• Multiple sites in southern Iran have been hit by renewed strikes, according to local officials and state media.
  These strikes include attacks near the Bushehr nuclear facility in southern Iran.
• A US official claims that the American military was not behind these latest strikes.
• The official also insisted that technical talks with Tehran continued despite three days of escalating military exchanges.
• This, even though US President Donald Trump had said earlier in the week that the truce with Iran was “over”.
• Mourners gathered on Thursday in Mashhad for the burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on February 28, the first day of the war on Iran.

Technical talks continue between US, Iran

There has been the question about whether or not the US is still committed to diplomacy and the MoU, given the fact that the US president said on Wednesday in Ankara that he felt that it was dead.

We do know, according to a US official, that the US is still committed to finding a resolution with Iran, not only to bring about the end of the conflict, but … [also] to limit Iran’s nuclear programme and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In other words, we know there have been talks at the technical level in order to advance this agenda, with US officials reportedly saying that there is still an ongoing commitment to those technical talks and they do continue.

The latest attacks on Iran

• Explosions were reported across southern Iran on Thursday by state media and local officials, including near the Bushehr nuclear facility.
• The attacks focused on multiple sites in southern Iran, including the cities of Konarak and Sirik.
  Iran blamed “the enemy” for the attacks, but did not name this “enemy”.
• A US official claims that Washington was not behind the latest attacks and still wanted to pursue diplomacy with Tehran.
• Analysts said that if the US was indeed not behind the attacks, the finger of blame is likely to shift towards Israel, though there has been no confirmation from any side so far.
• The US and Iran have been trading attacks since Tuesday, with Tehran additionally hitting military sites across the Gulf, including in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, further straining the fragile ceasefire deal agreed to in mid-June.

US avoided attacking Iran on Thursday after regional de-escalation efforts: Axios

Despite a week of attacks between the US and Iran, the US sought to de-escalate the situation on Thursday, US officials told news outlet Axios.

The Trump administration is “still committed to finding a resolution, and technical-level talks continue” to reach a nuclear deal, Axios reported.

Qatari, Pakistani and other regional mediators conducted multiple phone calls between Iran and the US on Wednesday, trying to bring both parties back to the negotiating table.

“There are extensive diplomatic efforts to first agree with both sides on de-escalation and then set a date for another round of negotiations between the technical teams,” one regional source involved in the mediation told Axios.

There is still a commitment from US officials to the technical talks between the two countries.

Why US strategic oil reserves offer clue to Trump’s war capacity

Last month, the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to its lowest level since 1983 as renewed tensions between the US and Iran raised concerns about the stability of global oil supplies and prices.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged to reporters on Wednesday that anytime the US strikes Iran, oil prices jump.

And they did. Brent futures topped their highest level since June 19 on Wednesday. Brent futures settled at $78.02 a barrel, up 5.2 percent from the day before.

Meanwhile, the SPR fell by 6.2 million barrels in the week ending July 3 to 319.5 million barrels, according to data from the Department of Energy, marking its lowest level since the Reagan administration. It has a storage capacity of 713.5 million barrels.

That serves as a red flag for the US — and the global oil economy.

The US has been releasing oil from the reserve during the war on Iran to ensure that the global economy does not suffer from crippling crude shortages, and to ensure prices don’t leap to catastrophic levels. But ensuring that the strategic reserve has enough in it is also critical — that helps signal to financial markets that the US has tools at its disposal to keep the global oil economy in check.

That’s why the US cannot allow the strategic reserve to be depleted to levels that are much lower than at present — which in turn could limit President Trump’s war options.

US military struggling with asymmetric challenge in the Gulf, analyst says

Dan Grazier, a former US Marine Corps officer, says that the threat of naval mine warfare in the Strait of Hormuz poses a disproportionate risk to global trade and presents a complex challenge that Washington has yet to solve.

Grazier agreed with the assessment that even minimal action from Iran could effectively close the vital shipping lane, noting that “mine warfare is really tricky” and that “all Iran would have to do is launch one or two, and then it becomes a huge operation to try to clear those waterways”.

He added that because the vessels transiting the region are highly valuable, “any activity like that would have a big effect on global trade”.

According to Grazier, this dynamic exemplifies the core difficulties of asymmetric conflict, creating a significant dilemma for American policymakers trying to withdraw from the situation without appearing weak.

“That is a really tricky conundrum for officials here in Washington, because Iran has huge advantages where they aren’t trying to project military power beyond their shores,” Grazier said. He explained that the Iranian military “only have to take kind of minor disruptive measures in order to create a big problem for the United States and Israel to deal with in this conflict”.

Grazier urged leadership in Washington to actively seek an end to the hostilities, observing that “this asymmetric type of warfare is a tricky military problem, and frankly, it’s one that the United States has not figured out yet”.

When asked if it is already too late for the US to adapt its strategy, Grazier acknowledged the difficulty of the current circumstances.

“Well, a little bit, we kind of have the tiger by the tail right now,” he said. While noting that “it is possible to learn during a conflict”, Grazier concluded that “it’s much easier to learn after a conflict and try to figure out these kinds of issues, so that we can employ better tactics in the future.”

Israel told Trump Iran was planning to kill him: WSJ

Israel recently told US President Trump that it had intelligence suggesting that Iran was planning an assassination attempt against him, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

CNN separately reported that the intelligence pertained to a “specific” attempt. The US government and Iran have not responded to these reports and claims, but Washington has in the past claimed that it had thwarted multiple attempts by Iran to kill Trump.

Speaking in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this week, Trump had referred to the perceived threat to his life from Iran, which he said had him on its target list.

We are in the possession of a interview fragment from June 16, 2025, in which Netanyahu is claiming without evidence to Fox News, that Iran wanted twice to kill Trump.

Iran says NATO summit in Ankara politically motivated

Iran has said the meeting, and its focus on the strait and Iran’s nuclear program, is politically motivated, Iranian state media IRNA reported.

The Iranian Embassy in Turkiye said the country’s nuclear program is peaceful, emphasizing that Tehran is not looking to develop nuclear weapons. The embassy added that Iran has a responsibility to maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz and that the destabilizing actions of other countries are the primary source of insecurity in the region, IRNA reported.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, called out NATO chief Mark Rutte’s “relentless self-congratulation for serving an illegal war of choice”, saying NATO’s support of the US-Israel war on his country “exposes the servile mindset of a fawning courtier who fancies that flattery can erase a king’s contempt”.

‘Defective status of inconclusive negotiations’: US congressman slams Trump’s strategy on Iran

Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta has criticized Donald Trump over the ongoing military conflict with Iran, warning that the administration’s actions demonstrate a failure of both diplomacy and strategic planning.

“Although we can’t rely on what the President says about it, we can rely on the renewed U.S. strikes and Iranian drone attacks to determine the defective status of the inconclusive negotiations and ineffective ceasefire,” he wrote on X.

He added that the current crisis is “the continued effect of entering into war without a clear strategy, congressional approval, or the consensus of the American public”.

“Congress must continue our efforts, with or without the Speaker, to end the Iran War, open up the Strait of Hormuz, and lower prices for Americans,” Panetta said.

Panetta is the son of Leon Panetta, who served as secretary of defence and CIA director during the Obama administration.

Palestine stands with Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain: Palestinian president

The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned Iran’s attacks on Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain this week.

Iran has said it attacked “US bases and strategic centers” in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, after the US bombed Iranian cities on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Abbas’s office expressed solidarity with Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain on Thursday, and reaffirmed Palestine’s support for any measures the countries took to maintain their sovereignty, the Wafa news agency reported.

US may have de-escalated on Thursday due to ongoing mediation

A US defense official is claiming that the explosions being reported in Iran are in no way the result of US actions.

The US defense official did not tell us what may be behind, or who may be behind, the explosions in Iran.

Just having said that, they will only say that they are not the responsibility of the US.

It is being reported here in the US that part of that reason could be because of ongoing negotiations in the region, with a number of countries working to help with mediation efforts.

US committed to finding resolution with Iran: Government official

Despite reports of explosions inside Iran, a US defense official has been telling the US did not conduct military strikes in Iran on Thursday.

Now, according to media reports, that is because there are ongoing efforts in the region to mediate and try to de-escalate the tensions between the US and Iran.

A US official is saying that the US is still committed to finding a resolution, and the technical talks are ongoing.

This US official says that the performance-based MoU is something the US is committed to, even as Iran’s actions are, in the eyes of the US, at an unacceptable performance level.

Mediators are working to try to keep negotiations on track, even as we know that in recent days, the fighting has threatened to derail diplomacy.

Iran says strikes hit south; US denies carrying out attacks

Iranian state media reported strikes on the military headquarters in Bushehr province and the port city of Konarak.

The US are saying it wasn’t responsible for the strikes, which came on the same day as the long-anticipated funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Hormuz shipping grinds to halt as US, Iran resume fighting

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged during renewed fighting between the US and Iran, dealing a new blow to energy markets already reeling from the biggest supply disruption in history.

No large vessel has crossed the strait via the US-coordinated route while broadcasting their location since Tuesday, with traceable crossings via the Oman-hugging lane “effectively grinding to a halt”, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said.

“Data shows no vessels above 10,000 dwt have transited the so-called Southern Highway with their AIS switched on since July 7, although at least two ships are believed to have crossed dark,” the maritime data company said, using the abbreviations for deadweight tonnage and automatic identification system.

Qatar official says ‘diplomacy & mediation’ path to conflict resolution

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that Qatar is committed to diplomacy and dialogue as the path to resolve conflicts and advance lasting security and stability in the Middle East.

Majed al-Ansari made the remarks in London, where he participated in a roundtable discussion at Chatham House during the London Conference 2026, which focused on the new geopolitical realities in the region.

US hasn’t ‘figured out’ how to wrestle back Hormuz from Iran

Dan Grazier, a former US Marine Corps officer, says the response to Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz has been “proportional”, but Washington needs to find a way to halt the fighting.

The US military has hit Iran’s military installations along its southern coast, as well as “fast boats” used to harass ships Tehran hasn’t authorized to sail through the strait, he noted.

“Iran has huge advantages where they aren’t trying to project military power far beyond their shores. They only have to take minor disruptive measures in order to create a big problem for the United States and Israel to deal with,” he said.

“And so, officials here in Washington should really try to find a way to end the fighting, because this kind of asymmetric type warfare is a tricky military problem and, frankly, it’s one that the United States has not figured out yet.”

US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is fast-falling

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has hit its lowest level since 1983, due to growing tensions with Iran and global supply concerns.

President Trump acknowledged to reporters on Wednesday that any time the US strikes Iran, oil prices jump. And they did.

The reserve fell by 6.2 million barrels in the week ending July 3 to 319.5 million barrels – its lowest level since the Reagan administration.

Vessels transit Hormuz despite renewed Iran-US fighting

More liquefied natural gas tankers have resumed transiting the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, according to ship-tracking data.

Despite renewed fighting between the US and Iran, at least five ballast LNG tankers entered the strait in recent days, according to data from Kpler and LSEG.

The vessels include GasLog Shanghai, controlled by Greek shipping company GasLog, and QatarEnergy-linked carriers Al Samriya, Al Dafna, Al Gattara, and Al Rayyan.

Meanwhile, 22 Japan-linked vessels exited, including six large crude oil tankers that transited the strait between July 7 and 9, Japan’s Transport Minister Yasushi Kaneko told a news conference.

Hormuz now the ‘main card of conflict’ between US and Iran

The Strait of Hormuz now seems to be the “main card of conflict” between the United States and Iran, an analyst says.

“It is clear that the Strait of Hormuz and the technicalities around it will be much more deeply complicated,” said Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute.

“I think Iran wants to increase more sovereignty around the strait – more sovereignty that it didn’t enjoy prior to the war. The US wants to ensure it can limit that, but also simultaneously it can easily push further influence into the Strait of Hormuz.”

Both Iran and the US are ignoring the economic and trade dynamics around Hormuz – where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed through before the war – and instead focus on their military influence, he added.

“The US wants to ensure that any competition against the US presence in the Strait of Hormuz will translate into a very direct security threat towards Iran. It’s a clear military strategy to ensure that the conflict or the dispute wouldn’t be centralized just by narrowing it down around the Strait of Hormuz, but also include a direct security implication towards the state of Iran itself.”

Seafarers attacked in Hormuz sue shipping firm in Thailand

Three former crew members of a Thai cargo ship struck in the Strait of Hormuz in March filed a lawsuit on Friday against the vessel’s operator over labor rights violations and unfair dismissal.

The ship, the Mayuree Naree, was hit by a projectile north of Oman on March 11, killing three people. The remaining 20 crew members were rescued and returned to Thailand about a week later.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants endangered their lives by sailing through the strait despite the security risks, according to their lawyer Kunpat Singhathong.

The safety of stranded seafarers in the Gulf has been a source of concern among Asian nations – including India, the Philippines, and Thailand – whose citizens make up a significant portion of ship crews.

“This is not simply a matter of shipping statistics,” said Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the UN’s International Maritime Organization. “Behind the figures are seafarers, and in some cases their families, who continue to bear the human cost of this conflict.”

IRGC chief pledges revenge for killing of supreme leader

The IRGC’s top commander has pledged vengeance against the US and Israel for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it won’t “be erased from the historical memory”.

Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi called for the “full realization of justice and a fitting response to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army”.

“The criminal leaders of America and all enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the Resistance Front must know that by the cowardly assassination of this divine leader they will never … bring the flag of resistance to the ground,” Vahidi said in a statement carried by Sepah news agency.

“Avenging the martyrs and the punishment of the perpetrators … will remain a definitive, legitimate, and an unforgettable demand.”

Vahidi’s comments come after Khamenei was buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, four months after he and four family members died in US-Israeli air strikes.

Gulf nations strategies long-term regional relationships

Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute, says Gulf states are conducting efforts to ensure diplomacy ends the US war on Iran as soon as possible.

“In the long term, we might be seeing different schools of thought and imagining a future relationship with Iran, a future relationship with the US, or imagining new transnational alliances from the regional perspective,” Alkinani said.

Considerations would include how to achieve more deterrence for Iranian and Israeli expansionism, and how to curb too much reliance on the United States, he added.

“Others might want to continue things as they were to ensure that the conflicts were to end,” said Alkinani.

Oil demand recovers as Hormuz shipping slowly resumes

After falling to its lowest point in May, global oil demand is beginning to recover, helped by seasonal consumption and the gradual return of supplies from the Middle East.

Demand is still expected to shrink by about one million barrels a day across 2026, the International Energy Agency said. However, the pace of decline should ease during the second half of the year, before consumption begins rising again in the final quarter.

The energy agency expects demand to grow by two million barrels a day in 2027. Worldwide oil stocks rose by 21 million barrels in June, the first increase in four months. Much of that oil remained on ships rather than in land-based storage.

Iran war straining household budgets in Greece

The US and Israel’s war on Iran has strained consumer prices and household budgets in European countries such as Greece.

On Friday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that petrol and diesel costs for consumers would fall during the summer following a government deal with oil refineries aimed at taming the impact of the Iran war on fuel prices.

Responding to a question about the cost of living by an opposition politician, Mitsotakis told parliament Greece’s two major oil refineries agreed to price reductions until the end of next month.

“Fuel prices will drop by 10 cents per liter and diesel fuel will drop by 5 cents per litre,” he said, adding the relief would last until the end of August.

US reputation as main military superpower challenged by Iran

The recent fighting reflects Iran’s desire to flex its military muscle and the US’s goal of retaining its status as the unrivaled military power in the world, an analyst says.

“Indeed it is very dangerous. No one can imagine any framework agreement being sustainable and surviving military strikes,” said Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute.

“There has been some form of calmness for the past few weeks or months. But we’ve also been used to the fact that many of these military interactions have been part of an overarching strategy to re-imagine some renegotiating.”

Iran has been attacking US military bases in the region and the US seeks to protect “its own global status and reputation as a main military superpower in the world”, he added.

“It seems like Iran now wants to grow some confidence and try to add some offensive reputation from its own side in certain scenarios. This also derives from many of the misunderstandings and imagined futures of the Strait of Hormuz,” Alkinani said.

 

Questions surround attacks on Iran

There is still ambiguity over the cause of the explosions last night in Iran.

Over the past few days, there were the largest attacks since the ceasefire was agreed to in April. The Americans hit more than 90 locations across Iran, including the capital Tehran, the city of Mashhad, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Then, on Thursday, there were attacks on the city of Bushehr, including the outer perimeter of the nuclear power plant. The Iranians said it was the Americans and the US acknowledged that.

But then at night there were new attacks on Konarak, a military site, that was hit twice. Then, in Bushehr, another military site was struck, according to Iranian officials.

The Iranian explanation was that “enemy forces” hit Bushehr and Konarak, while the Americans said it was not them launching attacks. Since then, there has been complete silence.

UK agency keeps Strait of Hormuz threat level at highest

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency says the security threat in the Strait of Hormuz remains at its highest level.

The warning follows the latest military escalation between the United States and Iran, which has increased risks for ships crossing the vital waterway.

Hormuz carries a large share of the world’s oil and gas supplies, making any disruption a major threat to global energy markets and shipping.

Iran’s enmity towards US ‘wholly justified’ after attacks

Military analyst Alex Alfirraz Scheers says it’s possible Iran-US negotiations may resume but the big issue is the matter of complete distrust.

“These talks will yield, I think, very little. I think in many ways they’re almost symbolic and until there is genuine momentum with regards to trust-building and confidence-building, in the current context these talks will likely lead nowhere,” he said.

Alfirraz Scheers noted that twice now during negotiations the US and Israel have attacked Iran and inflicted large-scale damage.

“I think the enmity that the Iranian regime feels towards the United States is deep-seated and to a large extent wholly justified,” he said.

“So the divisions in Iran are really about that. It’s really about the idea of whether the United States can be trusted, whether it can actually come good on any of the promises that it makes.”

Situation around the talks between the US and Iran

There is uncertainty about when the next round of negotiations between the Iran and the US will take place.

What we know is that the Americans have agreed that we are at a break because of the funeral procession of the late supreme leader of Iran. Some reports have suggested the next round of talks is going to be on July 18 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

However, during the last couple of days, there have been repeated military engagements, and the Iranians have accused the Americans of violating the ceasefire. Now the Americans have also revoked the Iranian licence to sell oil.

So it is quite uncertain whether the talks are going to move forward or not.

Iran says Israel ‘will not be spared’ if infrastructure is hit

Iran has warned that any attack on its infrastructure will trigger a response and that Israel “will not be spared”, state media reported.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued the warning on Friday as tensions with the United States and Israel remained high following recent attacks.

Diplomatic efforts are continuing in parallel. Qatar has been mediating between Washington and Tehran in an attempt to prevent further escalation and keep communication channels open, The New York Times reported.

US-Iran escalation threatens oil supply recovery, warns IEA

The return of fighting between the United States and Iran threatens to extend the global energy crisis, the International Energy Agency has warned.

The risk that the resumption of hostilities could scupper hopes of a swift recovery in energy markets was flagged by the United Nations agency on Friday.

The warning came as a lull in action from US and Iranian forces appeared to pave the way for efforts to revive diplomacy, although sources cautioned that the US military remains ready to resume attacks.

World oil demand is on track to fall this year for the first time since 2020, the IEA said in its latest monthly oil market report, as the conflict continues to disrupt production and exports across the Middle East.

Qatar urges US and Iran to uphold deal and protect Strait of Hormuz shipping

Qatar has urged the United States and Iran to honor their memorandum of understanding and continue talks to prevent further escalation.

The Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said in a post on X that he had made the appeal during a call with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty.

He also stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that safe passage remains essential to regional security.

Trump ‘unusually silent’ over reported Qatar-led talks with Iran

There’s been no comment whatsoever either from the State Department or from the White House on this latest round of reported talks, but this is not unusual. There have been repeated intermediary offers and attempts by Qatar and other countries, such as Pakistan, at a time when the situation between Iran and the US has reached some kind of peak of conflict.

President Trump has been very appreciative, repeatedly, of the role Qatar has been playing in these mediations. On that particular subject Trump has not been heard from over the past 24 hours, frankly, since he arrived back from the NATO summit in Turkey.

In that period of time, he has issued only one social media message, very unusual indeed, and that was renaming the Palm International Airport after himself. It’s an unusual silence from Trump, particularly given the events swirling around.

IAEA chief says situation at Bushehr nuclear power being monitored

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has said the agency was monitoring the situation at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, after reports of US attacks in the area.

According to Iranian media, Grossi did not confirm any damage to the facility but said that attacking any nuclear plant would be unacceptable.

Qatari negotiators reportedly in Iran to shore up memorandum of understanding

There was quite a lot of diplomatic activity yesterday, on Thursday, following the attacks from Iran on Gulf countries and Jordan, and that it seems to be continuing at pace today. Voices are reporting that Qatari negotiators are in Iran to talk to their officials in an effort to de-escalate tensions, they say, and create the conditions for a sort of broader negotiations to continue in Qatar or Pakistan.

They were both very involved in the negotiations for months that led to the memorandum of understanding being signed just three weeks ago, and they will not want to see that work fail, so they are there, we understand, to try and shore up what was agreed in the memorandum of understanding, to try and build on that so they can get a broader peace framework put in place.

Qatari PM, Egyptian FM discuss ways to implement US-Iran MoU

Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman have discussed ways to implement the framework of the US – Iran memorandum of understanding.

In a phone call today, both leaders expressed support for ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and enhancing regional security.

Hormuz traffic falls for second straight day: Data monitoring firm

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined for the second consecutive day, according to data released by maritime monitoring firm Kpler.

The company reported 22 transits on July 9, compared with 30 the previous day.

Activity remained largely low risk, as no new attacks have been reported on any vessels in the strait since July 7.

Operators continued to heavily favor the Iranian route, while the Omani route saw just one crossing.

France condemns Iran for attacks on vessels, neighbors, at emergency UNSC session

France has condemned Iran for attacks on neighboring countries and on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in the past few days.

French envoy Jerome Bonnafont said that “despite Pakistan and Qatar’s mediation, Iran has violated the MoU. It has carried out unacceptable attacks on Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan. France condemns these attacks. Iran is responsible for this situation. It needs to end this violence as part of the 60-day ceasefire period as part of the MoU.”

He called for the urgent implementation of the US-Iran MoU and said, “Iran must guarantee the full, unhindered re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz under the international laws of the sea.”

The emergency session went ahead today despite objections from Russia and China. The meeting proceeded after a procedural vote passed by 11 votes in favour, two against, and two abstentions.

Iran has asked to continue talks and the US agreed, Trump claims

President Donald Trump says the US had agreed to talks with Iran after Tehran asked to continue negotiations, but he added that the ceasefire between the two nations is “over”.

‘Trump broke his promise by attacking Iran during Ali Khamenei’s funeral’

Efforts are under way to revive the stalled ceasefire talks between Iran and the US following the latest spate of attacks by American forces on several locations in five Iranian provinces.

Qatari negotiators are reportedly in Iran to meet with Iranian officials in an attempt to create conditions for a new round of talks and to de-escalate tensions between the two sides.

This latest round of de-escalation efforts came after the US carried out airstrikes that killed a 14 people and injured 78 others, according to Iran’s health Ministry. Airports, logistics networks, maritime surveillance assets and also railway infrastructure in northern Iran were targeted.

Iranian officials say that these latest strikes have increased mistrust between the two sides, especially after the latest statements by Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Turkiye, when he unilaterally rendered the MoU over. As a result, Iranian officials say the MoU is not built on trust, but rather on “commitment for commitment”.

Another factor is that Donald Trump retreated from his promise not to carry out attacks against Iran during the funeral commemoration of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

And despite giving his word, he attacked just as the supreme leader was being buried in the city of Mashhad.

Russia sending engineers back to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility: Rosatom CEO

Russia’s ⁠state nuclear corporation Rosatom is sending the first six ⁠employees of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant back to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev, as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Rosatom is building two new units at Bushehr. It evacuated ⁠hundreds of ⁠staff after ⁠the US and Israel launched their joint war ‌on Iran, on February ‌28.

UK, France and Germany “cheer-led” US-Israel attacks on Iran: Russia’s deputy UN envoy

UK, France and Germany “cheer-led” US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, said Russia’s deputy UN envoy at an emergency session of the UNSC.

Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, condemned the “hypocrisy of Western states” in targeting Iran while turning a blind eye to the actions of the US and Israel.

“We are compelled to express our disappointment that once again a majority of UNSC members are continuing to indulge the attempts of some states to cast doubt on objective, procedural realities”, she said.

IEA says US-Iran escalation ⁠undermines oil surplus forecast

Recent escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran could upend the International Energy Agency’s forecast.

The organization had been predicting a significant oil market ⁠surplus in 2027, but now says it might have to revise its expectations.

Netanyahu needs an enemy closer to Israeli elections: Turkish FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told UAE state media that Turkiye and Israel have no reason to “have an open conflict”.

Speaking to The National, Fidan said, “Netanyahu and some people, as they get closer to the elections, need an enemy. After they wage war on Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, they need another enemy to get somebody to pity them.”

In recent days, Israeli prime minister has targeted Turkiye, saying Erdogan wants to “eliminate the state of Israel”.

Door to diplomacy remains open with Iran: Deputy US envoy to UN

The deputy US envoy to the UN, Tammy Bruce, has said the door to diplomacy remains open with Iran, but with conditions.

“While dialogue remains possible, the US can’t negotiate while Iran reneges on simple obligations, like don’t shoot on civilian objects. If you shoot at civilian objects or ships, we will respond,” the envoy told an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

“President Trump prefers peace”, she said.

“Iran has contravened international law and this council’s resolutions. Such contraventions can not be met with council equivocation and obstruction,” she added.

China wants Iran-US to ‘maintain cessation of hostilities’: China’s deputy UN envoy

China has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the US and Iran at the UNSC.

China’s Deputy UN Envoy Sun Lei told an emergency session of the Security Council, “It is vital to maintain the cessation of hostilities. The US and Iran have committed to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty as part of the MoU – this must be respected. Sanctions on Iran must be lifted. It is imperative to uphold a correct sense of right and wrong. Iran should continue to honor its commitment to not develop nuclear weapons, but Iran reserves the right to develop nuclear energy for civilian use”.

The deputy envoy also offered China’s “impartial and consistent stance on resolving issues”.

“China is committed to playing a constructive role in a peaceful resolution.”

Uncertainty around talks referred to in Trump’s statement

In the statement by President Trump on Truth Social, there is one very important point. He puts italics around the word “talks”, so we’re not sure what talks he’s referring to. Most likely it is those talks taking place in Iran, reportedly with Qatari mediators.

Qatari mediators are in contact with US officials including special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The vice president is also reportedly involved, so the administration is clearly upping the ante in terms of getting out of this current increase in conflict.

According to the president’s statement, they’ve agreed to continue talks but the ceasefire is over. This is a complicated situation, but it’s a sign of the lengths to which US officials are going to try and keep the negotiation process alive.

MoU between US, Iran can be revived despite renewed hostilities

The MoU between Iran and the US can be revived but that would take a lot of work, Michael Stephens, a senior associate fellow at RUSI, said.

“What worries me is that neither side is acknowledging that the other side has a point,” he said, adding that for diplomacy to have a chance “somebody is going to have to break the standstill.”

Stephens added that a return to armed conflict was to be expected due to the wording of the MoU. “There is a lot that Iran gained in the very early moments that the US then had to kind of claw back later in the process,” he said.

“It’s interesting that the oil prices haven’t shot up, which means that somebody believes that there is a way through this and that there’s not going to be a long-term military stand-off.”

Trump says he ‘left instructions’ should Iran assassinate him

The US president has told the New York Post that he has “left instructions” should Iran assassinate him, in an apparent reference to banners calling for Trump’s killing displayed during a funeral ceremony for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” he told the American tabloid. “The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”

Trump said Tehran has wanted him dead for years. “I hope you’ll miss me,” he added.

Iran’s Ghalibaf says Iran will never surrender

Iran’s lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf has said the conflict with the US will never end with Tehran’s surrender, adding that Iran is ready to defend itself if the US walks back from the MoU.

“At any moment the Americans betray the understanding, we are ready for full-scale defense and will stand firm against them and defend the rights of the Iranian people,” he said.

“Ending the war is a priority for the countries of the world, but everyone should know that this conflict will never end with Iran’s surrender.”

Ghalibaf added that Muslim nations must “stand up” and unite against the US and Israel.

Pakistani prime minister holds phone call with Iranian president

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the latest regional developments, Sharif’s office has said.

The Pakistani prime minister expressed concern over the recent escalation in tensions with the US and urged Iran and all parties to exercise restraint.

US loosens export controls on UAE for military hardware

The US ⁠⁠Department of Commerce has loosened export controls ⁠⁠on the United Arab ⁠⁠Emirates, according to a US government posting in ⁠⁠the Federal Register.

“More recently, the UAE played a key role advancing US interests during Operation Epic Fury,” ⁠⁠the posting said, referring to Abu Dhabi’s role in the US-Israel war on Iran.

The move will make it easier for the US to export military ‌‌hardware, including certain commercial satellites and spacecraft, as well as ⁠⁠access to advanced AI chips license-free, according to the posting.

It added that the UAE was the largest US trading partner in the Middle East, with foreign direct investment in the ⁠⁠United States valued at over $1 trillion.

US issues new Iran-related sanctions

The ⁠United States has ⁠issued new Iran-related ⁠sanctions and a ‌general license, according to a posting on ⁠Friday on ⁠a Treasury ⁠Department website.

A statement titled from the department said, “following Iran’s resumption of attacks on international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against Iranian financial facilitator Ali Ansari (Ansari), who oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefiting Iran’s leader—Mojtaba Khamenei—and other regime elites.”

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also issued Iran General License Y.

In a post on X, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked Iran’s new Supreme leader saying he was “hiding in seclusion while his regime crumbles”

‘Iran unwilling to compromise on Hormuz leverage’

Iran wants to maintain its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, while the US wants the waterway to remain open without conditions, Dania Thafer said.

The executive director at Gulf International Forum said both sides have different interpretations of the finer points of the MoU they signed last month, especially on the passage of vessels through the Hormuz.

As part of the MoU, “Iran was to allow the right of passage in exchange for the US removing sanctions on Iranian oil and the blockade of vessels leaving Iranian ports. Instead, the US arranged for ships to transit from the Omani side and the Iranians were not happy about that, because that was not written in the MoU”, Thafer said.

“Iran sees the Strait of Hormuz as its core leverage and doesn’t want to let it up,” she said.

Iran’s Araghchi to travel to Oman to discuss Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Oman on Saturday to discuss regional developments, especially the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA news agency reports.

Agreement between Iran and the US under threat

US President Donald Trump declared the agreement pausing the war with Iran was over this week – and ordered a series of strikes.

He accused Iranian forces of violating the ceasefire by attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran was quick to respond, targeting US interests in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

The escalation was the worst since the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding last month. It’s meant to pave the way to more talks and a permanent deal to end the war.

Now regional mediators are working to ease the tension.

Will US-Iran peace talks resume, and when?

A United States official has said that despite two days of launching attacks on Iran this week, Washington remains committed to negotiations with Tehran and that technical talks for a lasting peace deal will continue.

From Tuesday night to Thursday this week, the US and Iran traded attacks in a major escalation of hostilities since a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which triggered a 60-day negotiation period, was signed on June 17.

While neither side has officially called off talks or declared the MoU at an end, each has accused the other of violating it.

Talks had been expected to resume following the state funeral events in Iran, around July 11. However, since the US has struck Iran this week – for the third time while peace talks were ongoing and also during the state funeral proceedings – it is unclear if or when this will happen.

Qatari Emir, Pakistani PM discuss regional developments in phone call

The Emir of Qatar has discussed regional tensions with Pakistan’s prime minister.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Shehbaz Sharif affirmed their commitment to continuing mediation efforts and supporting regional security, according to a Qatari statement.

They also expressed their commitment to maintaining the security of navigation and maritime routes and creating the conditions for achieving a lasting and sustainable peace in the region.

US, Iran still ‘interested in moving negotiations forward’

Dania Thafer, executive director at Gulf International Forum, says there is still “a degree of interest on both sides, Iran and the US,” to move forward with negotiations.

“The US has said that progress on the MoU is ‘performance-based’, and therefore, as long as Iran moves forward with a certain behavior such as allowing the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the US will move forward with what was promised to Iran”, Thafer added.

Still, Thafer said that a huge gap remains between the two sides, identifying “the gray areas of this MoU”.

India approves plan to expand strategic oil reserves after Hormuz blockade

India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has approved plans to develop 1.75 million metric tons of strategic petroleum reserves, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday.

The ONGC board of directors had approved the measure “as a project of national importance,” the filing said.

India is the world’s third-largest importer of oil and the second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas.

It has faced major disruptions because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran.

Iran denies requesting US talks after Trump says dialogue to continue

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has warned that it will respond in kind to any US violations of the MoU, Reuters reported.

“Any US breach of commitments will be met with ‘reciprocal action'”, Iran’s state TV quoted the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The ministry rebuked Trump’s statement that the country had requested negotiations to continue following the escalation between the two countries in the past few days.

“We did not request negotiations with the US, but we accepted the Qatari mediators’ trip to Iran.”

Iran urges UN to hold US accountable

Iran’s envoy to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has accused the US of committing unlawful acts, while issuing a warning to the Americans.

“The US bears full international responsibility for all legal and political consequences arising from its unlawful action,” said Iran’s envoy.

The envoy said the UN must take effective and decisive measures to stop the US’s “unlawful act of aggression”.

“The UN must also ensure that the United States fully honours its obligation”, he said.

The comments came after an emergency UN Security Council session on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz following US and Iranian attacks in the region.

US using economic leverage as well as military by sanctioning Iran

Both the US and Iran seem to be negotiating for a position of strength. The US, on the one hand, is using its leverage, which is economic as well as military. But on the other hand, Iran is sending a very clear message to the US that it will not negotiate under threat.

In addition to the strikes that the US launched towards Iran on Tuesday and Wednesday, now Washington has put in place sanctions against a prominent financier by the name of Ali Ansari in Iran. He is accused of managing the financial assets of the Supreme Leader as well as prominent members of the IRGC.

Through these sanctions, the US is attempting to isolate Iran, freeze any assets that are in the US and ensure that any countries that have been working with Iran will also be targeted by punitive measures.

Iran’s Health Ministry says 17 killed, 115 injured by US strikes

US air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday have killed 17 people and injured 115 others in six cities across Iran, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry has said.

US and Iran using ‘maximum leverage’, but door remains open for diplomacy

Even though both sides [the US and Iran] are now using tougher rhetoric, neither has said that they’ve given up on diplomacy.

Contrary to what is coming out of Iran, the United States has said that Iran has asked to continue negotiations, which the US said it agreed to, and at the same time, the US president is also once again expressing some of that exasperation he showed back at the end of the NATO summit earlier this week, when he said that the ceasefire is essentially over.

He also said back then that the memorandum of understanding seemed to be over, but again, he left open the possibility of diplomacy then, and he’s doing the same now.

The Iranian side is that they are also using their leverage and saying that the United States must respect their conditions.

Both sides are using maximum leverage. This is a classic negotiating position and tactic. The United States, on the one hand, is using economic and military; Iran, at the same time, is saying that it will not negotiate under threat or at the barrel of a gun.

US demands Iran publicly pledge safe passage in Strait of Hormuz

The United States is demanding that Iran, both directly and through regional mediators, publish a public statement on Saturday clarifying that the Strait of Hormuz is open and committing not to fire at commercial vessels passing through the area, according to three senior US officials briefing reporters on Friday.

According to the US news outlet Axios, a senior US official stated that following recent maritime confrontations, Iranian officials approached Washington to request further talks, reportedly telling American interlocutors: “We messed up. We made a mistake. Let’s continue talking.”

The official noted that an internal power struggle was taking place within Tehran regarding negotiations with the Trump administration, adding: “There are elements inside their system who want to reach an agreement, but we cannot make decisions instead of them. They need to get control of the situation.”

Axios further reported that US officials expected a public statement from Iran following a meeting in Oman, with one source explaining: “We want them to say publicly that they will stop firing toward ships, and that they will admit explicitly or at least implicitly that they messed up.”

The official added that Washington expected Iran to declare all shipping lanes open without transit fees. Another senior official warned Axios of severe consequences if Tehran refused to comply, stating: “If this will not be their position [tomorrow], it will not be a good day for them.”

UAE ‘must be held accountable’ for supporting US aggression, says Iranian diplomat

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accuses the United States and the United Arab Emirates of collusion following the release of a new US trade document.

Writing on X, Gharibabadi stated that the US Department of Commerce published a document easing export control regulations and elevating the UAE’s trade status.

He claimed this policy change was granted “in return for its support of military aggression against Iran”.

The Iranian diplomat described the move as an “official admission from Washington” and a “scandal document” for Abu Dhabi, warning that the actions carry direct international responsibility and legal consequences.

“The UAE must be held accountable,” he said.

Trump, MBS discuss US-Iran talks and maritime security in phone call

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reports that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump discussed bilateral relations and regional stability during a phone call.

According to the SPA, the discussion covered ongoing developments in the region, specifically referencing talks between the US and Iran.

Both leaders emphasized the vital importance of ensuring the security of maritime navigation and sea lanes, while reaffirming their support for initiatives that foster security and stability across the Middle East, the agency added.