• US President Donald Trump says he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran, “bigger than ever before”.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that “mindless aggression” will see Trump pay a “heavier price” for a deal.
• The UK has said its armed forces stand ready to protect the country from attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a warning over the use of UK bases by US bombers.
• Trump said a nuclear pact between the US and Saudi Arabia will hinge on the kingdom normalising relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.

The $110 billion price tag of the US war on Iran

America’s war on Iran has already cost the US nearly $110 billion.

Now, the Trump administration wants another $67 billion, even after declaring victory.

US missiles hit 2 cities in Iran’s Khuzestan

US missile strikes have hit the cities of Andimeshk and Omidiyeh in the Khuzestan province, Iran’s Mehr news agency reports.

“Points around the cities of Andimeshk and Omidiyeh were attacked by missiles from the American terrorist army,” Mehr quoted Valiullah Hayati, deputy security and law enforcement officer of the Khuzestan governor’s office, as saying.

There are no casualties or injuries, Mehr said.

Reports of explosions as US attacks on Iran continue

Explosions have been heard on Qeshm Island, which is one of the most geostrategic locations as the largest island in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.

Explosion sounds in the city of Ahvaz, and also again some unconfirmed initial reports about downing of a flying object across the skies of Qeshm Island again.

The Iranian side is talking about the continuation of their retaliatory strikes.

This is something that comes from the speaker of the parliament and from the foreign minister of the country.

Other military sources are also coming out to say that, should the American strikes continue, each time, Iran is going to come with a more crushing response – stronger retaliatory strikes that we have been witnessing across the region, targeting US military assets.

 

Attacks on Bandar Abbas injure 2, Iranian media reports

Attacks on the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas have injured two people, Iranian media reports.

The strikes reportedly hit Bandar Abbas’s residential Tappeh Allah-o-Akbar neighborhood, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reports, citing the deputy governor of Hormozgan province.

US completes 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran

US Central Command says it has completed another round of strikes against Iran, marking the 13th consecutive night of operations to further diminish the threat the country poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, CENTCOM said its forces targeted “Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities” in the latest wave at 9:00 p.m. ET (01:00 GMT) on July 23.

It added that the international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, noting that commercial vessels continue to freely navigate the strait with US military support.

“More than 50,000 US service members are currently operating across the Middle East,” the statement added.

Reports of air defenses activated in Tehran

According to some sources, such as the semi-official Mehr News, there where sounds related to the activation of the air defense system in some areas of the Iranian capital .

We know that if that happened, this is not the first time as we had it for at least two times over the past nights, the activation of the air defense system was also reported.

Still, this is not the only place where escalation is reported.

It’s been yet another night of exchange of fire, yet another night of continued American airstrikes in different cities. Some of them for the very first time.

The explosions and the sounds related to the heavy bombardment by the American airstrikes.

Explosions are reported in Jask, a very important city that oversees the Strait of Hormuz, on Qeshm Island, the largest island in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, and in Bander Abbas, while two people were injured as a result of attack on a neighborhood called Tappeh Allah-o-Akbar.

US weapon stocks could take 5 years to recover: former Pentagon official

Mark Cancian, a former Pentagon official, has said that the US has used so many arms in the Iran war that it may have left itself vulnerable elsewhere.

‘We looked at seven munitions that have been used heavily against Iran and that would be used in a war in the Western Pacific, and [the US has] used between a third and half of those munitions,’ he said.

Cancian, who worked on the Department of Defense’s budget strategy and war funding while at the Pentagon, said it could take two to five years for US stockpiles just to reach pre-Iran war levels.

That leaves a ‘window of vulnerability’ in the case that another conflict starts elsewhere, for example, in Taiwan. He also said the kinds of weapons that the US uses are changing.

The war has already cost the US $37.5 billion, and this week, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, said he needs an extra $70 billion to pay for the Iran war and wider military readiness.

‘What you see in warfare is a move towards a high-low mix. There’s ballistic missiles, cruise missiles at the high end, and the low end is cheap drones. It’s a mix and they’re complementary,’ Cancian, who is now a senior adviser at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.

This drone arsenal includes sea drones—remote-controlled boats armed with significant amounts of explosives—which have reportedly been used by the US to attack coastal targets in Iran.

Gulf states not likely to hit back at Iran

The Gulf Cooperation Council states, plus Jordan. It’s really important to look at the rhetoric here that they’re using. They’re using the language of self-defense.

Under the UN Charter, they are saying the states have every right to defend their sovereignty.

The statement’s signatories have been using their air defense missile systems. These are multi-layered, multipronged systems that have been intercepting, quite successfully, many of the missiles and drones coming over from Iran.

The statement did not go as far as to say [that the signatories] would retaliate against Iran in that way.

On the rhetoric: this hasn’t changed in the previous few months. The signatories have been saying that the only way of solving this crisis is by going back to the negotiating table. They’ve been leaning more to the language of diplomacy and their own self-defence rather than looking at a retaliatory attack.

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Jordan and the GCC countries are misusing Article 51, as we commented earlier that Donald Trump is waging a war across borders, meaning that he is not attacking from his country but from the mentioned countries without having a UNSC mandate.

Article 51 does not protect countries when they are at least assisting in the preparation of attacks on Iran by the United States.

Then, as a member of the United Nations, the US began attacking Iran on February 28th, which is also a member of the United Nations. Trump didn't wait for any measure to be taken by the UNSC.

UN says humanitarian needs growing as conflict again escalates

The humanitarian consequences of the latest escalation in the Middle East, including the closures of the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, are “continuing to grow,” says UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

“The escalation threatens to further disrupt maritime trade, flights, border crossings and regional supply chains on which millions of people rely on,” Dujarric told reporters.

“Any further disruption could drive up humanitarian needs and costs at a time when aid operations are already underfunded and already overstretched,” he said.

“We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian objects, and avoid disrupting the essential services on which civilians rely,” he added.

Explosions reported in cities across Iran

Iranian media are reporting explosions or attacks across multiple Iranian cities.

• Khondab: A location outside the city was hit by two enemy projectiles, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
• Khorramabad & Konarak: Explosions were heard in both cities, according to IRIB.
• Jask: Blasts were reported in the port city on the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fars news agency and IRIB.
• Tehran: Mehr news agency reported air defence activity over eastern Tehran.

US prepares potential escalation as Trump warns Iran ‘not ready for a deal just yet’

The US president is weighing his options for something even larger, given the fact that there have been 13 nights of consecutive strikes.

The question becomes whether this is going to be more of the same, or whether the United States is ramping up.

There has been a surge of forces as well as weaponry into the region, and White House official is saying that talks are continuing with Iran, but at the same time, she says, that the cards are on the table for the president, and he has all the options at his disposal.

The United States may be considering an escalation to force a negotiated settlement.

The US media reporting the President is close to a decision on a potential massive attack and military preparations are in place, but the US President also, with his words on Thursday, signaling that there is something potentially looming, given the fact that he said, Iran is not ready to make a deal just yet, but they may be soon.

Japan highlights economic cost of ongoing conflict

In an annual white paper released today, the Japanese government warned that ‘close attention’ was needed on the extent to which the Middle East conflict could hurt the country’s economy, Reuters reports.

The report found that Japanese companies are passing on rising costs from the conflict at a faster pace than back in 2022, when the war in Ukraine pushed up fuel costs.

Japan has been hit by ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The country relies heavily on fuel imports from the Middle East and has been forced to dip into its reserves to avert an energy crisis.

Four killed, five injured in US missile strike near Iran’s Ahvaz

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting that four people were killed in a US missile attack near the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

Five others were injured in the strike, according to local officials in Khuzestan province, according to the Tasnim report.

Crude holds sharp weekly gains despite slight Friday dip

Crude prices were on track for weekly increases on Friday following Houthi strikes on Red Sea oil tankers, which raised fears over the potential closure of another key maritime passage.

The market was further tightened as Kazakhstan temporarily reduced production after its primary export pipeline was taken offline.

Brent crude futures dropped 72 cents, or 0.72%, to $99.97 a barrel as of 01:26 GMT, though the benchmark remained set for a 13.5% gain over the week. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 70 cents, or 0.76%, to $91.49 a barrel, pointing toward a 10.9% weekly increase.

Both benchmarks surged during the previous session, with Brent settling 7% higher and WTI gaining 6.2% on Thursday.

It marked the first time Brent closed above $100 since May, following claims by Iran-aligned Houthi forces that they had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Senate knocks back War Powers resolution as war drags on

On Thursday, US Congress once again took up the idea of the War Powers Resolution.

Basically, that says that if both chambers of Congress pass it, it sends the message to the President that he had to stop the war in Iran until he had congressional approval.

It’s really more of a symbolic gesture because most presidents have ignored it, and it’s never been legally tested.

Still, it did pass in the House by a vote of 214 to 208, but it failed in the Senate in a 47 to 49 vote.

That is interesting because when senators took up this measure in June during the ceasefire, it passed the Senate.

[The vote comes as] concerns from [US voters are] likely to get even louder in the coming weeks as the cost of gas increases and the war drags on.

Now that said, there is a new poll that could be a warning sign for Republicans.

Those who identify themselves as MAGA Republicans, the US President Donald Trump’s core base, they have been staunch supporters of this war, but in a new poll, one in five says it should end.

Key Kuwait-Iraq border crossing hit twice in one day

The Abdali border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait is the most important [crossing] in terms of being a commercial hub and for foot passengers to cross between Iraq and Kuwait. It was hit twice in the same day, only a few hours apart.

There were no casualties, but there was some material damage from a hostile drone strike.

The [Kuwaiti] Ministry of Defenses didn’t say exactly who hit it; where that strike came from, but they said it caused a blaze that firefighters have put out. They also sent an ordinance team to come in and collect the debris.

It was temporarily closed, and we haven’t had any signal yet as to whether it has opened or not.

It is a very important commercial hub, and that has made it a target in the past. It was only attacked last Friday, and before that in April as the war continued to spill out into the Gulf countries from Iran.

Ali Al-Salem base was also hit, according to the Revolutionary Guards. This is, again, a very important strategic base. It’s been in use by the US air force, but we don’t know if they are operational from there at the moment.

Iran says they’ve hit three US bases in one day, and they’ve put out a statement to the general population of Kuwait from the Revolutionary Guards saying they’re only targeting US assets. Kuwait has said that’s wrong, and that they’ve continued to attack civilian infrastructure in the country.

Araghchi warns using Iran’s frozen assets sets ‘incendiary’ global precedent

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warns that using frozen state assets to pay for future claims sets a dangerous global precedent.

“Seizing another nation’s assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent,” Araghchi wrote on X.

He cautioned that “those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalize confiscation, no one’s assets are safe. Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful.”

As we reported earlier, Trump said that the US would begin using Iranian money in US “possession” to pay for “any and all damages done to ships, cargo, or anything related”.

About Iran’s frozen assets

• The United States and other governments have “frozen” Iranian assets, including funds held in foreign banks, for decades.
• The United States first froze Iranian funds in 1979 when US citizens were taken hostage at the American embassy in Tehran.
• Some assets were released under the 1981 Algiers Accords, when Iran released 52 Americans still being held in Tehran.
• The exact value of Iranian assets frozen today is not known but is estimated to be around $100bn.
• Some of these funds were reportedly meant to be released under the memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran last month, which broke down when the US resumed attacks on Iran.
• Trump now says that the US will use “Iranian money that the United States has in its possession, and controls” to pay for “any and all damages done to ships, cargo or anything related.”
• Iran’s Araghchi responded saying that using seized funds to “pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent.”

Two injured in drone attack on Iran’s Khorramabad, Fars reports

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reports that two people have been injured following an early morning drone attack on Khorramabad, citing the deputy governor of the western Lorestan province.

Number of Hormuz tanker crossings drop to lowest levels in two months, data shows

Ship tracking data has revealed that just one tanker successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking the lowest level since May 7.

Crude oil carrier New Giant exited the strait yesterday and is due to arrive at China’s Rizhao port by mid-August, according to data from Kpler.

No ships entered the Strait of Hormuz on July 23.

Meanwhile, at the Bab el-Mandeb strait, tanker crossings totaled 32 on July 23, up from 26 the day before, the data showed.

Sirens sound in Bahrain

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has urged people “to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place” as sirens sound.

Iran claims drone strikes on US facilities in Bahrain and Jordan

Iran’s military says it has launched a new wave of drone attacks targeting US military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan.

In a statement carried by Iran’s Mehr news agency, the Iranian army said it used drones to target fuel storage tanks, equipment warehouses, and troop living quarters at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

The military added that aircraft hangars, maintenance facilities, and accommodation sites at the Muwaffaq Salti/Al-Azraq base in Jordan were also hit, warning that any actions against Iran’s interests would undermine regional security and economic stability.

Iran’s Araghchi arrives at Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) annual Council of Foreign Ministers.

Araghchi was greeted Friday by the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, which is hosting this year’s meeting.

The annual meeting convenes foreign ministers from SCO member states, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, and five others.

The Iranian Foreign Minister shared an image from the event, in which he and foreign ministers including China’s Wang Yi, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, and others from the organization posed for a photo together in front of their national flags.

The SCO is a major multilateral organization convened by China aimed at strengthening trust, promoting growth, and jointly addressing new challenges and threats, though it is not a defense alliance.

Iran at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting warns against ‘unilateralism’

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran views the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a vital force for multilateralism amid growing unilateralism and violations of international law – language he has previously used to criticise the United States.

“Iran attaches great importance to the SCO and similar multilateral arrangements,” Baghaei wrote on X from the Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata, where he is attending an SCO foreign ministers’ meeting. “Aggressive unilateralism, breach of inter-state agreements and unlawful use of force are badly undermining the foundational principles of the rule of law and the UN Charter-based legal order,” he added.

Iran became a full member of the SCO in 2023, joining the Eurasian political, security and economic bloc originally founded by China and Russia. The foreign ministers’ gathering precedes a full SCO summit expected to address regional security, trade connectivity and expanded cooperation.

More deaths as US air strikes continue across Iran

Another night of the continued American air strikes targeting Iranian southern coastal cities and also some provinces for the very first time.

Attacks and explosions were reported across the skies of the Iranian capital. Here in Tehran the activation of the air defense system was reported in some areas including Eastern areas of the capital.

Meanwhile, we know that in at least six provinces explosions were reported including in Hormozgan and important cities and islands.

In Qeshm Island in particular explosions were reported, particularly on the southern coast of the island also in Bander Abbas – another important port city – as well as Jask, a very geo strategically significant city as it oversees the Strait of Hormuz and attacks were reported.

It’s very similar to reports in Khuzestan province where at least four people lost their lives as a result of the air strikes with five more injured.

Iran leaves door open for diplomacy despite US ‘aggression,’ senior official says

A top Iranian diplomatic official has told Al Jazeera that the US is “up the creek,” saying that it is committing war crimes by targeting Iran’s critical infrastructure out of desperation.

He confirmed that Iran has not closed the door on diplomacy, as messages continue to be exchanged through mediators.

The senior diplomatic source stated that, despite Iran’s demonstrated goodwill, prospects for diplomacy have been undermined by the US administration’s coercive rhetoric and continued acts of aggression.

The source added that Iran also considers all options to be on the table.

“The US reneging on its commitments under the 17 June MoU is the cause of the current situation,” he noted.

US launches 13th night of strikes as Iran warns of escalation in the Gulf

The US launches strikes for the 13th consecutive night.

Iranian leaders are warning further attacks could lead to retaliation targeting Gulf nations.

Iran attacks US bases in Jordan, Bahrain while US expands attacks across Iran

The Iranian army has just released a statement saying that they have launched drones over the US bases in Jordan and Bahrain in response to US attacks on targets in Iran.

In Bahrain, fuel storage tanks, large equipment warehouses, hangars and living quarters are being targeted at Sheikh Isa Airbase, which Iran describes as a “terrorist” US army base.

Iran has also attacked the aircraft shelters, maintenance hangars and living quarters at the Al-Azraq US Airbase in Jordan.

It says these attacks were launched in response to the overnight US attacks.

The US has targeted seven Iranian provinces, including the southern provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and Khuzestan. Four people were also killed in the city of Ahvaz, in Khuzestan.

The US is expanding its attacks beyond the southern provinces, targeting the central Markazi, Yazd and Isfahan provinces, as well as the western Lorestan and southern Fars provinces.

Basically, the Americans are shifting from the southern part of the country to Iran’s central, inner lands.

Sirens sound in Bahrain, Ministry of Interior says

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has urged people “to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place” as sirens sound.

Iran says it launched another wave of drone attacks on Kuwait

Iran’s army says it has launched another wave of drone attacks against US military facilities in Kuwait.

US escalates attacks on Iran

The United States has continued to attack Iran for a 13th consecutive night on Thursday as explosions were reported in multiple Iranian cities into Friday morning.

In addition to the ongoing attacks, shipping disruptions continue to intensify. Ship tracking data revealed that just one tanker successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking the lowest level since May 7.

Iranian officials report US air attack on city of Piranshahr

Iran’s West Azerbaijan crisis management organization says a site in the city of Piranshahr, near the border with Iraq, was struck in a US air attack at about 9am (05:30 GMT), according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Several vehicles were damaged in the attack on Friday, the organization said, adding that no figures were yet available for the number of people killed or wounded.

Kuwait’s military says intercepting drones from Iran

In addition to Iranian strikes on Jordan, Bahrain and Erbil, Kuwait has also been targeted in another wave of strikes.

Kuwait’s military says its air defences are actively intercepting Iranian drones and missiles.

Iran’s army says it has launched projectiles towards the Ali Al Salem Air Base – which is used by US forces.

Iran’s ministry of health says recent US strikes have left 55 dead

The number of wounded from recent US military strikes in Iran has climbed to 645, with 55 confirmed dead, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Health told the country’s Fars news agency.

The southwestern province of Khuzestan recorded the highest number of casualties, followed by the southern provinces of Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchestan, the spokesperson said. Those three provinces also accounted for the majority of fatalities.

Of the total injured, 586 have been discharged following treatment, while a number of others received outpatient care. Eight patients remain hospitalized, with some requiring further surgical procedures, the official added.

Iran says targeted Amazon data centre in Bahrain

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) say they have targeted a data centre in Bahrain belonging to US tech giant Amazon, state media reported.

The forces “targeted and destroyed the intelligence data centre building of the American company Amazon, which plays a major role in completing information for the American child-killing army,” they said in a statement aired by state TV.

Neither Amazon nor Bahraini authorities have commented so far on Iran’s claims.

The IRGC had also said on Wednesday that it targeted the data centre.

UN urges evacuation of 6,000 sailors stranded in Hormuz Strait

UN rights chief Volker Turk has urged countries involved in the US-Israel war on Iran to help evacuate and repatriate some 6,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Parties to the conflict should urgently work to facilitate safe passage for stranded seafarers to safely evacuate and disembark, as well as ensure the delivery of critical supplies,” his spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva.

Iran says war developments on agenda for talks with Russia, China

Iran will discuss recent regional developments in West Asia during upcoming talks with China and Russia at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, the foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, says.

“The current situation is a clear military aggression by the United States, a continuation of the aggression they started last year,” Baghaei told reporters on Friday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Baghaei said the actions run counter to all international rules and standards, and that it was natural for countries to raise such issues at any opportunity. “The developments in the West Asia region will definitely be discussed in the talks we will have with China and Russia,” he added.

Oman calls for Strait of Hormuz to remain open

Oman has called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open and free from any impediments to navigation, as Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi addressed a ministerial meeting in Manila marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

“Vital waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, must remain open and accessible for navigation, free from any measures that would impede freedom of navigation and international trade flows,” the minister said via a post on X by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Albusaidi also said that maintaining open and safe waterways requires responsible cooperation from coastal states and all beneficiaries of maritime routes, citing existing cooperation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as a model that enhances trust and establishes collective responsibility.

The minister said that the Sultanate of Oman will continue to support and facilitate dialogue wherever possible, based on its commitment to resolving disputes through diplomatic means.

Oman, which lies along the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, holds a strategic position at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and has historically played a mediating role in regional disputes, maintaining diplomatic ties with both Gulf Arab states and Iran.

Bahrain defence forces say they have intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks

Bahrain’s defenses forces say their air defenses systems have intercepted several Iranian attacks.

In a message shared on social media, it said it continues to urge everyone to “exercise caution, to avoid approaching any foreign or suspicious objects resulting from the debris of the brutal Iranian attack, and to report them immediately”.

The army added that Iran’s “deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”.

Iraq denies report on ceasefire mediation between US and Iran

Iraq has denied a media report that it is mediating efforts to secure a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

The Iraqi prime minister’s media office said the “claims” in the New York Times report published on Thursday were “completely baseless and had no connection to reality”, according to a statement published by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The office urged media outlets “to verify information, rely on official sources and refrain from circulating unsubstantiated reports or claims attributed to anonymous sources”.

Citing Iranian and Iraqi officials familiar with the matter, the US newspaper reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi conveyed the proposal during a visit to Tehran after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this month.

The report said details were unclear, but Iranian officials had described it as the only proposal currently on the table.

Tehran ultimately rejected the proposal, the officials reportedly said, because it did not address the issue of who controls the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil products tanker re-routes voyage to Asia through Suez amid Houthi warnings

Danish-flagged oil products tanker Torm Innovation will sail to Asia via the Suez Canal with its cargo due to the security situation in the southern Red Sea, says the vessel’s owner Torm.

The Houthis on Monday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front against the US in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

“Given the security situation in the southern part of the Red Sea, the vessel is sailing via the Suez and around the Cape to Asia. This reflects our cautious approach to crew safety, which remains our highest priority,” a Torm spokesperson said.

The tanker had loaded a cargo of naphtha at the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu, with Japan as its destination, according to shipping data and sources.

Qatar urges US, Iran to implement MoU, including Hormuz navigation

Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister is calling on all parties to commit to dialogue and to implement the terms of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.

This includes “ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, to preserve regional security, safeguard the gains achieved and enhance regional stability”, says the foreign ministry.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani made the remarks in Doha during a meeting with Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Miliband on his appointment and reiterated Qatar’s full support for efforts to defuse tensions and reach a comprehensive agreement securing lasting peace in the region.

 

There is disquiet among Republicans regarding the impact of the war on midterm elections

There is disquiet even among Republicans as to the impact that this war could have on those midterm elections. A few Republicans are voting against this war, invoking the War Powers Act, the vast majority of Republicans still appear to support the war, but that does not conceal their unease.

The opinion polls show how deeply unpopular this war is. The American public appears to indicate that it is tired of the war; it is angered by the fact that it began in the first place. It is looking at an economic downturn. It is looking at an increase in the price of various goods.

Whether this factors into the Trump administration – that’s open to question.

If he does an escalation, that would be truly damaging in terms of the impact on the public. He has been aware, it seems, before, of the midterm looming, but he’s vacillated on it at times, saying that he doesn’t really care, all he’s got to do is, in his words, “Stop Iran getting a nuclear bomb,” and eventually everyone will understand that.

Well, perhaps not, and come those midterm elections, the public is likely to vote their dissatisfaction with this war and the choice of the Republican leader to make it.

Jordan says it intercepts seven missiles, six drones launched from Iran

The Jordanian army says it intercepted seven missiles and six drones launched from Iran towards the kingdom.

An unnamed Jordanian military official said in a statement that no casualties or material damage were sustained during the attack.

“Air defence systems and Royal Jordanian Air Force aircraft shot down seven missiles and six drones coming from Iran and targeting the kingdom’s territory.”

The statement said Jordanian Royal Engineering Corps teams were dispatched to the sites where debris fell and handled it in accordance with established technical and security procedures.

Earlier on Friday, the Iranian army said it had launched drone attacks targeting US military personnel and military targets in Bahrain and Jordan after the US completed its 13th successive night of strikes against Iran.

Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at The Soufan Center and a former senior analyst on Iran with the US Congressional Research Service, says Iran is causing “disruption” in the Strait of Hormuz, but isn’t in control of the regional escalation with the United States.

“Iran is still able to retain enough of an arsenal to cause a lot of disruption, increasingly causing questions about Mr Trump’s strategy,” Katzman said.

“In US reports, Mr Trump is getting increasingly frustrated; he’s not able to control events, he’s not able to regain control of the strait, he’s not able to suppress Iranian attacks.”

Katzman said Iran is also under pressure and its territorial integrity may be under threat.

“I don’t know if Iran is setting the pace, as Iran’s retaliatory strikes are intercepted, Iran is basically being carved up into segments, which is another worry. The southern coast of Iran is basically cut off now. And that raises questions of civil unrest and even civil warfare in Iran with various minorities in Iran who live at the periphery potentially trying to take advantage of the disruption,” Katzman explained.

He added there is uncertainty across the whole region.

“It’s a very chaotic situation all around the Gulf States, in Iran, Jordan and elsewhere,” he said.

Iran has maintained retaliatory strikes across US bases and some civilian infrastructure across the region after 13 nights of US strikes on Iran. Additionally, Yemen’s Houthis are targeting Saudi tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Kuwait says air defences intercepting ‘hostile drones’

Kuwait’s air defences are confronting “attacks by hostile drones, following the sinful Iranian aggression,” the army has said in a statement.

The army said that “any explosion sounds, if heard, are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks”.

Omani delegation lands in Tehran to discuss Hormuz Strait mechanism: Iranian state media

An Omani delegation has arrived in Iran to discuss a framework “to establish appropriate mechanisms for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” reported Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.

Tehran has maintained throughout the war that it is open to managing the critical waterway in coordination with Oman, the only other coastal country in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Gulf countries have rejected such a setup.

US embassy in Jordan warns Americans to ‘reconsider’ travel to the Middle East

The U.S. Embassy in Amman warned Americans to reconsider traveling to the Middle East to take extra precautions due to of possible regional escalation.

In a statement on X the US embassy in Jordan’s capital Amman said “U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions.”

The statement warned citizens to expect flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions. It also said US military bases in Jordan should be avoided and asked Americans to follow local government and embassy security guidance.

US embassy in Jerusalem warns Americans to ‘stay alert’ and ‘keep a low profile’

The US embassy in Jerusalem has warned Americans to “stay alert” and keep a low profile due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.

In a post on X, the embassy warned that there could be travel disruption, including flight cancellations and airspace closures due to the escalation in the region.

Americans are being advised to download an Israeli app “to receive real-time alerts for rockets, missile attacks and armed UAV intrusions.”

The security alert follows US forces attacking Iranian targets for the 13th consecutive night and Tehran hitting US installations in Kuwait and Jordan.

Iran vows to kill one member of US forces for every Iranian killed

The head of Iran’s joint military command has promised to kill one member of the US forces for every Iranian killed.

Major General Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, told Press TV, “for every Iranian martyred, one American soldier will be sent to hell.”

In comments carried by the Iranian network, Abdollahi said, “We have prepared free and direct tickets to hell for you,” warning the United States.

US and UK planning ‘high-level’ meeting in London on Strait of Hormuz

The UK and US could be planning a “high-level meeting” in London next week on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Axios has reported.

The meeting would include talks on the possible establishment of a coalition naval force to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic sources told the website.

High-level European, American and Arab officials, such as defence ministers and military commanders, could take part in the meeting.

It comes amid a spate of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and a renewed conflict between the US and Iran.

Trump says China and Russia will not sell weapons to Iran

US President Donald Trump says China has promised not to sell weapons to Iran.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said “President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — And that statement included Chinese Companies.”

Trump added that Russia has also agreed not to sell weapons to Iran. He continued “Likewise, President Putin, despite the horrible war going on in Ukraine…. told me that he would not sell Weapons to Iran.”

“Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them.” Trump said.

Almost two weeks of retaliatory US strikes on Iran, Tehran has continued retaliatory strikes on US installations in the region.

"...China and Russia will not sell weapons to Iran."

March 19, 2026, the United States Department of State has approved a $16.5bn deal for arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan as tensions with Iran continue to intensify. As part of the deal, Washington also approved roughly $8bn for air and missile defense radar systems to Kuwait and an additional $70.5m to Jordan, which would cover aircraft and munition support.

⁠July 16, 2026, the⁠ US Department of State has ⁠approved a potential $1.96bn weapons sale to Saudi Arabia. Announced a day earlier, the foreign military sale, estimated at nearly $2bn, aims to bolster Saudi Arabia’s air defences as the US-Israel war on Iran ramps up.

Iran’s top judge says Tehran has ‘no hostility towards neighboring countries’

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje’i, Iran’s Judiciary chief, says Tehran has no hostility towards neighbouring countries.

He said “We have always helped our neighbors, and we will continue to assist them in times of hardship and difficulties,” he said during a meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Tehran.

On the ongoing Iranian attacks aimed at its Gulf neighbors, he said that Iran is merely striking the “source of US aggression.”

Qatar Prime Minister and UK Foreign Minister review Strait diplomacy in Doha

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has met the UK’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who is on a visit to Doha.

The two sides reviewed diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions, including safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during their meeting.

A Qatar Foreign Ministry statement emphasized “the importance of ensuring all parties were committed to dialogue, diplomacy, and implementing the MoU reached between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the freedom of navigation at the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining security in the region, protecting the gains made, and enhancing regional stability” in order to end the war.

Iranian strikes on Gulf states ‘unjustified’ says Kuwaiti professor

Abdullah Al Shayji, a professor of political science at Kuwait University, says Iran is pushing its luck in its relations with Gulf nations.

Al Shayji said GCC states were united against US strikes against Iran at the beginning of the war and are now losing patience with Iranian retaliatory strikes on their territory. Al Shayji dismissed Iranian assertions that it is striking US military launch pads in the region.

He said most US strikes are launched from US naval platforms, and attacks on Gulf states are unjustified. “According to statistics, 90 percent of all attacks done by the United States is done through US naval forces closer to Iran’s shores, mainly led by the two aircraft carriers, the USS George H.W. Bush, and the USS Abraham Lincoln. Ninety percent of the attacks are done through Tomahawk missiles and cruise missiles, including sorties by the American naval forces against all the Iranian targets.”

He said US bases in the Middle East were severely damaged in Iranian strikes early in the conflict. ”

Iran decimated most of these [US] bases. These bases are not part of any attack on Iran. GCC leadership has informed the Iranians. [The] Iranians know that they’re using it as a ploy to justify their attack because they cannot because they cannot dare to attack United States forces. They cannot kill any American soldier in the region. They killed two or three in Jordan 1 and then one by accident in Iraq. But don’t dare to attack the American aircraft carriers or frigates or destroyers”, he said.

The Kuwaiti professor silences that HIMARS systems of the US army fired missiles from the Kuwait desert into Iran. Videos showing the firing were found on March 4 and 9, 2026. More attacks from Kuwaiti soil were found since then.

We have been commented many times that GCC states and Jordan where found assisting on their soil in the preparation of attacks on Iran by the American war belligerent, which is making themselves co-belligerent therefore for Iran a reason to consider the GCC member states and Jordan military objectives.

"..and then one by accident in Iraq."

Iran did not kill the American soldier, not even by accident, as the soldier killed himself by trying to dismantle an unexploded projectile. He did nöt "" die in action" as CENTCOM claims but while on duty.

Iranian and Pakistan discuss regional escalation at summit in Kyrgyzstan

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of a Foreign Ministers meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan.

Araghchi thanked Pakistan’s mediation efforts in recent months blaming the United States violation of agreements and excessive demands for the situation in the region. He condemned US attacks on Iran’s vital infrastructure, and said Iran is determined to defend sovereignty and national interests.

Aragchi called for more cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states as a way to prevent United States’ bullying and unilateral approach.

Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs said it is ready to continue using diplomacy to stop the escalation in the Middle East.

Trump insists Iran wants to make a deal and end the war

The US President says “they want to make a deal, I just don’t think they’re ready yet”, about Iranian negotiators.

“Sometimes, they don’t want to say they want to make a deal, they want to be the tough guys”, he added, dismissing the latest rhetoric from Iranian officials, which has been escalatory in tone.

“As we speak, we’re talking to them,” Trump said, adding that there may not be a need to carry out the “massive” attack on Iran that he has been threatening in recent days.

Trump says US is ‘locked and loaded’ while pursuing talks with Iran

President Trump was asked about the attacks he is considering on Iran, and he said “we’re talking with Iran”, referring to the United States. He was pressed about an exit strategy. He said he thinks there are lots of exit strategies, although he failed to elaborate. He said the United States is talking to Iran once more and that Iran is getting very serious…

But in that same breath, he also said the United States remains locked and loaded. At this point it sounds contradictory, but it remains consistent with what we’ve heard from a lot of US officials, where the preference is diplomacy…

When asked who exactly are the US diplomats engaged with the Iranians, he said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and again did not provide any specifics on that.

But he reiterated once more that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and he is not in a hurry to sign this deal.

He said that Iranians want the deal. The challenge remains the same as we’ve seen in this past week, of preventing this from spilling into a larger regional crisis.

Sirens sound in Bahrain

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has urged people “to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place” as sirens sound.

Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure could be war crimes, HRW warns

Human Rights Watch has warned US and Iranian leaders that deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure violates the laws of war.

“US and Iranian leaders are threatening deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure,” Balkees Jarrah, the Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

These threats come after “earlier fighting between the two countries in which their forces unlawfully attacked civilians and civilian objects in Iran, Gulf countries, and Israel”, Jarrah added.

“Other countries should make clear to the United States and Iran that those responsible for war crimes will be brought to justice, including through universal jurisdiction,” she added.