War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has ordered oil companies to “get your consumer (retail!) oil prices down, now!”

Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden in recent days and are heading to southern Africa, following threats by Yemen’s Houthi movement to target Saudi shipping, Reuters reports, citing tracking data.

The tankers, which were empty of cargo after returning from destinations in Asia, were sailing in formation towards southern Africa, rather than opting to transit the southern Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, according to AIS ship-tracking on LSEG and MarineTraffic.

One of the tankers, Dilam, had Gibraltar as its destination, ship tracking shows.

The vessel’s Saudi-based operator, Bahri, and other Saudi officials have not immediately responded to requests for comment.

Only nine vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz while 30 others transited the Red Sea from July 31 to August 2, according to shipping monitor Kpler, which notes that both waterways present “distinct risk profiles”.

“[The Strait of] Hormuz recorded nine confirmed transits, including two sanctioned and two shadow fleet vessels. Seven crossings used the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, while none followed the established traffic separation scheme, underscoring continued route concentration,” Kpler writes on X.

It notes that while 20 vessels exited the Red Sea, only 10 entered it, despite “Houthi-related exposure” remaining a risk.

“The diplomatic outlook is still unsettled. Until US, Iranian and Omani signals converge into clear navigation arrangements, operators should treat both chokepoints as contested rather than normalised,” Kpler adds.

The US Department of War says it has signed a framework deal with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand the production capacity of missile-interceptor components, Reuters reports, adding that the department did not say how much the deal was worth.

The US-Israel war on Iran is not just a war against one country, Al Jazeera reports citing the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman.

“It is a war against the entire region and against the security of all countries in the region,” Esmaeil Baqaei tells reporters.

“In these five months, we have seen firsthand that the US military presence in the region and the use of the territory and facilities of the countries on the southern edge of the Persian Gulf have exacerbated insecurity and instability for all countries in the region,” he adds.

“Therefore, it is natural that the countries in the region want to make efforts to prevent this situation from escalating.”

Signs that US-Iran tensions are easing again have caused oil prices to fall very sharply, according to Reuters.

Brent crude futures have sunk $4.40, more than five per cent, to $83.52 a barrel after US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran would take place today, after he called off an attack on Iran to pursue a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa says he is “encouraged” by ongoing Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome, but that both sides “must agree” on a clear process before proceeding, Al Jazeera reports.

Issa adds there is still a lot of technical work to be done and that moving “too quickly” could jeopardise civilian safety.

“There is a meaningful difference between drafting an agreement on paper and implementing it responsibly — moving too quickly risks jeopardising the very civilians this process is meant to protect,” he said.

“We believe it is better to take the time needed to get this right the first time. Doing so will allow subsequent pilot zones to move forward more efficiently.”

Oil prices fell more than $4 a barrel after US President Donald Trump held off a fresh attack on Iran as he sought a quick deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures fell $4.23, or 4.8pc, to $83.70 by 3:11pm PKT, having retraced some losses from a three-week low hit earlier in the session.

US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $79.60 a barrel, down $5.07, or 6pc. Both benchmarks marked their biggest daily falls in absolute and percentage terms since last Monday.

Both contracts had jumped more than 20pc last month after fighting between the US and Iran resumed and attacks on several tankers around Oman heightened security concerns, deterring shippers from entering the Gulf to load oil.

Iran has executed two of its citizens on charges of espionage and cooperation with Israel, amid an increase in executions for offences relating to national security, Reuters reports, citing Iranian state media.

Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat were accused of sending Israel the coordinates of military and security sites as well as images and information during a brief war last summer and during the latest conflict, judiciary news outlet Mizan has reported.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the Strait of Hormuz is not blocked because of disagreements between Iran and Oman, but due to what he described as US and Israeli aggression that began on February 28, IRIB reports.

An MQ9 drone was intercepted and struck by the fire of the advanced modern air defense system of the IRGC Aerospace Force over the skies of the Strait of Hormuz, Fars news agency reports.

Satellite images and maritime tracking data show that at least six oil tankers flying the Saudi flag have altered their course from the Bab al-Mandab Strait toward the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa to avoid attacks by Yemeni forces, according to Fars.

The Israeli regime has continued its attacks on southern Lebanon, targeting several areas with drones and artillery despite a ceasefire between the two sides, IRNA reports.

According to reports from Lebanon on Monday, the latest Israeli attacks targeted neighborhoods in the cities of Tyre, Marjayoun, and Bint Jbeil, as well as surrounding villages. Israeli drones also carried out bombing runs over the Ali al-Taher Heights in Nabatiyeh, dropping explosive and incendiary munitions.

In the village of Chamaa, near Tyre, the Israeli military fired artillery shells, while troops set fire to olive groves in the villages of Tayibe and Yaroun.

Iran has been discussing with Oman creating a new route through the Strait of Hormuz that would be one path with entry and exit lanes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a televised press conference, according to Reuters.

Iran’s foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein held a phone conversation to discuss the latest regional developments, IRNA reports.

The two diplomats also reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, enhance regional coordination, and exchanged views on key issues of mutual interest, reaffirming the importance of continued consultation and collaboration between Iran and Iraq on regional and shared priorities.

Iran is not currently holding talks with the United States and is now in discussions with Oman over a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, Reuters reports.

Baghaei added that reaching an agreement with Oman is not sufficient to reopen the strait, as the situation will remain unchanged while US “aggression” continues.

According to CNN, the US military asked troops for “creative and unconventional” ways to “pressure and punish” Iran.

“We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in US Central Command’s intelligence branch wrote in a message sent Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source familiar with the message, the publication said.

“A second source also said that a senior US military officer sent the message last week soliciting new ideas for how to deal with Iran,” it added.

Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO has offered steep discounts on its August-loading Basrah crude to entice buyers to lift cargoes from inside the Strait of Hormuz, a document reviewed by Reuters showed.

SOMO invited term buyers to nominate their contractual volumes of Basrah Medium or Basrah Heavy crude on a free-on-board basis from the Basrah Oil Terminal or Iraq’s single-point moorings and associated facilities, the document showed.

For Basrah Medium, SOMO offered discounts of $25 to $27 a barrel to the relevant destination benchmarks, depending on the loading window. It offered discounts of $27.80 to $29.80 a barrel for Basrah Heavy.

Iran executed two Iranian nationals after accusing them of sending sensitive military and security location coordinates to Israel during the Iran-war, the Fars news agency reports.

Iran’s High Council for Human Rights condemned the latest US attacks on residential areas which left civilian casualties, describing the onslaught as “a clear example of American human rights” and a grave violation of international humanitarian law, Fars news agency reports.

The council said deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and civilian objects violate the core principles of international humanitarian law, including the principle of distinction reflected in the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions.

It added that strikes against civilians and civilian property, as well as indiscriminate or disproportionate raids causing civilian casualties, are prohibited under international law and constitute serious violations of humanitarian norms.

A liquefied natural gas vessel controlled by Greek shipping company Gas Log was stable after an incident while exiting the Strait of Hormuz, with everyone on board safe and accounted for, the company said, according to Reuters.

An “incident” had occurred on its Gas Log Shanghai LNG vessel on July 31, said Gas Log in a statement. It did not provide details about the incident or whether the ship or its cargo had sustained any damage.

“Gas Log LNG Services immediately activated their emergency plan, notified all relevant authorities, and is currently assessing the condition of the vessel and assure the safety of our people,” the statement said.