• US President Donald Trump says Washington is having “very friendly talks” with Tehran, but suggests he is not prepared for prolonged negotiations.
• Iran says it is exchanging messages with the US through intermediaries, and that Washington is struggling to find a way out of the five-month-long conflict.

US, Iran ‘would like to get to a deal, but it’s going to take a lot of work’

The first intention [of the US-Iran talks] is to stop the military action that we have seen over the past 13 days – albeit it has paused for the last three nights – and to pave the way for the resumption of talks, which would then lead to the agreement beyond the memorandum of understanding to an actual deal.

The difficulty, of course, is getting to that first step.

The US wants to make sure that the Strait of Hormuz is back open; Iran sees that as something that gives them a great deal of leverage.

But the fact is that after 13 days of attacks, both sides are talking and there have been no further strikes.

But Trump still says if things don’t work out and this doesn’t become a deal, we will… go back to very strong military action.

That hangs over all of these talks. So it is clear they would like to get to a deal, but it’s going to take a lot of work.

Remember, when the MoU was signed, the intention was a 60-day period for talks that could be extended by both sides, and they would hopefully come up with a deal. That clock hasn’t even started. So there’s still a lot of talk and a lot of time to be spent on trying to get peace between Iran and the US.

Australia considers first new domestic oil refinery in decades

The Australian federal government and the state of Western Australia will undertake a feasibility study for a new oil refinery, a government statement said, as the US and Israel’s war on Iran squeezes global energy supplies.

Australia, which depends on imports for 80 percent of its fuel needs, has been scrambling to secure supplies as the war drags on.

The country has just two oil refineries in operation, compared with eight in 2000.

Australia hasn’t built a new refinery in more than 60 years.

Iran taking ‘cautiously calibrated’ pragmatist approach

Iran is not going to allow the US to determine the timing of peace or war. This is perhaps the most important sentence from the weekly press briefing given by the spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Iran is trying to send a mixed, two-sided message that the country is fully prepared for confrontational scenarios on the horizon.

This message has also been repeated by the head of Iran’s army – that in case of any attack by the US, Iran’s retaliation will be more crushing than before.

At the same time, Iran is also saying that the doors for diplomacy are neither open, nor closed, but rather ajar.

And on that account, Iran’s leadership is saying that it hasn’t requested any formal talks with the US, but that mediated communication is still ongoing, considering the role of the Qataris, Pakistanis and other regional players.

Iran is trying to undertake a cautiously calibrated pragmatism, impacted by a cloud of mistrust regarding any rapprochement by the US.

War on Iran set to top the agenda at Trump-Netanyahu meeting

Netanyahu is going to spend the night at the Blair House, which is a very short walk from the front gate of the White House.

Protesters are gathering there to express their anger at Netanyahu for what happened in Gaza as well as in the ongoing war on Iran.

The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu is not expected to be public. What is interesting is that during the peace talks with Iran, Israel – which is the only country that joined the US in attacking Iran – was not involved.

There are many in Israel who believe that the US should not come close to making a deal – in fact, that they should resume the war – and there are certainly plenty of people in Washington, DC, who would agree with that.

Now, Trump has expressed his frustration with Netanyahu and has said several times that he feels the Israeli leader is not seeing the big picture. And sometimes you’re not sure whether both men are on the same page or whether they are diametrically opposed to one another.

So it will be interesting to see if we get any readout from either side after that meeting.

Of course, there is also the added issue of the US selling aircraft to Turkiye. Netanyahu doesn’t want that to happen.

Trump was asked about it in the last few hours, and he said we will sell to whoever he wants. So it could be a very interesting meeting at the White House on Tuesday.

On December 2025, Netanyahu vowed to attack Iran in 2026 again. That was on February 28, 2026.

During a phone call, Netanyahu managed to lure Trump in his resumption of the preemptive 12-day war on Iran of June 2025.

Netanyahu promised Trump that the war will cause the Iranian regime to collapse. That's where "regime change" and the Israeli launched campaign to let the global opinion believe that the war is about the January 2026 protest crackdown,  have their roots.

So, it is the US as the only country that joined the Israeli war.

‘Uncertainty remains the name of the game’

Iran is oscillating between the rhetoric of war and the rhetoric of peace.

The situation is marked by three key characteristics.

First, ambiguity: This isn’t the first time hopes for peace have been raised, considering the nature of recent statements from the US president.

Second, fragility: We haven’t seen that much of an exchange of fire over the past few nights under this brittle ceasefire, but we know that the potential for a new round of escalation remains.

Third, complexity: There are numerous points of contention in the talks, including the nuclear dossier, sanctions, war reparations, and the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait may be the most contentious issue of all. Iran is insisting on maintaining control and authority over it, saying any passage through the chokepoint must be coordinated with Iran and routed close to its coastline.

At the end of the day, uncertainty remains the name of the game.

The recent developments on the US-Iran talks

• The US paused strikes on Iran on Friday, and Trump told supporters in Michigan on Monday that “right now, there are very friendly negotiations [with Tehran] going on”.
• He also threatened to resume attacks if the negotiations do not yield any results, telling reporters on board Air Force One: “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen, and if it does, good; if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”
• But earlier in the day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Tehran was not holding talks with the US but that “intermediaries may convey messages from the American side to us regarding ongoing developments in the region”.
• He added that Tehran will continue to use diplomacy to safeguard its national interests and that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
• The Associated Press, citing two regional officials, meanwhile, said that mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to an interim ceasefire deal.

Pause in hostilities ‘more of a US initiative’ to give diplomacy another chance

Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, has cast doubt on Trump’s claims that nearly two weeks of US air strikes had forced Iran back to the negotiating table.

“I don’t think the Iranians were ready to throw in the towel just because of US military strikes,” Vatanka said.

“The Iranian side has been consistent in saying to the Trump administration that time is on their side, and we [Iran] can absorb more pain than you [the US] can. So bring it on,” he said.

“It’s a risky business for Iran to be in, but that has been their approach in recent weeks, and I didn’t see any major changes.”

Vatanka added that US officials and sources in Washington, DC, were instead discussing the effectiveness of continued US strikes on Iran, with most saying the attacks were no longer productive.

“I think this [pause] was more of an American initiative to see if diplomacy can be given another chance,” he said.

Marine Traffic says 29 ships crossed Hormuz on July 24-26

The Strait of Hormuz recorded 29 verified crossings, including 21 vessels exiting and eight entering the waterway between July 24 and 26, according to Marine Traffic, a maritime data tracker.

By comparison, it said the Bab al-Mandeb Strait recorded 100 crossings during the same period, with 51 vessels entering the Red Sea and 49 exiting.

Netanyahu likely to press Trump for ‘regime change again’ in Iran

Alex Vatanka at the Middle East Institute says that Netanyahu is likely to try and “sell the idea of regime change again in Tehran” when he meets Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

But, “I don’t think it will go down well with President Trump because he doesn’t want to do that”, Vatanka said. “Politically, in the US, this war is hugely unpopular, so it remains to be seen what Prime Minister Netanyahu gets out of this meeting.”

He added that previous meetings between Trump and Netanyahu in Washington, DC, have often preceded a flare-up in tensions with Iran, and it remains to be seen whether this one breaks that pattern.

Vatanka also said that Israelis are still unhappy with the Trump administration about the memorandum of understanding agreed with Tehran, because they “have a different sense of threat perception when it comes to Iran”.

Israeli officials will want Netanyahu to continue to press Trump on Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, he said.

“The Trump administration’s counter to that is there is only so much the US can do militarily unless they decide to go in and occupy Iran, and this is something nobody really takes seriously,” he added.

Israeli military intercepts drone near border with Jordan

The Israeli military says its air force has “intercepted a UAV in the area of the Jordan border” a short while ago.

“The UAV did not cross into Israeli territory. The origin of the launch is under review,” it said.

Jordan has faced repeated drone attacks from Iran since the US resumed attacks on the country earlier this month.

Ukrainians ‘doing themselves a favor’ by striking Iranian ship in Caspian Sea

William Courtney, a former US ambassador and adjunct senior fellow at the Rand Corporation, says Ukraine’s strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea will be welcomed in Washington, DC.

His comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israel’s Netanyahu headed to Washington, DC, for the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, where they are expected to hold talks with Trump.

“I think the Ukrainians are trying to align with US policy on Iran,” Courtney said. “The US will be appreciative of Ukraine striking an Iranian vessel that apparently was carrying a drone and other military equipment to Russia. This is something the United States has been quite concerned about – Iran providing Shahed drones to Russia, where a factory now produces a better version of the Shahed. So, for Ukraine to go after the Iranians is something that will be well received in Washington.”

Courtney argued that Kyiv does not have an interest in joining the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

“The Ukrainians are doing themselves a favour by hindering Iranian shipments of drones and other military equipment to Russia, but they’re also attacking enemy number one for the United States right now, which is Iran. That aligns with US interests, and closer ties between Ukraine and the Trump administration are a positive,” he said.

“But Ukraine has no interest in joining the war in Iran with the war in Ukraine. The war in Iran, remember, is unpopular in the West. So, the Ukrainians wouldn’t want to be too much identified with that.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister says he had ‘frank’ call with Iran’s Araghchi

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, which he described as “frank” and “direct”.

The call came after Iran on Monday warned of “unforeseen” consequences following a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend that killed one sailor.

“I reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels of people,” Sybiha said in a social media post.

He added that Ukraine’s “goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation”, and that Russia was responsible for “all provocations and casualties”.

Putin praises Iran’s ‘mosquito fleet’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Iran’s “mosquito fleet” in a meeting with Russian naval officers on Sunday, according to the state-run Sputnik news agency.

“Look at what’s happening in the Middle East conflict zone,” he said.

“Iran using their mosquito fleet have been quite efficient in their warfare. It’s a matter of new technologies. We have these small ships, as in, they are small in tonnage, but they are fitted with state-of-the-art weapons,” he said.

According to Sputnik, Iran’s so‑called mosquito fleet consists of about “20 Ghadir‑class midget submarines and several thousand fast missile and assault boats”. Light and nimble, these vessels can be hidden in tunnels carved into Iran’s rocky coastline, making them difficult for the US to destroy with long‑range weaponry, it said.

Oil prices slip further amid reports of US-Iran talks

Oil prices continued to fall in early trading today following a pause in hostilities between the US and Iran, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures were down $1.47, or 1.66 percent, at $86.89 by 03:26 GMT, marking the lowest it has been in eight days, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at $81.16, down $1.45, or 1.76 percent.

Jordan says drone that breached its airspace shot down

“A drone that breached Jordanian airspace at dawn today” has been shot down, its armed forces said, according to the Petra news agency.

The drone was shot down in the kingdom’s eastern desert, it added.

The statement comes after Israel’s military also reported intercepting a drone on the border with Jordan. It said the drone did not cross into Israeli territory.

Saudi foreign minister speaks to Qatari, Kuwaiti and UK counterparts

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has received separate phone calls from Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, according to Saudi state media.

“During the two calls, the ministers discussed the latest developments in the region and ways to strengthen and support joint efforts to preserve regional security and stability,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“They also condemned and denounced attacks by Iran and its affiliated terrorist militias in Yemen and Iraq against the Kingdom and other countries in the region.”

Prince Faisal also received a phone call from UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who condemned the Houthis’ attacks against Saudi Arabia, the SPA reported. In his first conversation since becoming the UK’s top diplomat, Miliband also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and affirmed the UK’s commitment to advance bilateral ties, it added.

Iran discusses security of Hormuz Strait with Saudi Arabia, Oman

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed developments in the Strait of Hormuz in separate phone calls with his counterparts in Oman and Saudi Arabia, according to the IRNA news agency.

In the calls with Oman’s Badr Albusaidi and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the diplomats “reviewed the latest bilateral and regional developments”.

They also “stressed the necessity of strengthening cooperation and advancing joint diplomatic efforts to establish stability in the region and to address the insecurity imposed on the Strait of Hormuz by the United States’ aggressive actions”, IRNA reported.

Jordan, UN stress need to uphold US-Iran ceasefire

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have met in Amman and discussed “the repercussions of the dangerous escalation the region is witnessing” as well as efforts “to restore calm and lasting security”, according to a Jordanian statement.

The two men on Monday “affirmed the importance of committing to the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and resuming negotiations to reach a comprehensive solution that addresses all causes of tension and ensures freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law”, the statement said.

Safadi also stressed the need to implement all items of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and lift Israeli restrictions blocking sufficient humanitarian aid into the Strip, which continues to face a humanitarian catastrophe.

On the occupied West Bank, Safadi “affirmed the necessity of concerted efforts to stop the illegitimate Israeli actions that entrench the occupation, drive further tension and violence, and undermine all chances of achieving just and comprehensive peace”.

A cautious calm has prevailed since Friday, with the US pausing its strikes on Iran and Tehran halting retaliatory attacks on Jordan and the Gulf states for a fourth consecutive day.

Just 1 in 3 Americans support US-Israel war on Iran, poll suggests

An Ipsos-Reuters survey suggests only one in three Americans supports the war on Iran, with most respondents saying Trump has failed to explain his goals.

The figure marks the lowest rating in a Reuters-Ipsos poll since the early days of the conflict. The latest survey was conducted from July 24 to 26.

It said Trump’s approval was at 37 percent, up three points from last month when his rating tied the lowest of his presidency.

Oman presents ‘regional mechanism’ for Hormuz to Iran

Oman has presented a proposal to Iran ⁠for ⁠a joint regional mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz with voluntary fees, Reuters reports.

Under the Omani proposal, which has regional backing, Iran would not exercise sole control ⁠of the vital waterway, an unnamed Gulf source ⁠told the agency.

The proposal is based on the Strait of Malacca, where those who use the strait voluntarily contribute to fund navigation, environmental protection and ‌search and rescue.

The US abruptly suspended a campaign of air strikes against Iran over the weekend, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution that would allow shipping to resume in the Strait of Hormuz, which carried one-fifth of global energy supplies before ⁠the US-Israel war on Iran.

Iran demonstrating ‘flexibility’ over Strait of Hormuz operations

Oman and Iran held several rounds of talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday.

The Omanis have proposed establishing a regional consortium of Iran and the Gulf states. It will manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by providing “security” for the ships attempting to pass.

The Omanis have proposed the strait be toll-free; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean the ships won’t pay fees. They have come up with a model in which, as ships pass through, they will pay a “voluntary service fee” to ensure environmental protection.

The Omanis are now suggesting three lines for the maritime traffic: one that runs through Iran’s territorial waters, an international one, and one through Omani territorial waters.

Once this has been accepted, Iran will take responsibility for mine clearance, particularly in the international line. However, the technical negotiating teams have not yet finalized this.

Despite public statements, our sources tell us Iran is demonstrating some flexibility.

Iran announces massive loss of gas production capacity during war

Iran lost about 230 million cubic meters of its gas production capacity because of the war with the US and Israel, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani has said in a news conference.

Iran in April demanded compensation for the destruction caused by US and Israeli attacks. An early estimate indicated it suffered about $270bn in direct and indirect damage since the start of the war on February 28.

Iran’s gas losses from war a ‘complete disaster’

The war has been “a complete disaster” for Iran’s energy sector and its people, senior analyst Jan-Eric Fahnrich of Rystad Energy said.

Since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February 2026, the country has lost an estimated 230 million cubic meters (8.1 billion cubic feet) of gas output, according to Iranian officials — a shortfall officials say authorities are working to restore in the coming months.

Fahnrich said the various sectors of the country need to work together to preserve energy resources and prevent shortages, including through reduced consumption by citizens.

Iran, which produces roughly 270 billion cubic meters (9.5 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually, holds the world’s second-largest reserves, estimated at 34 trillion cubic meters (1.2 quadrillion cubic feet) — about 16 percent of global reserves and nearly 45 percent of OPEC’s total.

Oil price drops 2.2% as US-Iran attacks stop

Oil prices have extended their declines as the US and Iran have refrained from attacks in their on-again, off-again war.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 2.2 percent to $84.03 a barrel. It was trading around $72 per barrel before the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February.

The price of the US benchmark, West Texas intermediate crude oil, fell 1.7 percent to $81.20 a barrel.

Also early today, the US dollar rose to 163.82 Japanese yen from 163.75 yen. The euro fell to $1.1367 from $1.1369.

Regional officials said on Monday that mediators have made progress in getting the US and Iran back to negotiations after they paused their attacks for several days.

Ukraine’s strike on vessel in Caspian Sea ‘an attack on Iran’: Russia

The Kremlin says the attack in the Caspian Sea should be considered an assault on the country itself and showed how important it was to eliminate what it described as the threat from Kyiv.

“The Kyiv regime blew up an Iranian merchant vessel in the Caspian Sea; this is an attack on Iran,” Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidency’s spokesman, said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the Ukrainian attack, saying it resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had struck vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday accused Ukraine of widening the geographical scope of what he called its “terrorist attacks”.

Peskov accused Kyiv of blowing up Germany’s Nord Stream pipelines – something it denies – and of hurting Kazakhstan’s interests by targeting CPC Pipeline Infrastructure.

“This threat must be neutralised and definitively destroyed,” Peskov said.

Iran’s Araghchi holds phone call with Ukrainian counterpart

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office says he held a phone conversation with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

A statement posted on Araghchi’s official Telegram channel did not reveal what both sides discussed.

Both countries have been at odds since Iran sold drones to Russia in 2022, but tensions rose sharply over the weekend after Ukraine struck an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea. Iran said the strike killed one sailor and injured another.

Araghchi, in an earlier response to the attack, warned it would not go “unanswered”.

Ukraine’s Sybiha dismissed the threats and said Iran was an “accomplice” in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Iran’s Araghchi says assured Ukrainian attack was ‘unintentional’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says he was reassured in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha that Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship “was unintentional and Ukraine seeks no escalation”.

In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that “Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable”.

“There must be restitution for losses,” he said.

Sybiha earlier described the call as “frank” and “direct”.

Israel admits US bombers used its airbases to attack Iran

Israel’s defense minister says US warplanes took off from Israeli bases to carry out air strikes on Iran in recent weeks.

“They [Iranians] know that American aircraft are taking off from here and refueling aircraft are taking off from here to strike,” Israel Katz told Channel 14.

“The Iranians have been firing at everything apart from one country, the state of Israel,” he added.

Katz’s remarks come amid regional calm since Friday after the US and Iran halted attacks on each other.

Following escalation in mid-July, Tehran concentrated its attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Iran says 350 government employees killed during US-Israel war

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani says more than 350 government staff have been killed in US-Israeli attacks since the war began five months ago.

“While meeting with the families of the martyrs, I must remind you that during these days more than 350 government employees have attained martyrdom while serving,” Mohajerani said in a statement.

“From the engineer who sacrificed his life on top of BTS towers to maintain people’s communications in Hormozgan, to the wiremen who died to keep the electricity flowing, and the dedicated doctors and nurses. Mentioning these loved ones is a tribute to them so they know we consider ourselves indebted to their sacrifice and are grateful for their impeccable efforts.

Iran and Japan foreign ministers hold talks on Hormuz

Foreign Ministers Abbas Araghchi and Toshimitsu Motegi have discussed by phone the ongoing efforts to end the US-Israel war on Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz.

Araghchi “explained to his Japanese counterpart the latest situation in the diplomatic process aimed at establishing regional peace and stability”, a statement on his Telegram channel said.

“The parties emphasized the need for continued coordination and joint cooperation to eliminate insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz,” it added.

Japan relies on the strait for more than 90 percent of its crude oil imports.

Trump says Pickaxe Mountain, other sites may be hit if no Iran deal

President Trump has ⁠reiterated threats to target Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, as well ‌as bridges and other civilian targets, if a deal ⁠is not made.

He told Fox News there have been “good talks”.

“Pickaxe Mountain is not a big problem. We have a very strong position with Iran now,” said the US president.

Trump added he’d like to avoid attacking Iran’s power plants and bridges. “I’m not looking to do that,” he said.

Trump again vows Iran ‘will never have a nuclear weapon’

The US president says again that Tehran will never possess an atomic weapon in an interview with Fox News.

He also claimed the late hardline Senator Lindsey Graham urged him to make a deal with Iran instead of “destroying the rest of the country”.

Gulf nations discuss Strait of Hormuz via video conference

Foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries held a video meeting on ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement the talks stressed “the importance of intensifying coordination regarding freedom of navigation and its safety in the Strait of Hormuz, and prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions that enhance regional security and stability”.

Iran warns those receiving its frozen assets won’t pass through Hormuz

Iran has warned any company or country that receives money from frozen Iranian assets will not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump earlier threatened that Iran’s assets would pay for any damage to ships and cargo in the waterway – a proposal Tehran called “incendiary”.

A spokesperson for the unified command of Iran’s armed ⁠forces, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement: “All companies and countries that welcome Trump’s proposal and use Iran’s blocked assets” would be barred from the strait.

Trump’s threat constitutes “illegal action”, the statement added.

Successive Israeli governments pushed US and Iran into confrontation

As Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump, there is good reason to expect he will use the meeting to discourage any move towards ending hostilities in the Gulf. This expectation is grounded in a historical record spanning more than five decades.

Declassified intelligence, memoirs by senior American officials, investigative reporting and academic scholarship further reinforce this assessment.

Taken together, these sources point to a recurring pattern: Successive Israeli governments, often with the support of elements within the country’s security establishment, have repeatedly sought to obstruct efforts to end regional conflicts or attempts to manage tensions between the US and Iran.

Netanyahu, Trump likely to frame talks as part of broader strategy on war in Iran

President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be having their first face-to-face meeting today since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.

We’re expecting this meeting to be framed as part of a larger, broader strategy than simply a discussion about where the two countries are headed regarding the war.

The Trump administration is largely looking to continue its military and economic pressure on Iran, while also trying to avoid the type of spillover scenario that could drag the wider region into conflict.

Therefore, the two will likely also focus on Lebanon and build on the conversations Trump and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, had just last week at the White House.

We also expect Netanyahu and Trump to discuss the Abraham Accords, as normalization with Israel remains a high priority for the US president. Just in the last week alone, Saudi Arabia has become a central focus of discussions regarding the accords.

The Saudis maintain Palestinian statehood remains a central pillar of normalization with Israel, so we’re going to be paying particularly close attention to whether or not that is brought up during this meeting.

This meeting is particularly important to Netanyahu, given that his relationship with Washington is a major factor in terms of his political survivability ahead of Israel’s October elections.

Israel’s PM Netanyahu arrives at the White House

The Israeli leader has arrived at the White House where he is expected to hold a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump.

It’s the first time the two leaders are meeting since the US-Israel war on Iran began in February 28. The conflict is likely to top the agenda, alongside Israel’s war on Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The visit comes at a time when Netanyahu is increasingly unpopular at home and abroad, and as relations with Trump have reportedly strained.

The US and Iran have paused tit-for-tat military strikes and restarted peace negotiations.

What’s on the Netanyahu-Trump agenda?

The ongoing meeting at the Oval Office is closed to reporters and an agenda was not published.

However, Israel’s envoy to the UN Danny Danon told reporters ahead of Netanyahu’s arrival at the White House that the Israel-US war on Iran will top the agenda.

“I’m sure that will be number one on the agenda in the meeting today,” Danon told reporters.

He was responding to questions on whether Israel expects the two leaders to focus on specifics of ending or scaling down the war on Iran.

Danon said Israel is ready for “different scenarios.”

Israel’s wars on Lebanon and Gaza are also likely to be discussed according to a White House official.

Jordan and Qatar call for diplomacy to end war on Iran

The foreign ministers from Jordan and Qatar have discussed “efforts aimed at restoring calm and enhancing security and stability” in the Middle East during a phone call.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi talked about the need for a “comprehensive agreement” addressing “all causes of tension”.

Also discussed was Israel’s “dangerous” escalation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said in a readout of the call.

Success of Hormuz plan depends on Iran’s supreme leader

An Omani proposal for Gulf-Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz will ultimately depend on how Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei views the offer, an analyst says.

Oman presented an offer to Iran ⁠for ⁠joint management of the strait with “voluntary fees” that would ensure Tehran does not have exclusive control of the waterway. The US has opposed any fees and has called for freedom of navigation through Hormuz.

“Iran is hoping that it will show that it is willing to be flexible – that it is now for the United States to accept something along these lines, as long as the word ‘sovereignty’ is not used,” Middle East expert Roxane Farmanfarmaian said.

She told Al Jazeera that voluntary fees are not unusual, noting “pilotage fees” are charged at other strategic chokepoints, including in Danish waters and the Malay-Indonesian archipelago. “This is not entirely new,” Farmanfarmaian said.

Iran’s China envoy says Tehran has ‘no confidence’ in the US

Iran’s ambassador to China says Tehran has “no confidence” in the United States going forward, even as both sides paused military strikes to restart stalled peace talks.

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli was speaking to reporters at the Iranian embassy in Beijing. He stressed Iran only takes retaliatory actions in response to US attacks. He also suggested China could take a leading role in peace negotiations.

“We have always emphasised that, in addition to our will to defend, we are also ready to negotiate. However, given the US’s lack of commitment to the [Islamabad] memorandum of understanding and its reneging on its commitments, Iran has no confidence in the American side.”

Many ‘points of contention’ between Oman and Iran on Hormuz

Diplomacy is on the way and discussions are going on pertaining to the “new arrangement” in the Strait of Hormuz.

But when it comes to details and further technicalities, there is nothing officially confirmed from the Iranian side. There are points of contention.

At least four issues are on the table between Muscat and Tehran: first the trajectory through which the transiting of ships should be conducted. The Iranian side is saying it should be defined by Tehran.

The second point is the Iranians have been talking about fees – first they were talking about transit fees then later maritime service charges. The Omani side is saying there might be no fees.

Two other points of contention: who is going to define the arrangements? Iran is saying it’s going to be bilaterally defined. And in terms of mine clearances, the Iranian side is saying that’s going to be their sole responsibility to carry out removal operations.

Iran MP warns Kyiv that military response ‘certain to follow’ after ship attack

Feda-Hossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, says Tehran will respond militarily to Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea.

On Saturday, Ukraine struck an Iranian merchant vessel, killing one sailor and injuring another, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said.

“We responded through diplomatic channels and presented an ultimatum, but a military response will certainly follow,” Maleki said.

Iran ‘not afraid of any action’ to exercise sovereignty over Hormuz

Tehran will consider “any action” to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, including the resumption of war, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has warned.

In comments reported by Fars news agency, Gharibabadi said Iran would “no longer be able to exercise sovereignty” if it opened up a southern lane closer to the Omani coast, where it has been shooting at ships.

“Any European ship that wants to come near the Strait of Hormuz is our legitimate target,” he added.

White House says meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy ‘positive and productive’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s meetings today with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu have concluded and were both “positive and productive”.

US attacks destroyed key infrastructure, Iranian government says

Iran’s government has detailed widespread damage to airports, bridges and energy facilities caused by recent US attacks.

Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Bushehr airport was hit directly by a missile and is now out of service, while a maritime control tower in Chabahar was completely destroyed.

She said 12 bridges and two tunnels were damaged nationwide, along with railway lines near Bandar Abbas and airports in Bandar Abbas, Iranshahr and Semnan. Gas production capacity declined by roughly 230 million cubic metres.

Mohajerani said more than 350 government employees were killed during the war while continuing to serve the public, including engineers maintaining telecom towers and power grid technicians.

Netanyahu and Trump hold closed Oval Office meeting with top cabinet members in attendance

The meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Trump has concluded at the Oval Office; we can confirm that.

We can also confirm that several high cabinet members were also in attendance.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were all in that meeting.

This was closed to the press, and we do not yet have a readout.

But we do have a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt, pointing to both meetings that took place, including the meeting earlier in the day with Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy, saying that both of those meetings were “positive and productive”.

There was a certain framing that this meeting with Netanyahu would not only be narrowly focused on Iran, but more broadly aligned with the US interests in the Middle East region.

Netanyahu says Trump meeting ‘excellent’, reflected US-Israel ‘complete partnership’

The Israeli prime minister has made some video remarks after his meeting with Trump, calling the private talks in the White House “excellent”.

The meeting “reflected a complete partnership, bilateral support, and an understanding of the shared goal of ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon”, Netanyahu said.

“There was an opportunity to exchange views and make important arrangements for the security and future of Israel,” he added, without elaborating.

The White House earlier described the gathering, which included other senior US administration officials, as “positive and productive”.

Protesters gathered in Washington, DC to express their opposition to the visit by Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Netanyahu ‘talking up’ meeting with Trump amid unpopularity at home

What’s interesting is this wasn’t in front of the news cameras – this has been so often before with Donald Trump.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said simply it was “positive and productive”. That’s very diplomatic speak for things went reasonably well.

Benjamin Netanyahu said it was an “excellent” meeting. It was reported in Israel that Netanyahu was very keen to raise the question of Pickaxe Mountain. The Israelis said there has been building work going ahead there; they believe the Iranians are putting together another nuclear facility.

Netanyahu also said the meeting took place in the presence of senior officials. That, to a degree, says he didn’t get a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump.

This time, there was no one-on-one for the two of them.

Certainly, Benjamin Netanyahu is talking up what happened in the meeting. He’s aware that he’s got an election later this year, and Donald Trump is much more popular in Israel than he is – and he’s made a big deal of tying himself to the US president.

US forces turn back 18 ships in Iran blockade, CENTCOM says

The US military says it has redirected 18 commercial vessels as part of its renewed blockade against Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have also disabled two ships and boarded two to verify that they were complying with the blockade.

CENTCOM said that more than 20 warships are now deployed across the Middle East to enforce what Washington has dubbed a “steel wall” around Iranian waters.

Qatar condemns renewed attacks on Jordan, holds call with Amman

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Iran’s renewed attacks on Jordan, calling them a “flagrant violation” of the kingdom’s sovereignty.

The ministry warned that the continued attacks mark a “blatant breach” of international law and the UN Charter and a “dangerous escalation” that risks derailing efforts to contain regional tensions and undermining diplomatic efforts toward stability.

The statement also called for an immediate and complete halt to all military action, restraint from further escalation, and a serious return to dialogue, alongside commitment to understandings already reached diplomatically. Qatar renewed its full solidarity with Jordan and support for measures that Amman takes to protect its sovereignty.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, held a phone call with Jordan’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, discussing bilateral ties and coordination to de-escalate tensions.

On July 26, 2026, Iran announces it will halt its own ​attacks as long as the United States does the same. The development comes as the United States pressed ‌pause on its bombing campaign after President Donald Trump's advisers told him they were running out of targets and expressed worries about depleting the U.S. arsenal.

Iran has ‘no plans’ to negotiate with US, deputy FM says

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, says Tehran has “no plans to negotiate with the US” but affirmed talks are proceeding “step by step” with Oman.

“We should not get America used to fighting whenever it wants and sitting at the negotiating table whenever it wants,” Gharibabadi said in remarks reported by state TV, claiming that it was Washington “who sent messages pleading for an end to the conflict”.

Gharibabadi reiterated that Iran will not recognise a southern route through the Strait of Hormuz and said mine removal efforts rest solely with Iran.

Oil prices hit two-week low

Oil prices have dropped five percent to reach a two-week low as markets react to the ongoing pause in hostilities.

Brent futures fell $4.61, or 5.2 percent, to $83.75 a barrel as of 16:00 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $4.06, or 4.9 percent, to $78.55.

Both crude benchmarks were on track for their lowest closes since July 13 after dropping about 17 percent over three days.

Iran rejects Trump frozen funds plan, warns ships of Hormuz transit ban

Iran has rejected Trump’s claim that ships damaged by Iran in the Gulf would be compensated from frozen Iranian funds. IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that any vessel taking such money will be banned from transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Kuwait condemns Iran’s attacks, calls them a serious escalation

Kuwait’s Council of Ministers has condemned Iran’s attacks on the country, according to state media.

The Council said the attacks represent a “serious escalation” and pose a “direct threat” to regional security.

Iran acting defense minister says weapons manufacturing ‘more active’

Iran’s acting Minister of Defense Brigadier General Seyed Majid Ibn al-Reza has said Iranian defense manufacturing lines are “more active than before”, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The official said the Defense Ministry was using technology to keep “one step above the enemy”.

Despite the US’s repeated claims of degrading Iran’s military defenses, Ibn al-Reza said the opposite was true.

“Production lines are more active than before, technologies are more advanced, and the will of Iranian experts and scientists to build the country’s defense future has become stronger,” he added.

Tanker in Red Sea reports hearing explosion: UKMTO

A tanker has reported hearing an explosion while crossing the Red Sea, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a maritime security monitor, says.

It says the crew is safe and no environmental damage was reported

Iran and EU foreign ministers hold diplomatic call

Iran’s Abbas Araghchi says via a statement issued on Telegram that he held a phone call with the EU’s Kaja Kallas.

The statement says the pair spoke in order “to discuss the latest regional and international developments, as well as ways to help de-escalate tensions and maintain stability and security in the region”.

Iran launched ballistic missiles on US forces in region, US says

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched multiple ballistic missiles in an “attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East”.

All of the missiles were intercepted, and “US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness”, the statement added.

Iran’s economy not collapsed under US war pressure

Millions of people across Iran are struggling for livelihood and survival, but the country’s embattled economy is still far from a state of collapse despite five months of war with the United States.

The vast and resource-rich country of more than 92 million people has developed a relatively diversified domestic economy for a major oil exporter, as the authorities over decades leaned on self-sufficiency in the face of harsh economic embargoes and confrontation with the US, Israel and the West.

Water-intensive agriculture, manufacturing and services have reduced total reliance on oil, while shadowy oil transfers, cross-border trade, maritime networks and a large informal labor market have helped keep the economy resilient.

US oil futures jump as US military confirms Iran attack

US oil futures have jumped more than 4 percent to more than $82 a barrel after the US military confirmed an Iranian ballistic missile attack on US forces in the Middle East.

Oil prices had dropped earlier on Tuesday following Washington’s abrupt suspension of air strikes on Iran on Saturday, with traders closely monitoring reports of renewed talks between Washington and Tehran.

Brent crude futures have also climbed following the latest Iranian attack on US forces, now priced at more than $88 a barrel.