War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

The Malaysian government is carrying out a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix later this year as the Middle East war continues to threaten the latter stages of the 2026 Formula One season, AFP reports.

Youth and sports minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari says they are “actively conducting discussions and assessing the proposal” in a statement from the Malaysian government.

He adds that the government has received “preliminary information regarding the possibility” of hosting a race at Sepang, which hosted the last of 19 races in 2017, as a possible replacement for a mooted race in Bahrain.

Formula One’s original calendar was for 24 races, but Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April were cancelled because of the ongoing war. Upcoming events in neighbouring Qatar and Abu Dhabi are also now in doubt.

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

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

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

The UK and US might be planning a “high-level meeting” in London next week on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports citing Axios.

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

High-level European, American and Arab officials, such as defence ministers and military commanders, may take part in the meeting, which comes amid a spate of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and a renewed conflict between the US and Iran.

The European Union has agreed to a US request to delay broadcasting its Copernicus satellite images over the Gulf by 24 hours, according to a decision published in its official journal, AFP reports.

The agreement comes as the United States resumes its attacks on Iran since July 7, throwing the region back into chaos as Tehran and Washington battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

US officials made the request for the delay on satellite to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on May 26. It covered data from the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites over the Gulf.

In a decision dated July 13, the EU Council ruled that it was “necessary” to do so, to ensure the images “are not used by any third State or non-State actor in such a way as to present a threat to the interests of the Union and its Member States in the region or to those of their allies”.

The zone covered by this decision is the Gulf region, where strikes are occurring and where the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iran.

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

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

In comments carried by the Iranian network, Abdollahi warns the US, “We have prepared free and direct tickets to hell for you.”

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

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

In attached details, it advises Americans to download an Israeli app “to receive real-time alerts for rockets, missile attacks, and armed UAV intrusions.”

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, has spoken with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, over the telephone to discuss regional developments, Al Jazeera reports citing Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.

The report notes that the ministers discussed the ongoing escalation between Iran and the US, and ways to establish peace, stability, and security in the region at the Asean Ministerial Meeting in Manila.

The price of the benchmark international oil contract Brent North Sea has slumped more than five per cent as traders weigh the impact of fresh Middle East attacks on world crude supplies, AFP reports.

Brent has dropped to $95.61 a barrel, having surged above $100 on Thursday. The main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, has shed 4.1pc to $88.40 a barrel.

“Having advanced all week, oil prices finally ran into some profit-taking,” notes Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at trading platform IG.

US President Donald Trump has issued a soft warning to China and Russia against providing weapons and arms to Iran, noting, “If they did, it would be very bad for them.”

“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 writes on Truth Social, adding that he was given similar assurances by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“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 — certainly not in their best interests,” he writes.

The US embassy in Amman has warned Americans to reconsider travelling to the Middle East to take extra precautions due to possible regional escalation.

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

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

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on four individuals and nine companies, according to an update on its website.

Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran will not be subservient to the US nor “tolerate the language of threats”, Al Jazeera reports.

Abbas Araghchi has spoken to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Kyrgyzstan.

“Consultations with Russia and China are ongoing and continuous and we regularly consult with our friends in China and Russia whenever there is an opportunity,” he says in comments reported by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

He adds that the problem with moving forward in peace talks is “the American approach”.

“Preserving Iran’s interests in the Strait of Hormuz is among our principles and we are committed to them,” he emphasises. “As long as the legitimate goals and demands of the Iranian people are not met, it is natural that we continue our efforts.”

In a statement carried by state-run IRNA, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced strikes against US military positions in Jordan and in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The IRGC adds that targets include personnel quarters, multiple fighter aircraft, a Patriot missile defence system, an intelligence-gathering balloon, and other facilities used by US personnel.

An Omani delegation has arrived in Iran to discuss a framework “to establish appropriate mechanisms for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz”, Al Jazeera reports citing 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.

The European Union says it has sanctioned five Iranian judges over alleged human rights violations, as well as a leading figure in a cyber group accused of helping the Iranian government suppress information, Al Jazeera reports.

The EU Council said it had sanctioned Nima Salehi, the Iranian founder of the Ashiyane cyber group, which it said cooperates closely with the EU-listed Cyber Police (FATA) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The statement did not name the sanctioned judges.

“As Tehran intensifies its domestic crackdown, the EU will continue to hold those responsible to account,” the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on X.

The Kuwaiti military says its air defences are currently intercepting attacks by hostile drones, it says on X.

“The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosion sounds, if heard, are the result of air defence systems intercepting the hostile attacks,” it clarifies. “Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities.”

The United Nations chief is “deeply alarmed” after Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck oil tankers in the Red Sea, his spokesman says, as fears rise of a new front in the Middle East war, AFP reports.

“The attack on commercial vessels, claimed by the Houthis, risks further heightening regional tensions and widening the current cycle of escalation,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman said in a statement.

“Further hostilities in Yemen will undermine prospects for peace, and cause serious economic, humanitarian and environmental consequences across and beyond the region.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Monday and will meet with US President Trump on Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office has said in a statement, Al Jazeera reports.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has called on all parties to commit to dialogue and to implement the terms of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, Al Jazeera reports citing the country’s foreign ministry.

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

Sheikh Mohammed has made the remarks in Doha during a meeting with the new British foreign secretary, Ed Miliband. The two discussed bilateral cooperation and recent regional developments, particularly diplomatic efforts and coordination aimed at de-escalating tensions, the ministry says.

Implementing the memorandum was necessary to preserve regional security, safeguard the gains achieved and strengthen stability, Sheikh Mohammed says, reiterating Qatar’s full support for efforts to defuse tensions and reach a comprehensive agreement securing lasting peace in the region.

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

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

The office urges 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.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has denied that it has shut down the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, stating that its naval operations are strictly limited to a targeted blockade against Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reports.

Mohammed Abdul Salam, the chief negotiator and spokesperson for the group, dismissed claims of a full waterway shutdown in a post on X.

“There is no closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait as some promote,” he writes.

“The position of Yemen, as announced by the Yemeni armed forces, is limited to a maritime blockade that only affects the Saudi side, in response to its siege of Yemen and its refusal to accept any fair approach to a solution that guarantees the security, sovereignty and independence of the Yemeni people.”