War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence says the Al-Abdali border crossing was targeted by drones this afternoon, Al Jazeera reports.

The attack caused material damage but no casualties, the ministry’s spokesperson, Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, says in a statement.

“Specialised teams have taken all necessary measures to secure the site in coordination with the relevant authorities … Drone debris is being cleared,” he adds.

Located in Kuwait’s northern Al-Jahra Province, Al-Abdali is the country’s main land border crossing for passenger and commercial traffic with Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced what he calls the United States’ “irrational” and “domineering” approach in dealing with Tehran, AFP reports.

“The problem is the type of approach of America, and that is their irrational, excessive and domineering approach, which has been met with strong reactions from us,” he tells state TV.

The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry has “strongly condemned the renewed Iranian aggression” on the three Middle Eastern countries, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, the minister affirms that these attacks “constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty of these brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability”.

It reiterates the UAE’s “full solidarity” with the three nations.

An Iranian Army officer has been killed in US strikes on the Iranian town of Shalamcheh, in Kuzestan province, semi-official news agency Tasnim reports.

“Captain Martyr ‘Amir Mohammad Salami’, from the army’s telecommunications site forces … was martyred last night during US airstrikes in Shalamcheh,” the agency writes on X.

Yemen’s Houthis must cease all actions that endanger international shipping and the lives of seafarers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, Reuters reports.

Recent threats by the rebel group to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia “pose a direct threat to regional stability and constitute a dangerous escalation”, Kallas says in a statement.

The Houthis claim they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside the Strait of Hormuz.

Kallas deems such attacks “unacceptable”, adding that they inflame the already fragile situation in the region.

“Navigation must be unimpeded, in the Strait of Hormuz as well as in the Red Sea,” the EU’s top diplomat adds.

She further says that the EU’s ASPIDES naval operation remains committed to protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding international waters.

The United Kingdom says it has withdrawn its remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as the conflict between Iran and the United States escalates, AFP reports.

“Due to the security situation, UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the Foreign Office says on its website.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) declined to say how many staff had been withdrawn, after a similar move in February.

The FCDO “advises against all travel to Iran. If you are a British national already in Iran, either resident or visitor, carefully consider your presence there and the risks you take by staying,” it says on its website.

The price of the main international oil contract, Brent North Sea, has soared five per cent after Houthi rebels claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, AFP reports.

Brent has reached $98.80 a barrel while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, rallies 3.8pc to $90.11 a barrel, as the attacks potentially open a new front in the Middle East war.

The US administration “intends to sacrifice whatever remains of international humanitarian law and the foundations of human ethics and civilisation to its insatiable appetite for war and slaughter”, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman says, Al Jazeera reports

He has claimed that Washington follows “a policy that calls for the destruction of bridges and power plants, which is manifestly unlawful and criminal”.

“It constitutes reprisal and collective punishment — both of which are explicitly prohibited as war crimes under international humanitarian law,” the Iranian official has added.

He has urged military personnel to refuse unlawful orders and said Iran would stand firmly “against lawlessness”.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has chaired a meeting on facilitating the return of displaced residents to southern Lebanon, outlining plans to deploy security forces, clear roads, remove rubble, restore essential services and provide temporary housing, Al Jazeera reports.

He has pledged full state support for the return and early recovery process, saying the government would stand with residents throughout the reconstruction effort.

Oman says it is coordinating with Saudi Arabia, Yemeni parties and the UN special envoy for Yemen to resume the political track aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, Al Jazeera reports, citing the foreign ministry.

The ministry also stressed the need to avoid escalation and any threats that could worsen the situation in the Red Sea and endanger freedom of navigation.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has welcomed visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Tehran.

The Jordanian and Kuwaiti militaries have reported intercepting salvos of Iranian missiles and drones, with Iran’s army and Revolutionary Guards saying they had targeted US assets in the countries, AFP reports.

Jordan’s army said it had shot down three Iranian missiles this morning, while a fourth fell in an uninhabited area. It also shot down six drones the night before.

The army said the “operations resulted in no human casualties or material damage”.

Kuwait’s military said overnight that it was also intercepting “hostile drone threats”, without specifying their target.

Bahrain’s interior ministry says that air raid sirens in the kingdom have been activated and citizens have been urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.

The Iranian army said that it would continue its strikes around the region until the attacks on Iran stopped, AFP reports.

“The armed forces’ retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the US attacks on the country’s infrastructure and coastal areas continue,” said army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia according to state TV, adding that the country was ready for “every enemy scenario”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would continue to “pay a very heavy price” unless it agreed to a deal, saying the country was already suffering severe military and economic losses.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference in Manila, Rubio said, “They are going to continue to pay a very heavy price.”

He said Iran’s “defence industrial base has been decimated” and claimed the country was “losing radar systems and losing launchers every single night.”

Rubio added that Iran was “suffering billions of dollars in damage” and that “their economy is suffering.”

“Every time they make a deal, they either break it or they want to change the deal,” Rubio said.

“So.. they are probably not ready to make a deal because the price they are paying is very high,” he added. “They are suffering tremendously, and they are going to suffer even more.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has departed for Tehran, AlJazeera reports.

Iraqi government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi has said that natural gas cooperation and regional developments will be on the agenda of the talks in Tehran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran was “begging for a deal” but warned that Tehran would “pay the price” if it failed to reach an agreement, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference in Manila, Rubio said, “It looks like Iran is not ready to make a deal. They will pay the price.”

He also accused Tehran of failing to honour previous agreements, saying, “Every time they make a deal, they either break it or change it.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Ed Miliband emphasise the importance of dialogue and diplomacy during the recent escalation between the US and Iran.

According to a statement by the Foreign Office, the two leaders met on the sidelines of Asean Regional Forum (ARM) in Manila.

They “discussed regional and international developments, including the security situation in the region”, the FO said.

It added that Miliband appreciated Pakistan’s “continued efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation during the recent US-Iran tensions”.

“Both sides noted with concern the recent escalations in the region and underscored the importance of continued dialogue, diplomacy, and sustained efforts towards lasting peace and stability,” the FO adds.

Three sailors who survived an attack on the Thai cargo ship Mayuree Naree in Strait of Hormuz are suing the vessel’s owners, alleging that Iranian warnings were ignored ahead of the strike, AlJazeera reports.

“The moment I heard the explosion, I thought that was it. I knew something serious had happened. No ordinary explosion would have been that loud – so loud that it completely shocked me,” the report quotes one of the three sailors, Panithi Tumkaew, as saying.

He said he can no longer face returning to sea and has been forced to leave his job, receiving just $5,000 in back pay, the report adds.

Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and exchanged views on regional developments, AlJazeera reports, citing a statement by the Jordanian foreign ministry.

“The two ministers discussed regional developments, the efforts being made to de-escalate tensions and ensure freedom of maritime navigation in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea,” the statement says.

They also discussed “coordination and consultation regarding diplomatic efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability in the region”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he had spoken on the phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and “condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the Houthi militia’s attacks against Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea”.

“Such actions are unacceptable, violate international law, threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional peace and security,” he said.

“I reaffirmed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and conveyed that I, together with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the entire Pakistani nation, stand firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and the brotherly people of the Kingdom at this critical time,” he said.

He added that the two agreed to continue working “very closely to maintain regional peace, security, stability, and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through the Red Sea as well as the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region”.

French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies says net profit doubled in the second quarter, on the back of high hydrocarbon prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, AFP reports.

TotalEnergies says in a statement that net profit amounted to $5.4 billion in the period from April to June, up from $2.7bn in the same period a year earlier.

Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar has discussed the latest regional and international developments with Oman’s FM Badr Al Busaidi during their meeting in Manila on the sidelines of the Asean ministerial meeting.

According to the Foreign Office, FM Al Busaidi “appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting dialogue, de-escalation, and regional peace and security”.

“Both sides expressed concern over the recent developments in the region, stressed the importance of upholding the ceasefire, respecting international law, and working towards lasting peace and stability in the region,” FO said.

Indian government bonds have fallen as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices closer to $100 a barrel, while rising US Treasury yields also weighed on investor sentiment, Reuters reports.

The benchmark 6.94pc 2036 bond yield was at 6.8180pc as of 10:05am IST, after closing at 6.8012pc yesterday.

“Indian bonds are starting to look vulnerable as higher oil prices threaten to revive inflation pressures and weaken the rupee. Unless crude cools meaningfully, yields may have more upside,” a trader with a state-run bank said.

India imports almost 90pc of its crude oil requirement and is vulnerable to any supply shock as higher crude prices can swell its import bill, push up inflation and pressure the rupee.

Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty has met with his Omani counterpart Badr Al Busaidi on the sidelines of the Asean Ministerial Meeting in Manila.

Besides discussing bilateral relations, they “renewed their condemnation of the repeated Iranian attacks targeting the brotherly Gulf Cooperation Council countries”, Egypt’s foreign ministry said.

Abdelatty stressed that the repeated attacks represented a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of countries and a serious threat to the security and stability of the region”.

He stressed the importance of an immediate halt to all escalatory actions and an immediate cessation of any practices that would fuel tension and expand the circle of escalation in the region.

The two ministers also agreed on the importance of preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the need to ensure the security and safety of international navigation.