War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Operations have been suspended at an airport in Saudi Arabia, a regional source with knowledge of the matter tells AFP, after Yemen’s Houthis claimed they had attacked the site.

The regional source adds that the airport’s main radar was hit, affecting operations.

The airport website the status of flights scheduled for the next few days as “unknown”.

Saudi Arabia has not, so far, issued any comment on the claimed attack.

The small airport is located near the Yemeni border and has a single terminal handling a few flights a day.

Iraq exported over 30 million barrels of crude oil in one month through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports citing data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler.

Before the Middle East war, which choked shipments through the vital waterway, Iraq produced around four million barrels per day, and exported an average of 105 million barrels per month, mostly from its Basra oil terminal via the strategic waterway.

Around 30 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil passed through Hormuz between July 4 and August 4, according to vessels detected by Kpler.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the “denuclearisation of Iran” is the “ultimate deal”, Al Jazeera reports.

“I think there is a conversation and a negotiation that we are involved in between Iran and Oman on how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term, as we move towards … longer-term talks about [Iran’s] denuclearisation,” says Washington’s top diplomat.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there has been progress in discussions with Iran and Oman on getting more ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but no final agreement has been reached, Reuters reports.

“There’s been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We’re hoping that will happen very shortly,” Rubio tells reporters at the State Department.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem emphasises that Iran has prevailed against the United States and Israel and “thwarted their goals in the region”, according to state news agency IRNA.

In a speech, says that Washington and Tel Aviv “sought to overthrow the Islamic system in Iran, but they ultimately failed”.

“Iran stood firm with its army, the IRGC, its people, and its leadership. The country that was predicted to be defeated within four or five days managed to endure and proved itself as a vital, influential, and deeply rooted nation,” he adds.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appears to have taken a swipe at Hezbollah, accusing the group of “recklessly” dragging the country into a war and “usurping” Lebanese sovereignty as a result, Al Jazeera reports.

Without naming the group or its leader, Naim Qassem, he alleges in a post on X that Hezbollah pulled the country into “futile ‘support’ war adventures, thereby giving [Israel] pretexts to aggress against our country, trample its sovereignty, destroy its cities and villages, kill its sons, and displace them by the hundreds of thousands”.

The world has lost more than 2.6 billion barrels of oil since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, the head of Saudi oil giant Aramco says, warning global inventories were running low despite measures to reroute flows, Reuters reports.

The lost supply is equivalent to nearly a month of normal global crude production, underscoring the scale of the disruption that has closed a major oil chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz, upending energy markets, and shows little sign of easing.

“If the Strait were to open today, it would take up to 18 months at an average rate of 2.1 million barrels a day to replenish depleted inventories,” Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser says.

“Despite the unprecedented supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, we continued to demonstrate our ability to maintain business continuity by capitalising on our diverse asset base and multi-decade planning,” Nasser adds.

Aramco, the world’s top oil exporter, posted a 44 per cent increase in net profit of $32.69bn in the three months to June 30 as it reaped higher prices for crude oil, refined products and chemicals, while rerouting shipments away from Hormuz.

Oil prices have tumbled after a top US official said Washington could soon reach a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns over crude supply disruptions that have sent prices soaring in recent months, AFP reports.

The main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, has dropped five per cent to $76.32 a barrel, while the international benchmark Brent North Sea crude is back below $80 a barrel.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari says mediators’ “focus right now is on avoiding escalation, reopening the strait and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties”, Al Jazeera reports.

“What we do not want to see right now is a major escalation in our region,” he tells reporters during a news conference. “We are working very closely with our partners in the region and with the parties of the conflict to reach a diplomatic resolution.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that the United States can reach a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Wednesday, adding that this will stabilise energy prices, AFP reports.

“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent says in an interview with CNBC.

Asked if a deal would allow Iran to charge a toll on shipping using the strait, Bessent said: “I think it would be freedom of movement.”

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari says “the state of Qatar has a clear position” and that is “to go back to the normal situation in the Strait of Hormuz”, Al Jazeera reports.

In a news conference, Al-Ansari says there is currently no clear timeline for when an agreement can be reached, but the ministry hopes to reach an agreement “as soon as possible”.

He also commends Pakistan’s and Oman’s mediation efforts and said Oman has “been taking a very important and significant role in the past couple of weeks”.

Yemen’s Houthis claim they attacked an airport in southern Saudi Arabia, as tensions between the two foes brew after the rebels declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and struck its ships, AFP reports.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says the rebel group “successfully targeted a sensitive target belonging to the Saudi enemy at Najran Airport using a drone,” adding that the strike on the southern airport was “in response to the Saudi enemy’s violation of airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates using drones”.

A regional source with knowledge of the matter tells AFP that the airport’s main radar was hit, affecting operations.

Saudi Arabia has not, so far, issued any comment on the claimed attack.

Mediating nation Qatar says efforts for a diplomatic solution between the United States and Iran are ongoing but that there are no direct talks between the sides planned, AFP reports.

“We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all parties,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told reporters, adding that negotiations were focused on “a short-term resolution that would help us reignite the talks and go back to the mediation efforts in its totality”.

Iran wants control over inbound shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and visibility over outbound traffic, with the ability to intervene if necessary, under a plan being discussed with Oman to reopen the strategic waterway, a senior Iranian source told Reuters.

The source, who is involved in the talks, said this is “the general idea currently being discussed”, and specified that the outbound lane would follow a route between Iran and Oman, with exit clearance granted through Oman after notifying Iran.

“Tehran is unlikely to change its position,” the source added.

A vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one crew member missing, according to British maritime risk management firm Vanguard, Reuters reports.

While millions of Muslims are taking part in the Arbaeen procession in Iraq, thousands of people who were unable to make the pilgrimage held a solidarity march in Tehran, Iran’s Fars News Agency reports.

Participants carried red and Iranian national flags, chanted slogans calling for retribution for Iran’s “martyred leaders”, and reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the path and ideals of those they described as martyrs, according to the agency.

7th round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations begins in Rome under US sponsorship to discuss files related to implementing framework agreement, Lebanese NNA reports

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said that direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel would bring “nothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises” for Lebanon, ahead of new talks in Rome, AFP reports.

In a televised address, Qassem said Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun “has not acted as an arbiter, nor as a unifying figure, but has become biased and divisive, which is incompatible with his role and with Lebanon’s strength”.

Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mohammad Atabak expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its support during the recent conflict with Israel and the United States.

Speaking at the 10th session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee in Islamabad, Atabak conveyed the “profound appreciation” of the Iranian government and its leadership for the “principled and brotherly support” extended by the government and people of Pakistan during the recent “US-Israeli imposed war”.

He said Iran was also “equally grateful” for Pakistan’s constructive diplomatic efforts and its sincere endeavours to help bring the conflict to an end through dialogue and mediation.

The governor of Iran’s Bushehr province says 60 million cubic metres of gas production from the South Pars gas field, which was lost following US-Israeli attacks, has been restored after the reconstruction of damaged facilities, according to Press TV.

The chief executive of Saudi Arabia’s state oil firm said that attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels had no real effect on the oil giant’s production, AFP reports.

Strikes by the Iran-backed group had “no material impact on our capabilities”, Aramco president and CEO Amin H. Nasser said during a call with reporters, adding that they included Houthi attacks in July which targeted the company’s operations on the Red Sea coast and elsewhere.

Iran defends its borders but does not seek an expansion of war, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, Reuters reports.

While US President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran were underway, Tehran has denied that any negotiations were planned.

Iran defends its borders but does not seek an expansion of war, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said, AFP reports, citing state media.

“We must work to forge a society that offers the enemy no temptation to interfere, no opening to infiltrate, and no means to divide or dismantle us,” the president was quoted as saying by IRNA.

While US President Donald Trump said that talks with Iran were underway a day earlier, Tehran has denied that any negotiations were planned.

Iran was prepared to launch strikes on three sites in Ukraine before scrapping the operation after an “apology” from Kyiv, according to a top military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Andolu Agency reports that in an interview with Iranian state television, Mohsen Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces had completed preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off.

Rezaei also warned that Iran would not allow any maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz outside Iran’s designated route, saying any hostile naval vessel attempting to use an “illegal route” would be targeted.

He also said that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on US forces during the recent 17-day conflict, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had thwarted Washington’s military objectives.

The remarks came after Iran accused Ukraine on July 25 of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.