War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

US Central Command (Centcom) says that as part of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, American forces have redirected 20 vessels, disabled two and boarded two.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has had a phone call with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, during which they reviewed bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments, Al Jazeera reports.

The pair discussed diplomatic efforts and coordination to de-escalate tensions and enhance regional security and stability, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in a statement.

Sheikh Mohammed stresses the need for all parties to commit to “dialogue and diplomacy” and implement what was agreed under the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran — including guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz — to preserve regional security, safeguard gains made and strengthen stability.

He renews Qatar’s “full support” for all efforts to defuse tensions and reach a “comprehensive agreement” for lasting peace in the region.

Baghdad has complained that US-Saudi “aggression has hindered investigation efforts regarding the alleged targeting of Saudi Arabia”, Al Jazeera reports.

“We demand evidence and proof regarding the launch of attacks from Iraq, and no party has provided any evidence,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief for Iraq’s armed forces told the Iraqi News Agency.

Security leaders are working on a plan to “prevent attacks and preserve Iraq’s sovereignty”, the spokesperson added.

In the oil market, the price of Brent crude has leapt 6.7 per cent to $87.55 per barrel after fighting resumed in the US-Israel war on Iran, raising worries about the global flow of oil, Al Jazeera reports.

Brent oil’s price had swung as low as $72 early this month and as high as $102 last week on uncertainty about whether the United States and Iran could reach a deal to allow oil tankers to move freely again from the Middle East to customers worldwide.

The head of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, says his troops are prepared for Israel’s campaign to continue across all fronts, Al Jazeera reports.

“The campaign across all fronts is not yet over, and you must be prepared for it to continue. We are prepared for any change in the situation and ready for a wide range of scenarios”, Zamir told officers while on a visit to Israeli-occupied territory in southern Lebanon.

Zamir said Israeli forces would “push deeper and reach additional areas” on the Lebanon front if required.

Israeli forces have maintained their occupation of many points in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire, and have continued periodic strikes, as talks continue over Hezbollah’s disarmament and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Qatar has issued a statement strongly condemning Iran for launching strikes on Jordan, considering them a blatant violation of both Jordan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and international law.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the continuation of these aggressions represents a dangerous escalation that will complicate efforts aimed at containing tensions and undermine political and diplomatic endeavours geared toward achieving security and stability in the region,” the statement, posted on X, reads.

The ministry has emphasised the necessity of an immediate and complete cessation of all military operations that “threaten the region’s security and stability”, urging Iran to refrain from any actions that could expand the scope of escalation.

It further urges Tehran to make a “serious return to the path of dialogue and negotiations”, while committing to the understandings achieved through diplomatic efforts.

Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has confirmed that the incident at Damietta port saw a fire break out on a tugboat and storage ship, but that no casualties have been reported, Al Jazeera reports.

“The situation was dealt with immediately in accordance with the emergency plans … and firefighting and safety teams at the site,” the ministry says in a Facebook post without addressing the cause of the fire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Washington, DC, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, Netanyahu’s office has shared photos of the gathering without offering more details.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stressed the “restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy” to prevent further escalation in a telephonic conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, the Foreign Office (FO) says.

In a statement shared on X, the FO said, “FM Dar received a telephone call from the Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty

“The two foreign ministers expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Palestine, condemning the continued Israeli military actions in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, escalating settler violence, and repeated violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. They underscored the urgent need for an immediate end to all hostilities, unhindered humanitarian assistance, and full respect for international law.”

The two ministers also discussed Jordan’s proposal to convene a meeting of a group of Arab and Islamic countries to coordinate diplomatic efforts in support of the Palestinian people, it added.

“They further exchanged views on recent regional developments, stressing the imperative of restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy to prevent further escalation and preserve regional peace and stability,” the FO said.

US Central Command (Centcom) has stressed in a post on X that the Strait of Hormuz is open for maritime traffic, dismissing requests by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to only use routes it approves.

“After recently threatening and attempting to attack commercial vessels and innocent mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to claim that international mariners should only use routes the IRGC prefers,” Centcom writes, dismissing the claim as false.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. The IRGC has no authority to dictate routes for free and open traffic flow. Commercial vessels continue to use the strait with U.S. military support,” Centcom states.

It adds that since early May, US forces have helped approximately 1,000 vessels and 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the waterway.

“Local authorities responded promptly” after an explosion was reported at the Mediterranean port in Egypt, Al Jazeera reports citing port services firm Inchape.

“The vessels involved have been safely relocated outside the port area,” Inchcape’s statement says, adding that “port operations are expected to resume during the night-time at other berths and terminals”.

A drone has hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, Reuters reports citing maritime security firm Ambrey, which cited an initial assessment of the incident.

Port services firm Inchcape says in a separate message that two gas tankers had caught fire at Damietta.

Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah has said it will give the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate that it can defend Iraq’s sovereignty, Al Jazeera reports.

A powerful alliance of pro-Iran armed groups warns that a response to the deadly US-Saudi strikes in Iraq is “inevitable”, AFP reports.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has targeted US facilities hundreds of times during the Middle East war, says, “Our response to the American enemy is inevitable, and may target its tools in Saudi Arabia.”

The United States has issued another round of Iran-related sanctions, targeting eight tankers and 10 entities, Reuters reports citing a notice posted on the US Department of Treasury’s website.

Six of the entities targeted are based in China, according to the notice.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for Iranians to “fight the enemy and stand firm against them so that we do not submit to injustice and oppression”, Al Jazeera reports.

“In the same way, we cannot oppress our citizens or commit injustice against them,” the IRNA news service quotes him as saying.

Pezeshkian added Iran has proven it is a “unique model of resistance”.

Four Iranian Revolutionary Guard military advisers were killed in overnight US-Saudi strikes on Iraq, Reuters reports citing Iran’s Hamshahri newspaper.

Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the losses.

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has had a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, where the pair discussed matters of mutual interest and regional security, according to the military’s media wing.

Inter-Services Public Relations says in a statement that Sheikh Jarrah expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s steadfast support and constructive contribution toward regional peace and stability.

“Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to Kuwait, emphasising that both countries share a common vision for regional peace and prosperity,” the statement reads.

Iraq has vowed to defend its sovereignty and prevent its territory from being used against neighbouring countries following deadly US-Saudi strikes on the country, AFP reports.

The Ministerial Council for National Security says it “decided to adopt a comprehensive security plan to strengthen control across the country, confront any violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, and prevent any source from using Iraqi territory to threaten neighbouring states”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, have exchanged views on “recent regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination and cooperation at multilateral forums, including the United Nations”, according to the Foreign Office.

Iraq’s National Security Council has instructed the foreign ministry to pursue legal action against the United States and Saudi Arabia over joint strikes conducted on Iraqi territory overnight, the prime minister’s office says in a statement.

“The council directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter to document the situation and affirm Iraq’s legitimate rights,” the statement, posted on X, reads.

“The meeting affirmed the government’s firm and rejecting stance toward all hostile acts, regardless of the executing party or the justifications relied upon, emphasising that dealing with and confronting such aggressions is an exclusive responsibility of the Iraqi government and the constitutional state institutions, and none other.”

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as part of his visit to Pakistan, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“While exchanging views on the regional situation, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s full solidarity with the leadership and people of Kuwait and strongly condemned the attacks on Kuwait and other brotherly Gulf countries during the ongoing conflict,” the PMO says in a statement posted on X.

It adds that PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan was playing the role of an an honest and sincere mediator in the regional peace efforts and has thanked the Kuwaiti leadership for its support.

Harakat al-Nujaba, an armed group within the Popular Mobilisation Forces, has condemned US-Saudi attacks across “safe Iraqi cities”, warning that those killed would be avenged, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, it demands the expulsion of US forces from the country, saying their continued presence “has become an imminent threat to the country’s security and stability”.

It also calls for an end to cooperation with Saudi Arabia and for the deployment of advanced air defence systems and threatened retaliatory attacks against US and Saudi interests.