War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted infrastructure belonging to US company Amazon AMZN.O in Bahrain, according to a statements published by state media, Reuters reports.

There was no official confirmation from Bahrain.

The United Arab Emirates’ state oil giant ADNOC is to invest $6.2 billion in an Abu Dhabi natural gas development project, AFP reports.

In a statement, ADNOC said it took the $6.2 billion final investment decision to develop the offshore Umm Shaif Gas Cap with France’s TotalEnergies, Italy’s Eni and China National Petroleum Corporation.

The investment is expected to produce more than 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day from 2030, alongside associated gas liquids, the company said.

In May the UAE announced its main gas-processing complex, the Habshan site in the capital Abu Dhabi, would not return to full capacity until next year, after it was targeted in the Middle East war.

Petrol prices in the US have climbed back to a nationwide average of $4 per gallon (3.8 litres) as the US and Iran continue to trade attacks, Al Jazeera reports.

Citing data from the AAA motor club, the agency said the national average for petrol has returned to the $4 mark, up from $3.14 per gallon at this time last year.

As a nationwide benchmark, that average means drivers in several states are already paying more than $4 per gallon, with regional prices varying based on local fuel supply and state taxes.

India summoned a senior Russian diplomat after a Russian strike killed four Indian crew on a Black Sea cargo ship off a Ukraine port, a government official said, according to Reuters.

Oil prices softened on Tuesday, with markets weighing reports of mediation efforts between the US and Iran against an exchange of fresh attacks between the two and threats of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthis, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures eased 78 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to $88.44 per barrel by 0415 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 73 cents, or 0.9pc, to $82.50 per barrel, while the more active contract for September delivery slipped 41 cents, or 0.5pc, to $82.07 a barrel.

“There’s some hope of de-escalation between the US and Iran. Reports are that mediators are proposing a 10-day ceasefire, which could put the memorandum of understanding back on track,” ING analysts said in a note, referring to the June interim deal.

Foreign ministers of the Southeast Asian bloc Asean will issue a statement on the Middle East crisis after expressing grave concern about the evolving situation, the Philippines’ top diplomat said, according to Reuters.

Maria Theresa Lazaro was speaking to reporters after chairing a closed-door meeting in Manila with her counterparts from the Association of South East Asian Nations.

The US State Department has issued an alert urging American citizens around the world to “exercise increased caution” over the war on Iran, AFP reports.

The alert said that “due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation”.

“Americans outside the Middle East should reconsider travel to and through the region,” it said, while warning of the heightened possibility of attacks targeting US diplomatic facilities “or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world”.

The IRGC has issued a second statement claiming additional strikes against US military targets in Kuwait, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the IRGC claimed its forces hit and destroyed an early warning radar, a missile defence radar system, an FPS-117 radar, a Patriot defence system, and an air defence satellite communication system at the Ahmed Al-Jaber base.

An “unknown projectile” struck a tanker off the coast of Oman, a British maritime agency said, as Iran and the United States exchanged fire over control of the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said it “received multiple reports that a tanker … has been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that the incident occurred eight nautical miles (15 kilometres) northeast of Limah, Oman.

The US military said it had completed its latest round of strikes against Iran, targeting various sites to counter Tehran’s ability to attack ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.

“US forces struck Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcome said in a post on X.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they hit US military targets including air defence systems in Bahrain and Kuwait, AFP reports.

The Guards said they struck two air defence systems and a radar installation at two different US outposts in Bahrain, as well as missile defence systems and radars and satellite reception systems in Kuwait.

“With this radar sweep, the enemy should prepare for even more decisive and powerful waves of drone and missile attacks,” the Guards said in a statement carried by IRNA.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they stopped two “non-compliant oil tankers” attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports citing IRNA.

“Two non-compliant oil tankers attempting to pass through the unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz were stopped after explosions caused extensive fires aboard them,” the Guards said in a statement carried by IRNA.

The mayor of the Lebanese town of Froun has contradicted a statement issued by the Lebanese army where it said it had retaken southern towns from Israeli control, Al Jazeera reports.

Hassan Bazzi told Al Jazeera that the Lebanese army has not yet begun deploying in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, because Israeli forces are yet to withdraw from the outskirts of the town.

“This is just talk. There have been no new developments in the town of Froun. The situation remains unchanged,” he said.

Oil prices have hit one-month highs today before scaling back as Iran said diplomatic exchanges with the United States were ongoing via mediators to dial back renewed conflict in the Middle East, AFP reports.

That helped give a positive tone to sentiment on Wall Street, while European equity markets largely stabilised.

However, Asian stock markets ended the day mostly lower under the weight of higher oil prices which briefly shot above $91 per barrel, alongside lingering concerns that the AI sector may be overbought.

“The Iran war has escalated and driven oil prices back above $90 a barrel,” noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“That means inflation fears are back on the table.”

Jordan’s armed forces say three missiles launched from Iran have been intercepted, Al Jazeera reports citing Jordan’s state TV.

Sirens sounded in the Jordanian capital Amman on Monday evening, an AFP correspondent says, as the United States and Iran exchange attacks in the region.

The state-run Al-Mamlaka channel also said that sirens had sounded in the kingdom.

The deputy security officer of Iran’s central province governorate has said that an industrial unit on the outskirts of Khomein County was targeted in an US-Israeli attack earlier today, which resulted in no loss of life, student-run news agency ISNA reports.

An assessment of potential damages is underway, the officer added.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations says a vessel has been struck 17 nautical miles east of Dibba, near the UAE’s Fujairah port, Al Jazeera reports.

Crew aboard the ship told UKMTO that an unknown projectile hit their ship, damaging the steering gear. All crew aboard the vessel are reportedly safe.

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that it will pay “many times over” for every US soldier it killed, AFP reports, after Washington announced over the weekend three new military fatalities and one service member missing in action.

“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump posted on his platform, Truth Social.

“This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military.”

On Truth Social, Trump has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting against Iran, which has “recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors” and has been killing US soldiers “and others” for 47 years.

“The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago, by previous Presidents!” he said.

US President Donald Trump has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape or form, while in the United States of America”, in a post on Truth Social.

Air raid sirens have sounded in Bahrain for the fifth time, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has reported.

The US military says it has disabled one ship and redirected seven in its continuing naval blockade against Iran.

“As of July 20, the US military has redirected 7 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to prevent the ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports,” Centcom wrote on X.