The US and Iran have agreed to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, as President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the meeting would start at 10:00 (06:00 GMT) in Muscat. US officials also confirmed it would happen there. The talks had appeared to be in jeopardy, with the two countries at odds over the location and parameters. Trump has built up US forces in the region and threatened military action if Iran does not agree a deal on its nuclear programme and stop killing protesters.

The Iranian drone that the U.S. military says it shot down after it "aggressively approached" a Navy aircraft carrier was conducting a surveillance mission, Iranian media reports.

Wild fluctuations in the price of gold continued on Wednesday as geopolitical tensions reignited after the US downed an Iranian drone . The precious metal, which is seen as a so-called safe haven for investors in times of uncertainty, shot back above $5,000 (£3,650) an ounce following days of sharp falls. Gold prices had been propelled to record highs by rapid changes in US trade policy, ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and conflict and central banks increasing their purchases of bullion. Wednesday's jump, to $5,061 per ounce, left the price of gold around 80% higher than the same time a year ago. A US military spokesman confirmed the Iranian drone had been shot down after it aggressively approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Tehran has not commented on Tuesday's incident.

An Iranian drone was shot down as it aggressively approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, a US military spokesman has said. An F-35C stealth fighter jet which took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln warship shot down the drone in self-defence to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel, US Central Command spokesman Capt Tim Hawkins said. The ship was approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast when the drone approached it with unclear intent. No US service members were harmed and no equipment was damaged. It comes as the US continues to build up a military presence in the region, with tensions high between Washington and Tehran.

Iran says'ready for war' Which are Iran's main opposition groups? The United States military says it shot down an Iranian drone that approached a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, amid continued efforts by regional powers to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. In a statement on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said a US fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln "shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board". CENTCOM said the drone "aggressively approached" the aircraft carrier with "unclear intent" and it "continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters". There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities on the incident.

Israel activated a new aerial defense system – dubbed "Barak Magen" – for the first time on Sunday night, saying it intercepted and destroyed multiple Iranian drones. Israel activated a new aerial defense system – dubbed "Barak Magen," meaning "lightning shield" – for the first time on Sunday night, saying it intercepted and destroyed multiple Iranian drones. The Israeli Navy intercepted eight Iranian drones using the "Barak Magen" and its long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor, which were launched from an Israeli navy Sa'ar 6 missile ship, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. John Hannah, senior fellow at the National Security of America and the co-author of a report published earlier this month on Israel's defense against two massive Iranian missile attacks in 2024, told Fox News Digital on Monday that the air defense system "significantly enhances" the air and missile defense architecture of Israel's navy. "The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel's highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture – which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world," Hannah said.

With the collapse of the Assad regime and Russia's declining influence in Syria, some are saying that an opportunity for a rapprochement between Israel and Ukraine now exists, where it hadn't before. "Israel needs to be more involved in supporting Ukraine," Yuli Edelstein, the chair of Israel's Foreign Affairs and Defense Community and a member of the ruling Likud party, told Fox News Digital. "The situation has changed, it's time for Israel to step up." Edelstein, a leading voice in Israel's defense and foreign policy discussions, said "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," adding, "We see a strategic alliance between the Russians and the Iranians. If before it was the great Russia adopting Iran, now it's important to recognize that the balance of power has changed."

The response by Israel and other nations to Iran's aerial attack kept the majority of its drones and missiles from landing in Israel, ensuring they caused only light damage and a handful of injuries, Israeli officials said. An unexpected -- and for some, unwelcome -- actor played a role in Israel's defense: Jordan, the Arab kingdom next door. Jordan fought four wars with Israel between 1948 and 1973 before signing a peace treaty in 1994. Its population is heavily made up of Palestinians, and their descendants, who were barred from returning to their homes by Israel after the 1948 war that followed the establishment of the Jewish state. Jordan's involvement was welcomed by older Israelis who remembered when Jordan would shell Israel.

Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports that the U.S. military has shot down'dozens' of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as attack drones. Israelis breathed easier in the early hours of Sunday, after an attack from Iranian drones and missiles largely fizzled in the face of the Jewish state's powerful air defenses with assistance from the U.S. military and other allies. A senior US official told Fox News that the U.S. military has shot down "at least dozens" of Iranian drones en route to Israel early Sunday local time, adding that U.S. military engagement is ongoing. "U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region," a U.S. military official told Fox News.

Tehran launched its overnight attack in response to the killing of its Quds Force Commander, Major General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was killed two weeks ago in an air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.