War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Trump has expanded on his earlier comments demanding compensation from Iran, saying that it should also be held responsible for “damages and death” caused in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the Gaza Strip.

Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei named Revolutionary Guards general Ali Abdollahi head of the country’s armed forces on Monday, while also confirming a new commander of the Guards, putting his imprimatur on the country’s military, AFP reports.

Abdollahi had previously led the Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran’s inter-branch central military command tasked with coordinating operations.

An statement on Khamenei’s website announced that “Major General Ali Abdollahi has been appointed chief of staff of the armed forces. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has also been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the rank of major general.”

The pair represent Khamenei’s first senior military appointments since being named supreme leader early in the war after his father’s assassination.

Abdollahi has issued bellicose threats over the course of the war, warning regional neighbours earlier this month that “any country serving as a defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war”.

US President Donald Trump is demanding “compensation” from Iran “for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts”, saying he has instructed that this demand be made in any further negotiations.

In a post on Truth Social, he noted that Iran’s representatives were asking for compensation for damages done to the country over the last five months, despite this not being mentioned in negotiations.

“But it is an interesting idea,” the US president added, “because I am now likewise demanding compensation from Iran.”

He added that compensation should also be paid to the families of “hundreds of thousands of innocent protestors that Iran has killed over the last 50 years” as well as 52,000 killed in recent months.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said.

The sudden change in the office of the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), amid the volatile situation in the Gulf and with the Oman-Iran talks on the future of the Strait of Hormuz yet to produce a final arrangement, has implications that extend beyond Iran’s internal affairs.

The key appointment in fact signals a shift in the structure through which Tehran’s national security decisions are being processed and, potentially, a resetting of its game plan, even though there is little evidence so far of any change in the strategic objectives that have guided Iran through the conflict.

The replacement of Bagher Zolghadr by veteran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohsen Rezaei is significant because the SNSC, constituted under Article 176 of Iran’s Constitution, brings together the country’s top civilian, military and judicial leadership for deliberation on defence and foreign policy, with its decisions requiring confirmation by the Supreme Leader. Its secretary, however, is merely an administrative official controlling the Secretariat, setting the agenda, coordinating between state institutions, preparing policy options and implementing decisions.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has outlined key objectives that are “expected to be fully realised” in a post on X.

These include increasing the defensive security capabilities and readiness of the Iran’s armed forces and the Basij, as well as preparing “timely, revolutionary, effective responses to any level and type of conventional or modern threats” against the country.

Another objective is completing the integration of the general staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, he said.

National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq says that Pakistan’s role in helping ease tensions between Iran and the United States reflects its commitment to the promotion of peace and stability, the NA has posted on X.

In a meeting with European Parliament member Ondřej Dostál at Parliament House in Islamabad, Sadiq said that Pakistan’s efforts for promoting peace and stability in the region were being appreciated by the international community.

He said that Pakistan gave priority to dialogue and diplomatic means for the peaceful resolution of all disputes, adding that it would “continue to play its role in promoting dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts”.

Dostál appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace, parliamentary diplomacy and international cooperation, the NA added.

Oil prices have jumped 3 per cent after Iran said the US must lift sanctions on Tehran, pay reparations and meet a number of other conditions before the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures were up $2.48, or 3pc, at $86.03 a barrel by 10:44am EDT (7:44pm PKT). US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up $2.43, or 3.1pc, at $80.61.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply over the weekend, vessel tracker MaritimeTraffic says according to Al Jazeera.

Crossings went from 15 on Friday to 11 on Saturday, and 6 on Sunday, the tracker said.

The data showed 17 vessels passed through the Iranian Unilateral Scheme route, while 10 others took a route classified as “undetermined”.

In the Bab al-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, much busier traffic saw 116 crossings over the same period.

Israeli forces have carried out detonation operations between the villages of Markaba and Rab el-Thalathine in the Nabatieh governorate of southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reports citing the country’s National News Agency (NNA).

NNA earlier reported that the Israeli military razed homes in the town of Khiam. Detonations were also conducted in the area between the villages of Kfar Tebnit and Arnoun in the Nabatieh district.

Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled the strategic Ali al-Taher heights, the vicinity of the Dabsheh and Kfar Reman hills intermittently from midnight on Sunday into the early hours of Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has exchanged views on regional and international developments with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Office (FO) has said in a post on X.

The two ministers particularly focused on the “evolving situation in the region and efforts to promote peace and stability”, the FO said.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says in his seven-hour meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader emphasised “maintaining national unity and cohesion and paying attention to the people’s livelihood”, according to Al Jazeera.

His remarks have been reported by Iran’s Fars news agency.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “completely healthy”, according to ISNA news agency.

“Someone who can sit and discuss for seven to eight hours cannot have any health problems,” the president said, noting that he had held a “very good” meeting with Khamenei.

United States Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker has appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in navigating the regional conflict and its economic implications while maintaining economic and financial stability, in a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

According to the ministry of finance, Baker called on Aurangzeb to discuss Pakistan-US economic relations and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

Aurangzeb briefed her on measures the government was taking to manage the evolving situation, including the recent move towards daily price revisions for petroleum products to align domestic prices more closely with international market conditions.

“Baker reaffirmed US support for Pakistan’s economic reform agenda and appreciated the government’s efforts to stabilise the economy amid challenging circumstances,” the ministry said.

Sanae Takaichi has urged the resumption of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during a phone conversation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Al Jazeera reports.

Haitham bin Tariq responded that Oman would consult with and respect the views of countries that use the waterway, Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo, according to Kyodo News.

According to Muscat Daily, the two leaders exchanged views on regional developments, during which the Japanese PM expressed appreciation for Oman’s ongoing efforts to support dialogue, de-escalation, and international peace and security.

They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields in pursuit of their mutual interests, as well as regional developments, the newspaper said.

The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States deployed its most advanced military technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in the war against Iran, but ultimately failed to overcome the country’s institutional resilience, ideological cohesion, unity and national resolve, according to Press TV.

Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi said that artificial intelligence was the coordinating element of a major part of a network of technologies used by the US to identify targets, assess damage and track human resources.

The IRGC spokesman said the US brought its latest military capabilities into the battlefield but “failed in these areas”.

“AI analysed targets based on data received from various sources, but it could not monitor the institutional and ideological power of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Mohebi said.

He also highlighted Iran’s technological capabilities, saying the country had used its missile and drone capabilities to disrupt parts of the enemy’s network of power.

Oman says it is working to contain an oil spill off its southern coast after a tanker ran aground in June inside a protected marine area, triggering calls for action by environmentalists, according to AFP.

It follows an investigation by AFP that found the ship had been stranded for weeks near al-Qibliyyah island after it was rocked by explosions. The Oman Environment Authority says the ongoing spill has affected roughly 390 square kilometres, according to its most recent analysis.

A report in the state-backed Oman News Agency quoted an official with the transport ministry as saying authorities were conducting aerial surveillance and had deployed divers. The official said authorities were in the early stages of developing a plan to transfer the vessel’s oil cargo.

Omani authorities have not yet identified the cause of the spill. But British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was rocked by explosions in early June as it sailed off the coast of Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.

Iranian member of parliament Ali Nikzad has said that the route determined by the armed forces in the Strait of Hormuz is the “only route” for ships to pass through, according to ISNA news agency.

“The Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions,” he said, adding that the US and Israel must “submit to the new regional order”.

The Foreign Office (FO) has said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed developments in the region with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in a telephone call.

They discussed matters of mutual interest, including multilateral cooperation and regional developments.

They also underscored the importance of “continued close coordination and cooperation, both bilaterally and at multilateral forums”, the FO said.

The Azerbaijani president has thanked his Iranian counterpart “for his kind and sincere words” after the latter said that Baku sent Iran aid during the war, Al Jazeera reports.

“The peoples of Azerbaijan and Iran have always stood by each other’s side in narrow and difficult days,” Ilham Aliyev has said on X.

He has added: “Against the backdrop of the recent events that have taken place in our region, Azerbaijan has once again demonstrated that it stands by its brotherly Iranian people.”

Pezeshkian had made remarks about Azerbaijan’s help to Iran, particularly in resolving issues on routes for delivering aid.

Hans Grundberg has expressed concern over recent attacks by the Houthi movement on al-Makha (Mocha) in Yemen, and called for a de-escalation of tensions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, Al Jazeera reports.

In a written statement on X, the UN envoy for Yemen has said the recent attacks “come amid the most significant intensification of military activity since the 2022 UN-brokered truce, sharply increasing the risk of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen”, adding that they have also put civilians “at grave risk”.

“This escalation must stop, and civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” he added, calling for “maximum restraint”.

Yemen’s army said the attack on al-Makha killed seven people – four soldiers and three civilians – and wounded at least 30 others.

Ali-Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, has congratulated Mohsen Rezaei on his appointment as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), saying his strategic outlook and revolutionary spirit will help protect Iran’s security and national interests, IRNA reports.

In a post on social media, Velayati said appointing experienced figures with backgrounds in difficult management roles reflects foresight amid major geopolitical changes in the region and the world.

He said that he and Rezaei, whom he described as a longtime friend and colleague, had gained extensive experience during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war while serving the country in different capacities but pursuing a shared objective.

Velayati said that, based on his longstanding friendship and familiarity with Rezaei, he was confident Rezaei’s strategic outlook and revolutionary spirit would effectively contribute to safeguarding Iran’s security and national interests.

Ali Nikzad, Iran’s deputy speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has said the Strait of Hormuz is not going to return to its pre-war condition, Al Jazeera reports.

Addressing the assembly on the current conditions in the region, he said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran tried to inform the aggressor and deluded enemy of the fact that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to return to the pre-war conditions during the days of the war.”

“Unfortunately, they tried to pretend not to know, but the passage of time is the greatest teacher for deluded people, and today the American-Zionist enemy, with a strong fist of armed forces, has practically realised that the opening of the Strait of Hormuz has no military solution and must submit to the new order in the region,” Nikzad said.

He added that Iran’s most important priority currently, however, is to reduce the country’s economic problems.

Iranian foreign ministry’s Esmaeil Baqaei has emphasised that resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz requires redressing the “violations” of the Islamabad MoU committed by the US, IRNA notes.

Responding to a query about compensation plans for shipping via Hormuz, Baqaei recalled that FM Abbas Araghchi was “referring to the fact that the current focus of the negotiations with Oman is on reaching an understanding on a safe shipping route, and this issue is separate from the discussion of opening the Strait of Hormuz”.

Baqaei asserted that the “Strait of Hormuz is insecure for other reasons, and resolving this situation requires compensating for all the violations that the United States is committing, such as the naval blockade that we are still facing”.

Tehran has said Iranians had shown “they are professional chess players” in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump comparing his dealings with Iran to the board game, AFP reports.

“Lights out or lights on, Iranians showed they are professional chess players,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press conference.

Trump had earlier been quoted by news outlet Axios as saying he was “low-keying it” with Iran.

“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” he said.

“It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” Trump added.

Baqaei also reiterated that “as long as the US naval blockade continues… as long as other violations by the US continue, the necessary conditions for saying that the Strait of Hormuz has become a safe waterway will not exist”.