War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says that US attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities not only violate the UN Charter and international law, but also “reveal the United States’ deep-rooted enmity toward Iran’s scientific progress and technological development”.

Noting that Iran’s nuclear activities have been fully declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Baqaei adds that Washington’s obsessive focus on the facility at Kolang Kouh “is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage”, adding that there is no activity taking place there.

“By the way, where is the Director General of the IAEA, who is also a candidate for UN Secretary-General?” he asks in a post on X.

“The Iranian people stand resolute and united, ready to confront with full strength any act of US hostility or violation of their country’s sovereignty and national security,” he adds.

Ships with links to Israel, the United States or Saudi Arabia are at a higher risk of being attacked by Yemen’s Houthi militia and are advised to avoid voyages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the European Union’s naval force (EUNAVFOR) Aspides says.

“EUNAVFOR Aspides recommends that merchant vessels linked to Israeli, US or Saudi interests avoid transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level decreases, says an advisory from the force to the shipping industry, which has been seen by Reuters.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims it struck US bases in Jordan, which resulted in “multiple casualties”.

“The IRGC Aerospace Force launched the 25th wave of Operation Nasr 2 as a direct counter to hostile provocations,” a statement carried by state news agency IRNA reads.

“In its first phase, a combined missile-and-drone assault on the Malik Faisal and Prince Hassan bases, an F-15 assembly hangar was successfully hit. In a separate strike on a drone preparation facility, eight factory-fresh MQ9 drones, still unopened in their original crates, were obliterated prior to deployment, while two additional units parked nearby suffered heavy damage,” it adds.

The IRGC claims an attack on a helicopter storage hangar caused major destruction to two large American helicopters aircraft, while a strike on a barracks “resulted in multiple casualties among enemy personnel”.

Speaking at the Asean meeting in the Philippines, Marco Rubio says Iran’s economy and military have been battered during the war on Iran, according to Al Jazeera.

When a reporter asked him about the rising number of US casualties during the heightened fighting, Rubio said, “All I would say is that, you know, any time you’re in a combat zone there’s danger associated with it.”

On Tehran’s ability to strike, he said, “I mean, at the end, this actually proves the point that this is what Iran has been investing its money in for the last 20 years.”

Oil prices have risen to a near six-week high, with Brent crude surpassing $95 a barrel, Reuters reports, on mounting concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern supply routes because of escalating hostilities between the US and Iran and threats to shipping by the Houthis in Yemen.

Brent crude futures were up $3.82, or 4.2 per cent, at $94.83 a barrel at 09:38 GMT (2:38pm PKT) after hitting a session high of $95.24.

US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.65, or 4.33pc, to $87.99.

Both benchmarks touched their highest levels since June 11.

Rubio says the US is in contact with Saudi officials over the threat by Yemen’s Houthis to attack commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandeb waterway in the Red Sea, according to Al Jazeera.

“We’ve been engaged with the Saudis a number of times over the last week in regards to that threat. It’s not a new threat, but it’s one that’s manifested itself in the past,” he told reporters.

“At the gist of that issue is the fact Iran is in the middle of it. Talking about the troublemaker in the region, it’s Iran.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the US would “love to reach a diplomatic settlement” with Iran.

“We’d love to reach an agreement if it were possible with Iran … where they say, ‘We will no longer sponsor terrorism, and we will not pursue a nuclear weapon or the things you need for a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters in Manila.

Addressing the media in Manila, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that “By and large, we think that a nuclear-armed Iran is an unacceptable thing. It can’t happen.”

He added that if it were allowed to happen, “within two years”, Iran could threaten to overwhelm the US with “tens of thousands” of drones and missiles that “they were on pace to build — they can’t do that now”.

He also said that the US will not accept Iran’s attempts to “control” global shipping.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday will attend a ceremony for four US service members killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East, who will return to American soil in flag-draped caskets, Reuters reports.

The US president will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the ceremony, known as a “dignified transfer” of the bodies.

The war has cost US taxpayers at least $37.5 billion so far, has led to the deaths of 18 US service members and injured more than 450 troops. It has killed thousands of Iranians.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says Hezbollah’s disarmament is only possible if the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon ends, according to Al Jazeera.

Aoun made the remarks at a dinner in Washington, DC, hosted by Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, in honour of the president and his delegation visiting the US, the presidency said in a statement.

“The Lebanese model deserves protection not for Lebanon alone but for the region and because it is based on the same foundation upon which your nation was built,” Aoun said at the event, which was attended by members of the US Congress and officials from the Trump administration.

“Hezbollah can be disarmed only if we are truly sincere in taking the necessary steps — namely, if the occupation ends, the army gains full control throughout the country and the reconstruction programme is carried out solely by the state,” he added.

The Foreign Office (FO) has expressed deep concern over attempts to “drag” Saudi Arabia into the Middle East conflict and restated Pakistan’s support for the security of the kingdom.

In a statement published on social media, the FO reiterated its “unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

It also condemned the continued threats issued by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, particularly expressing concern over “reports of threats directed against vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade with the kingdom”.

Jordan’s military has intercepted four Iranian missiles targeting the kingdom, while two other missiles fell in remote, uninhabited areas, according to the Petra news agency.

The agency said that air defence systems detected six missiles coming from Iranian territory and dealt with them “immediately upon entering Jordanian airspace”.

“Air defence forces intercepted and shot down four of the incoming missiles, while the remaining two fell in remote, uninhabited areas,” the agency cited a military source as saying.

It added that there were no casualties or material damage due to the attack.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has visited a town in southern Lebanon that his government is to take control of from occupying Israeli forces, Al Jazeera reports.

The premier was quoted as saying, “The return of life to the south is not merely a slogan but a national objective to which the state is committed.”

Salam shared the comments in a video on X from Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of three towns that are in the first phase of a “pilot zone” project that is part of a larger framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel signed in Washington, DC, last month.

Salam said the Lebanese government’s goal was “the complete Israeli withdrawal from all our territories”.

“What we are witnessing today is merely the beginning, but we are determined and steadfast, and we will continue to mobilise all our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a complete withdrawal from all Lebanese territory,” he said.

A statement by neighbouring Israel’s army says an Iranian missile attack has targeted Jordan, Al Jazeera reports.

Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in Aqaba in videos filmed by people in nearby Eilat, Israel, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Jordan has been repeatedly targeted by Iran for hosting US troops and aircraft.

A man arrested in Iran and tried on charges of belonging to an “anti-revolutionary terrorist group” and committing “operational acts benefitting the US and Israel” was executed following a judicial ruling, Al Jazeera reports, citing Fars.

The individual was identified as Mehdi Khanki. According to Fars, he was arrested in Karaj after security forces discovered an arsenal in his home, including handguns, ammunition, explosive remotes, handmade grenades, shoulder-fired explosive tubes and high-destruction bombs.

Dubai will offer more than $800 worth of discounts and deals to residents who bring friends and family to visit, the emirate’s media office says, as months of war have battered its tourism sector, AFP reports.

“The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism launches ‘A Dubai Invite’, inviting residents to become ambassadors of the city by welcoming their loved ones to Dubai,” the Dubai media office has said in a post on X, adding that the programme would run until the end of October.

The Dubai government website says residents wishing to invite friends and family to visit from July 20 to October 31 can “receive benefits worth over AED 3,000 ($816), including hotel stays, dining experiences, attraction tickets and more”.

Residents can nominate people they wish to invite on the website to enjoy the benefits.

French shipping company CMA CGM says it will impose an emergency surcharge from August 1 due to rising prices amid renewed escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports.

“Following the renewed escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz over the past days, fuel prices have surged sharply again, reversing the easing observed in recent weeks. As a result, bunker costs have significantly increased across all regions and trades, impacting the overall cost of ocean transportation,” the firm said on its website.

The surcharge, which will range from $65 to $165 per container, will be in place until further notice.

Oil prices have extended gains to trade near six-week highs as fears of further supply disruptions intensified after US forces struck Iranian military targets for the 11th straight night, while oil tankers made U-turns in the Red Sea after warnings by Houthis, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures rose $1.84, or 2.0pc, to $92.85 a barrel at 11:30am PKT, the highest since June 11. US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $1.67, or 2pc, to $86.01, its highest since June 12.

The gains came after oil settled at a five-week high on Tuesday.

Beirut is working towards a “complete Israeli withdrawal” from areas it occupies, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says during a visit to a village where Lebanon’s army recently deployed, AFP reports.

“We will continue mobilising our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south,” he said in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of several “pilot zones” intended to demonstrate that the Lebanese army can remove and disarm Hezbollah as part of a Washington-sponsored deal with Israel.

After planting a Lebanese flag in the village, Salam said that “in parallel with the army’s deployment, we will continue opening roads, removing rubble, and securing essential services, enabling our people to return safely and with dignity to their homes and villages”.

As the US military bombed targets across Iran for an 11th straight night, Tehran residents reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Wednesday as Iran activated its air defences over the capital, Reuters quotes Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency as saying.*

Three locations in Iran’s Bushehr Province, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, were hit by US attacks earlier today, an official told Iran’s state news agency IRNA, including an electricity post close to the plant.

Al Jazeera reported that the provincial deputy governor for security affairs told Fars that two explosions occurred in the city of Bushehr and a third took place near Khormoj. He said the attack resulted in no loss of life or injuries.

He said power was temporarily knocked out in Bandar-e Gah village after missiles struck an electrical substation near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant but was restored within two hours.

A statement from Iran’s military has said Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq and Bahrain’s Isa Air Base have been targeted with drones, Al Jazeera reports.

“The army targeted the ‘housing and welfare buildings’ and ‘equipment warehouses’ of the terrorist US army at the Azraq base in Jordan with drones in the morning,” the statement, cited by the Mehr News Agency, said.

The army said it later targeted equipment warehouses and aircraft maintenance hangars of the US army at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain using Arash suicide drones, AFP reported.