Iran has claimed Donald Trump could “ignite the spark of World War 3” after the US warned it was Tehran’s “last chance” to make a deal.
The US president claimed the Strait of Hormuz could be open “literally by tomorrow”, adding that the Iranian regime had “begged” for negotiations and that talks are currently ongoing.
“We will not allow a second corridor to be opened in the Strait of Hormuz, and any warship or military force that approaches it will be hit,” Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told Iranian television according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
“Trump's moves could ignite the spark of World War III," he added.
The US president claimed establishing peace in the region will be a two phase process, first involving opening the straits, and afterwards Iran’s “denuclearisation”.
He said it would “take a little while, but … we’re very strong on it”.
Iran flatly denied any plan for negotiators to meet with their US counterparts on Monday, saying it is rather in discussions with Oman about securing a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Read MoreThe seven times Trump threatened Iran before pulling back
Trump’s whiny Truth Social tirade against Iran reads like a bitter breakup text
Key Points
- Cargo ship reports strike in Strait of Hormuz
- US treasury secretary says a Hormuz deal could be reached in next two days
- Trump says Tehran has ‘last chance’ to make deal
- Iran's president says Tehran doesn't want expansion of war
- Trump says there ‘will be a deal on Hormuz’ as peace talks to resume
- Oil prices rise to $84 a barrel
US treasury secretary says a Hormuz deal could be reached in next two days
13:26 , Alex CroftUS secretary Scott Bessent said there could be a deal reached with Iran on the reopening of the Hormuz Strait by Tuesday or Wednesday.
"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 normalized position in this conflict," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
Tehran has denied that they are talking with the US, stating that they are instead in talks with Oman.
BP slammed as profits more than double during Iran war
12:55 , Alex CroftBP has faced criticism after revealing its strongest quarterly profits in four years, a surge boosted by volatile energy prices amid the Middle East conflict.
The FTSE 100 company's preferred profit measure – underlying replacement cost profit – soared by approximately 78 per cent to 5.7 billion US dollars (£4.2 billion) for the second quarter of 2026, compared with the previous three months.
This sharp jump, exceeding analyst predictions, stemmed from its refining and trading business benefiting from rising prices during the Iran war.
New chief executive Meg O’Neill stated she is taking "urgent action" to create more value for shareholders, announcing plans to sell off its US biogas business, Archaea.
Rivals such as Shell and ExxonMobil have also reported stronger profits, similarly boosted by the conflict. Campaigners have accused BP of "profiteering" from a "climate crisis".
Read more here:
Talks ongoing for US-Iran resolution, says Qatar
12:40 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, who said that efforts are ongoing to seek a diplomatic resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Mediators including Qatar, Pakistan and Oman are coordinating closely to facilitate negotiations and exchange drafts between both sides, he said.
We’ll bring you more on the talks as they come in.
Houthis say they hit Saudi target in Najran Airport
12:06 , Alex CroftYemen's Houthis rebel group said on Telegram on Tuesday that they hit a target at Saudi Arabia's Najran Airport.
The Iran-aligned group said the strike was in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions into the airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates in northwestern Yemen.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.
Iran to fully control inbound shipping through Hormuz in deal with Oman: Reuters
10:58 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from an senior Iranian source speaking to Reuters news agency about a temporary plan being discussed between Tehran and Oman for the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan would give Iran full control over all inbound shipping through the strait, the source claimed.
Outbound shipping would follow a route between Iran and Oman, it added. Oman would clear the ships for exit before notifying Tehran under the plan.
Tehran would remain visibility across the Strait and retain the power to intervene if necessary, the source declared.
The regime, they added, is unlikely to accept any alternative proposal for reopening the waterway.
Tehran appears to be seeking to bypass the US in negotiations over the Strait, following repeated failures to come to a deal.
Vessel struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz near Oman's coast
10:45 , Alex CroftA dry bulk ship has been struck by a projectile near Oman’s coast while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security sources have told the Reuters news agency.
The crew of the Liberia-flagged ship, Minoan Pioneer, abandoned the vessel and one seafarer remains missing.
"The projectile reportedly struck the engine room, while a fire broke out in the accommodation area. The crew are fighting the fire and require assistance, while the third engineer is reported missing," British maritime risk management group Vanguard said separately.
The vessel’s Greece-based operator Modion Maritime Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US military accused of killing family after dropping 900kg bomb on civilian house in Iran - report
10:29 , Alex CroftThe US military has been accused of killing a young family with a huge 907kg bomb during renewed strikes on Iran’s fortress Qeshm Island last week, according to a new analysis, raising more questions about its conduct in the five month conflict.
A mother, a father and their two-year-old son were reportedly killed as American forces dropped a Mark 84 bomb and hit a populated neighbourhood on Thursday, leaving a 30ft wide crater in the ground, according to evidence reviewed by the New York Times.
The newspaper said that the couple’s other two children were pulled from the rubble alive after a review of photographs, video footage and satellite imagery by weapons experts.
Analysis suggests the location and timing of the strikes, destroying several structures in the Chah-Tangu neighbourhood, was consistent with where the US military was operating at the time.
Senior reporter James Reynolds reports:
US military accused of dropping 900kg bomb on civilian house in Iran
Iran will 'not tolerate' Trump's naval blockade, says official
10:02 , Alex CroftA military adviser to Iran's supreme leader has warned Donald Trump over America's continued naval blockade against Iranian ports.
“If the blockade continues, American vessels and forces will face serious risks and casualties,” Mohsen Rezaei wrote on X.
“The US must change its behaviour – or we will not tolerate this. We will never permit the opening of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz," he added.
Watch: Trump says canceled Iran attack would have been the biggest 'since WWII'
09:45 , Alex CroftIran warns Trump could 'ignite World War III' with latest threats
09:17 , Alex CroftIran has claimed Donald Trump could “ignite the spark of World War 3” after the US warned it was Tehran’s “last chance” to make a deal.
"We have thwarted an American plan for a ground attack after it attacked the bridges of the Hormuzgan province in the south of the country,” said Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told Iranian television according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
“We will not allow a second corridor to be opened in the Strait of Hormuz, and any warship or military force that approaches it will be hit. Trump's moves could ignite the spark of World War III.”
Iran says it called off strikes after Ukraine issues apology
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran decided against launching retaliatory strikes on Ukraine after Kyiv offered an apology for attacking an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, a top military adviser said.
Mohsen Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces were prepared to strike three sites in Ukraine before the operation was called off.
Cargo ship reports strike in Strait of Hormuz
07:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” at 2am local time while it was 37km northeast of Al Khasab in Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.
The UKMTO did not provide further information on the ship, including what flag the vessel was sailing under or whether it was carrying cargo.
The town of Al Khasab sits on the tip of the Arabian peninsula that juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war.
Iran's president says Tehran doesn't want war expansion
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has said this morning that Tehran is defending its borders but does not seek an expansion of the war with the US.
“Conflict, whether in a neighbourhood, a city, a country or between countries, is a disease that has emerged. We will defend our boundaries, but we are not seeking to expand the war or continue it,” he said, according to state media.
“We must work under these circumstances to build a healthy society so that the enemy is not tempted to enter it, tear apart our social fabric and destroy it,” he added.
US military asks for 'unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe US military has been crowdsourcing ideas for “creative and unconventional” ways to “punish” Iran, according to a report, after both sides reached an impasse over how to end the unpopular five-month war.
A senior officer at the US Central Command’s intelligence branch is said to have written to military analysts last Wednesday asking for new ideas to “pressure and punish Iran”, according to CNN, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
More here.
US military asks for ‘creative and unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran
Gaza official urges Israel to halt attacks
06:46 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA top official overseeing Gaza’s postwar transition met Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in part to press him to halt military attacks on the territory.
Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, also discussed with Netanyahu the need to decommission all weapons in the enclave, the international body established by the US said in a statement.
An Israeli strike last evening hit a car in Gaza City, killing two men, according to Shifa Hospital.
Over the weekend, Israeli attacks left at least 17 people dead, including children, according to hospitals in Gaza.
Garamendi accuses Trump of hiding Iran war details
06:23 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDemocrat John Garamendi has accused US president Donald Trump of shielding details of the Iran war by using classified briefings.
"Trump is the biggest liar on the Iran war. When he wants to tell the truth he usually gives updates to Congress in classified hearings," he wrote on X.
"That way members of Congress aren't allowed to share the truth."
This is how the Pentagon hides information from Congress: classified hearings.
— John Garamendi (@RepGaramendi) August 3, 2026
Trump is the biggest liar on the Iran war. When he wants to tell the truth he usually gives updates to Congress in classified hearings.
That way members of Congress aren't allowed to can't share the… pic.twitter.com/VrdmMyuMzr
Iran’s top delegates head to Iraq and Pakistan
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived yesterday in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf to participate in the Arbaeen commemorations, an annual pilgrimage for Shia Muslims, his office said on social media.
Araghchi’s trip comes as Iraq has been walking a tightrope between Iran and the US, an act that has only grown more fraught since the US and Israel went to war with Iran in February.
Meanwhile, Iran’s minister of industry, mines and trade, Mohammad Atabak, headed to Pakistan for a two-day visit expected to focus in part on ways to ease transit bottlenecks and move more Iranian containers through Pakistani ports during the US naval blockade.
Trump’s whiny Truth Social tirade against Iran reads like a bitter breakup text
05:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNot even the president can answer why his latest efforts to reach a deal with Iran will go any differently. Monday’s outburst suggests that he’s too angry to care, writes John Bowden.
Trump’s whiny Truth Social tirade against Iran reads like a bitter breakup text
Iran will 'not tolerate' Trump's naval blockade, says official
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA military adviser to Iran's supreme leader has warned Donald Trump over America's continued naval blockade against Iranian ports.
“If the blockade continues, American vessels and forces will face serious risks and casualties,” Mohsen Rezaei wrote on X.
“The US must change its behaviour – or we will not tolerate this. We will never permit the opening of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz," he added.
Trump says Tehran has ‘last chance’ to make deal
04:58 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDonald Trump has insisted that talks with Tehran are happening after the Iranian side denied any discussions were taking place.
Speaking from the Oval Office, the US president told reporters that it was Iran’s last chance to make a deal.
“This is a last chance for them to sign a good document,” he said.
“[The talks] are going on, they're going on right now. “For some reason, when they're talking, they don't like saying that they're talking.
“So I say, ‘We're in talks’. Big deal, we're in talks. And they'll sometimes deny it, even though they spend hours and hours together talking.”
He said the Iranian side had asked for talks after the US had planned the biggest attack since the Second World War.
Syrian and Iraqi leaders discuss security concerns
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSyrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa and Iraq's Kurdish regional president met yesterday in Damascus to discuss ways of improving mutual cooperation and contributing to regional security.
The meeting between al-Sharaa and Nechirvan Barzani came amid regional tensions as Iranian-backed Iraqi militia groups carried out multiple drone strikes targeting American interests across Iraq, including the country's Kurdish region.
Syrian state media reported last month that authorities at the country's border with Iraq thwarted an attempt in June to smuggle weapons believed to have been headed to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the charges.
Oil prices rise to $84 a barrel
04:25 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices rebounded slightly this morning on concerns that Middle Eastern supply remains at risk as a diplomatic resolution to the US-Iran war that has disrupted shipments still seems unlikely.
Front-month Brent futures rose $0.62, or 0.7 per cent, to $84.39 a barrel as of 0055 GMT after dropping 7 per cent in the previous session to a three-week low.
US West Texas Intermediate crude was $0.61, or 0.7 per cent higher at $80.95 after falling over 5 per cent in the previous session to its lowest in nearly a week.
Trump’s Iran desperation is revealed in crowd-sourcing memo seeking ‘creative’ ways to punish the enemy: report
04:15 , Bruce GoldingThe US military has asked combat experts to think outside the box in a desperate bid for new ideas to end President Donald Trump's war against Iran, according to a report Monday.
In an email last week, an officer in the intelligence branch of US Central Command asked a broad group of military analysts for suggestions, CNN said, citing an unidentified source.
"We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” the email reportedly read.
Military officials said the effort to crowdsource a solution to the war by email was highly unusual, CNN reported.
The move came as Trump is considering dramatic, "fireworks"-style airstrikes against Iran that could hit the same or similar sites that the US bombed last year when targeting the nation’s suspected nuclear weapons program, a source told CNN.
Read on...
Trump’s despair over Iran revealed in memo seeking new ideas for war: report
Cargo vessel 'hit' by projectile near Oman
04:03 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it had received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Al Khasab, after a cargo vessel broadcast over VHF channel 16 that it had been hit by an unknown projectile.
Watch: Trump says canceled Iran attack would have been the biggest 'since WWII'
04:02 , Rachel DobkinRecap: US military asks for ‘creative and unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran after Trump’s ‘despair’ over strategy
03:00 , James ReynoldsThe US military has been crowdsourcing ideas for “creative and unconventional” ways to “punish” Iran, according to a report, after both sides reached an impasse over how to end the unpopular five-month war.
A senior officer at the US Central Command’s intelligence branch is said to have written to military analysts last Wednesday asking for new ideas to “pressure and punish Iran”, according to CNN, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Centcom spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins said: “US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways. [Centcom commander] Admiral [Brad] Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.”
In full:
US military asks for ‘creative and unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran
Trump’s Iran war is becoming a political disaster, new poll shows
02:00 , Holly EvansA new AP-NORC poll suggests Americans are growing increasingly skeptical of the war with Iran, with about two-thirds saying the conflict has not been worth fighting and support for President Donald Trump's handling of the war slipping.
The survey, conducted July 23-27, found just 28% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of Iran, down from 34% last month. Support also dipped among Republicans, with 61% approving, compared with 71% in June, though the poll's margin of error means the decline is modest.
Read the full article here:
Trump’s Iran war is becoming a political disaster, new poll shows
In pictures: Iran's foreign minister attends Arbaeen commemoration in Iraq on Monday
01:00 , James ReynoldsThe Arbaeen pilgrimage commemorates 40 days of mourning after the martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Recap: MTG and Tucker Carlson announce new ‘movement’ in photo packed with MAGA renegades
Tuesday 4 August 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsMarjorie Taylor Greene announced a new political “movement” with a group of MAGA stalwarts who have broken with President Donald Trump over the ongoing Iran war.
On August 1, the former Georgia Republican posted a photo on X depicting her alongside media personality Tucker Carlson, Rep. Thomas Massie and Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Also pictured was conservative journalist Brian Glenn, whom Greene married in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
“We said no more foreign wars and we meant it and supported Donald Trump because he made that promise,” Greene wrote. “But he’s betrayed us all. Our commitment is America First for all Americans, right, left, and center,” she continued.”
In full:
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MTG and Tucker Carlson announce new ‘movement’ in photo packed with MAGA renegades
Recap: Trump says there ‘will be a deal on Hormuz’ as peace talks to resume
Monday 3 August 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsUS military asks for ‘creative and unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran
Monday 3 August 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsThe US military has been crowdsourcing ideas for “creative and unconventional” ways to “punish” Iran, according to a report, after both sides reached an impasse over how to end the unpopular five-month war.
A senior officer at the US Central Command’s intelligence branch is said to have written to military analysts last Wednesday asking for new ideas to “pressure and punish Iran”, according to CNN, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Centcom spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins said: “US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways. [Centcom commander] Admiral [Brad] Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.”
Military officials nonetheless told the outlet it was unusual to appeal for ideas like that by email. One of the sources told CNN that Centcom was reviewing all of its options, acknowledging the need to re-evaluate its current strategy.
Read the full story:
US military asks for ‘creative and unconventional ideas’ to punish Iran
Analysis: Trump’s whiny Truth Social tirade against Iran reads like a bitter breakup text
Monday 3 August 2026 21:46 , Harriette BoucherNot even the president can answer why his latest efforts to reach a deal with Iran will go any differently. Monday’s outburst suggests that he’s too angry to care, writes John Bowden:
Trump’s whiny Truth Social tirade against Iran reads like a bitter breakup text
Senator tells Trump to ditch his ‘real estate buddy’ in Iran talks
Monday 3 August 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsA Democratic senator and veteran once again took aim at the Trump administration over the Iran war on Sunday, claiming that the president’s chosen diplomats Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are not up to the task.
Sen. Mark Kelly was on CBS’s Face the Nation as he implored the president to put more experienced diplomatic representatives in charge and ditch his “real estate buddy” Witkoff, as well as his son-in-law.
Both men have helmed negotiations between the U.S. and Iran for months as the Trump administration has struggled to get out of a war it promised would only last for a few weeks.
"I would suggest to him, though, that the solution is not to do the same thing that he's been doing — not to have his real estate buddy and his son-in-law in charge of a negotiation,” said Kelly.
Read the full story:
Democratic senator tells Trump to ditch his ‘real estate buddy’ and Jared Kushner
