 per cent.

AP