US president Donald Trump has launched another wave of strikes on Iran for the sixth night in a row, including on an island that helps the regime exert significant control over the Strait of Hormuz.
An attack on Greater Tunb Island targeted Iranian defence and missile sites, US Central Command said. The regime uses the island partially to control the key shipping waterway.
The US says its wants to reduce Iran’s military capabilities and reopen the strait. Tehran retaliated with missiles and drones targeted at US military bases in neighbouring states Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Earlier, Iran asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to close a critical oil route in the Red Sea if the US struck Iranian power infrastructure, in a fresh threat towards the global economy.
The plan to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait was discussed with Tehran’s leadership, according to the Reuters news agency.
With the Strait of Hormuz already closed, any Houthi attacks on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would leave the Middle East’s two main oil export routes disrupted simultaneously. On Thursday, the US military said it had boarded a vessel near the Strait “to ensure full compliance with the ongoing US naval blockade”.
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Key Points
- US targets area around Iran's ballistic missile production in fifth night of attacks
- US launches Hellfire missiles at oil tanker bound for Iran's Kharg Island
- Karoline Leavitt says Iran 'wants to make a deal' with US
- Iran says Hormuz is a red line, warns of attacks on regional infrastructure if US strikes Iran
- US military board vessel in Strait of Hormuz
Pakistan says diplomacy not dead yet
23:59 , Jane DaltonFighting between the US and Iran has intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, but hopes for a possible diplomatic solution have shown stubborn signs of life.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has rejected suggestions that Islamabad had abandoned efforts to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table after brokering an initial ceasefire agreement last month that has now collapsed.
"Let me dispel the impression that Pakistan has done hands up, and this is not the case," ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, adding that the parties eventually "will have to come to the negotiating table to settle all outstanding issues”.
Even the top negotiators for Iran and the US signalled they had not walked away from talks.
Vice-president JD Vance said the Trump administration was "not going to bomb and bomb and bomb" and noted that "you've got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem”.
"We're going try to use our military force as one of the many tools that we have to solve the problem," Vance said, adding that diplomacy was another tool.
Mediators from countries that include Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt have been working to resume talks, according to regional officials. They noted that neither side has notified Pakistan that it was officially withdrawing or terminating the initial ceasefire agreement.
Iran denies Trump claim US prisoner freed
22:30 , Jane DaltonIran's judiciary said no American prisoner had been released or exchanged from its prisons, Iranian state media reports, after US President Donald Trump said a US citizen detained during the Biden administration in 2024 had been freed.
The judiciary said checks showed no convicted American prisoner, person accused of spying for the United States matching Trump's description or any other American detainee had been released from Iranian prisons or exchanged.
US military board vessel in Strait of Hormuz
22:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe US military said it has boarded a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure full compliance with the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran”.
In a post on X, Centcom wrote forces had also “redirected” three commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, and “disabled” one that didn’t comply.
U.S. Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct a verification boarding aboard M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman, July 16.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2026
As of today, American forces have redirected 3 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 1 that didn’t comply, and boarded 1 to… pic.twitter.com/vbjArHuLaO
Iran attacks Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait
20:50 , Jane DaltonIran has retaliated against the US with missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, authorities in those countries home to US forces said.
There was no immediate acknowledgment of damage or casualties.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi condemned an overnight drone attack in Iraq's semiautonomous northern Kurdish region.
On Wednesday, an American strike targeted a barracks for Iran's 388th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, which operates tanks and armoured vehicles, in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iranian state television reported. The report said seven were killed in the attack, including conscripts and career soldiers.
US targets area around Iran's ballistic missile production
19:47 , Jane DaltonAmerica has launched fresh attacks on Iran for a sixth night in a row.
Iranian state media said the strikes hit around Tehran and Semnan province, home to Iran's ballistic missile production and space programme.
It also reported strikes around the provinces of Hamedan, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Lorestan, Markazi, and Sistan and Baluchestan, as well as on Iran's Qeshm island, near the Strait of Hormuz.
An attack on Greater Tunb Island targeted Iranian defence and missile sites, US Central Command said.
Greater Tunb Island is one of three small rocky islands that sit at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The islands — seized in 1971 by Iran from what would become the United Arab Emirates — help it exert significant control over the strait.
The US military also said it disabled a Curacao-flagged oil tanker as it sailed toward Iran's main oil export terminal, firing a missile after the ship “ignored multiple warnings”.
At 2 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night to further degrade Iranian military capabilities.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2026
Recap: Iran hits back as US steps up attacks including near Tehran
19:30 , Jane DaltonRecap: The United States has intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting targets farther north and firing into a ship the US accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic.
Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at US allies in the region, and warned its attacks may escalate.
The interim ceasefire agreed to last month has collapsed, and the region risks tipping back into all-out war after days of back-and-forth strikes by the US and Iran as they wage for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials say US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others.
For the first time in this latest round of violence, strikes also reached into areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, showing a widening set of targets for the Americans.
Karoline Leavitt says Iran 'wants to make a deal' with US
18:49 , Nicole Wootton-CanePresident Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt has insisted that Iran “wants to make a deal” with the US.
During a press conference at the White House, she said Tehran had violated the memorandum of understanding, resulting in further strikes.
"Specifically, in the memorandum of understanding that they signed, they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and unfortunately they have made the tragic decision for them to do that,” she said.
Ms Leavitt added that the Strait of Hormuz is open for ships that are not traveling to or from Iranian ports and that the US Navy remains there "to ensure that can take place."
She said Iran is a “fragmented system” and that President Trump will “hold them accountable” but at the same time is “open to diplomacy”.
US launches hellfire missiles at tanker heading for Iran’s Kharg Island
18:40 , Jane Dalton
US launches hellfire missiles at tanker headed for Iran’s Kharg Island
Live: Karoline Leavitt holds White House briefing as US resumes naval blockade against Iran
18:23 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHouthi leader threatens Saudi oil facilities
17:59 , Jane DaltonYemen's Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has said all Saudi oil and other vital facilities would be targets for the group’s missiles and drones if Riyadh escalated its involvement in the US-Iran conflict.
The warning came after the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, marking a rupture in a four-year truce between the two sides.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have previously targeted Saudi energy infrastructure, in 2019 and 2022.
Netanyahu delays US trip
17:29 , Jane Dalton
Netanyahu pushes back planned trip to US after Lindsey Graham’s funeral delayed
India orders shipowners not to deploy Indian seafarers in Strait of Hormuz
17:00 , Alex CroftIndia has ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment companies not to deploy the country's seafarers on vessels undertaking trips through the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed fighting in the region.
India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working across global shipping fleets, according to government data.
"No deployment of Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders," the Directorate General of Shipping said in an order issued late Wednesday.
Two Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels in the region over the last three days, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
FULL STORY: Vance tells Joe Rogan that some Israeli leaders want conflict with Iran to continue ‘indefinitely’
16:30 , Alex CroftElements within the Israeli government and society are pushing to needlessly prolong the Iran war and tank the Trump administration’s negotiations, US Vice President JD Vance claims.
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign”, Vance said on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released on Wednesday.
“There are some people within their system, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”, he added. “Again, not towards any objective, but just indefinitely”.
Josh Marcus reports:
Vance tells Joe Rogan some Israeli leaders want Iran war to go on ‘indefinitely’
Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Iraq, state news agency says
16:01 , Alex CroftSyrian authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle in a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles over the border from Iraq, the state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
An Interior Ministry source told the Reuters news agency that preliminary investigations showed the shipment was intended for Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese militants aligned with the Iranian regime, are currently engaged in conflict with neighbouring Israel.
After two days of US-mediated talks in Rome, Lebanon and Israel have taken steps toward implementing “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces would withdraw and turn over control to the Lebanese army, the US State Department said Wednesday.
Ship traffic in Hormuz declines after US resumes blockade
15:29 , Alex CroftFewer vessels travelled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day after the US reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf, shipping data showed.
Nine vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, mostly on the Iranian route, down from 13 the previous day, Kpler data showed.
There were no Very Large Crude Carrier or liquefied natural gas tankers visibly passing through the strait on Wednesday.
US Central Command said on Wednesday it disabled an unladen oil tanker that was attempting to sail towards Iran's Kharg Island after it ignored multiple warnings, firing Hellfire missiles into the ship's smokestack. The Curacao-flagged VLCC Belma was no longer transiting to Iran, it added.
Since resuming a naval blockade against Iran on Tuesday, the US has redirected two ships and disabled another, the military said.
Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are keeping ships from travelling through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war.
US attacks oil tanker with Hellfire missiles as Trump sends new warning to Iran
15:01 , Alex CroftThe US military launched Hellfire missiles at an oil tanker attempting to reach Iran’s Kharg Island, after the vessel ignored multiple warnings.
Here’s everything you meed to know in five sentences with The Independent’s Bulletin.:
US attacks oil tanker with Hellfire missiles as Trump sends new warning to Iran
Iran asks Houthis to close Red Sea oil route if US strikes power infrastructure
14:46 , Alex CroftIran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies.
The idea to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait has been discussed within the Islamic Republic's leadership, and the message has been conveyed to Iran's Houthi allies, two senior Iranian sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The sources said the Houthis had been informed recently of Tehran's request, which has not been previously reported.
They did not give further details on how it had been conveyed or whether it was after U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to attack Iranian power infrastructure on Tuesday.
Russia in touch with Iranian officials over recent violence
14:01 , Alex CroftRussia is in touch with officials in Iran amid what it described as another cycle of destabilisation fraught with risks for the global economy.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no details of the contacts but told reporters that Iranian authorities had not requested a phone call with President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has repeatedly called on both Iran and the United States to refrain from escalation.
Watch: Vance says some Israeli leaders want conflict with Iran to continue ‘indefinitely’
13:35 , Alex CroftOil prices lower despite US intensifying strikes against Iran
13:12 , Alex CroftOil prices were lower early Thursday but were still at elevated levels as the US intensified its strikes against Iran, while Iran targeted missile and drone fire on Kuwait and Bahrain.
Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 0.4 per cent to $84.55 a barrel. It was around $72 per barrel in late February before the war began.
Benchmark US crude was down 0.2 per cent at $79.34 per barrel.
“Oil prices managed to eke out a third day of gains amid few signs of de-escalation between the US and Iran,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a commentary Thursday.
Asian shares were mostly lower. Selling of AI-related shares weighed on benchmarks in South Korea and Japan.
Crude oil loading suspended at Iraqi terminals after drone incident
12:48 , Alex CroftCrude oil loading was suspended at all Iraqi terminals on Thursday after a drone crashed into an oil tanker at the Basra terminal, although it did not cause damage or a fire, four Iraqi oil and security sources have said.
Iraq's oil terminals are located in the south. It was not immediately clear who launched the drone.
The oil tanker was towed outside the port alongside another tanker that was anchored as a precautionary measure.
On Wednesday, a drone came down in Iraq's Faw port without causing any damage, the state news agency reported, without giving further details. Operations at the port were not affected.
In pictures: Latest US strikes on Iran
12:25 , Alex Croft
Vance says Israeli government trying to sway US public opinion against Iran deal
12:02 , Alex CroftUS vice president JD Vance said some members of the Israeli government had tried to influence US public opinion to oppose a deal by the US to end the war with Iran, in a podcast episode with host Joe Rogan posted on Wednesday.
The comments echoed earlier criticism of Israeli government policy by Vance, whom many view as a potential future presidential candidate, in a widening public rift between the two countries.
Vance defended a deal reached last month to end the war with Iran, which critics in the US and Israel have slammed for failing to curb Iran's missile program and providing no clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
"I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to, like, actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign," Vance said.
The vice president said that, while he has "good relationships" with some members of the Israeli government, "there are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely".
Watch: Trump again claims Iran are desperate to make a deal
11:38 , Alex CroftNetanyahu cancels US trip after Lindsey Graham funeral delayed
11:15 , Alex CroftIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not travel to the United States next week because the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham has been postponed until the end of the month, the Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday.
He had been set to fly to Washington on Saturday night where he would meet with US president Donald Trump and attend the funeral.
UK economy returns to growth in May despite Iran pressures - with Andy Burnham warned over what’s next
10:49 , Alex CroftThe UK economy returned to growth in May, but the fallout of the Iran war continues to hamper businesses and consumers, leading one expert to note Andy Burnham will inherit an economy which is “not the G7 laggard that many regard it” as - but others cautioning worse lies ahead.
Rising energy costs and disruption to supply chains are two of the biggest issues to any further economic expansion, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showing gross domestic product rose (GDP) by 0.1 per cent in May, following a 0.1 per cent contraction in April.
The meagre growth in May came after expansion of 0.3 per cent in the all-important services sector, which was partly offset by falls of 0.5 per cent in production and 0.8 per cent in construction, according to the ONS.
Growth has been pulling back sharply after a much better than expected start to the year, with the ONS recording growth of 0.3 per cent in March before the contraction in April, which was the first fall for eight months in what was seen as a sign that the Iran war was beginning to take its toll.
Business and money editor Karl Matchett reports:
UK economy returns to growth despite Iran pressures - with Burnham warned what’s next
Ship traffic in Hormuz declines after US resumes blockade
10:24 , Alex CroftFewer vessels travelled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day after the US reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf, shipping data showed.
Nine vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, mostly on the Iranian route, down from 13 the previous day, Kpler data showed.
There were no Very Large Crude Carrier or liquefied natural gas tankers visibly passing through the strait on Wednesday.
US Central Command said on Wednesday it disabled an unladen oil tanker that was attempting to sail towards Iran's Kharg Island after it ignored multiple warnings, firing Hellfire missiles into the ship's smokestack. The Curacao-flagged VLCC Belma was no longer transiting to Iran, it added.
Since resuming a naval blockade against Iran on Tuesday, the US has redirected two ships and disabled another, the military said.
Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are keeping ships from travelling through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war.
Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Iraq, state news agency says
09:58 , Alex CroftSyrian authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle in a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles over the border from Iraq, the state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
An Interior Ministry source told the Reuters news agency that preliminary investigations showed the shipment was intended for Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese militants aligned with the Iranian regime, are currently engaged in conflict with neighbouring Israel.
After two days of US-mediated talks in Rome, Lebanon and Israel have taken steps toward implementing “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces would withdraw and turn over control to the Lebanese army, the US State Department said Wednesday.
US launches Hellfire missiles at oil tanker bound for Iran's Kharg Island
09:24 , Alex CroftThe US military has said it fired Hellfire missiles at an unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward Iran's Kharg Island, disabling it after it ignored multiple warnings.
Since resuming a naval blockade against Iran on Tuesday, the US has redirected two ships and disabled another, the military said.
Iranian news media reported a series of explosions, mainly in coastal areas such as Bandar Abbas.
Other explosions or projectile strikes were reported around the city of Ahvaz, just inland from the northern end of the Gulf, and Konarak, Sirik and Qeshm in southern Iran.
Press TV reported at least two explosions in the central Iranian city of Khondab, about 250 km (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Mehr news agency reported Iran activated its air defenses in Tehran to counter "hostile threats."
Watch: Vance says some Israeli leaders want conflict with Iran to continue ‘indefinitely’
08:51 , Alex CroftIran launches fresh attacks on Bahrain
08:29 , Alex CroftWe’re just hearing from Bahrain’s Defence Ministry, which is updating on another wave of Iranian attacks.
Its air defences have intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian projectiles on Thursday, it said.
We’re working to bring you more details.
India orders shipowners not to deploy Indian seafarers in Strait of Hormuz
08:11 , Alex CroftIndia has ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment companies not to deploy the country's seafarers on vessels undertaking trips through the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed fighting in the region.
India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working across global shipping fleets, according to government data.
"No deployment of Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders," the Directorate General of Shipping said in an order issued late Wednesday.
Two Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels in the region over the last three days, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
FULL STORY: Vance tells Joe Rogan that some Israeli leaders want conflict with Iran to continue ‘indefinitely’
07:45 , Josh MarcusElements within the Israeli government and society are pushing to needlessly prolong the Iran war and tank the Trump administration’s negotiations, US Vice President JD Vance claims.
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign”, Vance said on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released on Wednesday.
“There are some people within their system, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”, he added. “Again, not towards any objective, but just indefinitely”.
Read on...
Vance tells Joe Rogan some Israeli leaders want Iran war to go on ‘indefinitely’
Iran says Hormuz is a red line, warns of attacks on regional infrastructure if US strikes Iran
07:20 , Stuti MishraThe spokesperson for Iran's top military command said Tehran would not allow US interference in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a red line.
Iran would target infrastructure across the region if US president Donald Trump carried out threats to attack Iranian infrastructure, the spokesperson warned.
Fresh attacks by the US in Iran - What we know
07:00 , Stuti MishraThe US has also sharply escalated its strikes against Iran. Overnight, US forces attacked Greater Tunb Island, a strategic point in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian defence and missile sites.
A separate strike on a barracks for Iran's 388th Mechanised Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchestan province killed seven people, including conscripts and career soldiers, Iranian state television reported.
Earlier today, US strikes hit around Tehran and targeted Semnan province, home to Iran's ballistic missile production and space programme.
The US military also said it fired a missile into the smokestack of the Curacao-flagged oil tanker Belma after it ignored warnings while sailing toward Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, disabling the vessel.
Iran claims attacks on US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain
06:30 , Stuti MishraIran's army claimed attacks on US radar and defence systems at military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday as part of what it called the tenth phase of its retaliatory operation, dubbed Operation Lightning, Iranian state media reported.
In Kuwait, themy said it targeted radar systems, the Patriot defence system and fuel tanks belonging to US forces at the Ali Al Salem base. Iran's Revolutionary Guards separately claimed they struck a C-RAM early-warning radar and a gathering point for US soldiers at the same base. In Bahrain, drones targeted communication and radar systems, including Super Hawk radars and Patriot installations, at the Sheikh Isa base, which hosts US forces.
WATCH: US launches airstrikes on Iran
06:00 , Rachel DobkinTrump tells Iran to 'better behave'
05:30 , Stuti MishraDonald Trump told reporters he doesn't want to set a deadline for Iran but warned that Tehran "better behave" amid a renewed exchange of attacks between the two sides.
“I don't like giving deadlines, but they pretty much know, they know the story... they better behave," he said.
Eight missiles targeted Jordan
05:15 , Stuti MishraJordan's military says it shot down 8 missiles launched by Iran targeting the kingdom.
CENTCOM shares photos of nighttime flight operations above Arabian Sea
05:00 , Rachel DobkinU.S. sailors conduct nighttime flight operations aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) while transiting the Arabian Sea. pic.twitter.com/uzJcrfGFXO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 15, 2026
US airstrikes hit northern Iran as it disables ship trying to run the blockade
04:35 , Stuti MishraThe United States intensified its strikes targeting Iran today, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting Bahrain and Kuwait before dawn.
Days of back-and-forth strikes by the US and Iran across the Middle East, and renewed threats to the Strait of Hormuz, have shredded the interim deal to end the Iran war and could tip the region back into all-out war. Already, Iranian officials say US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded more than 300 others. Strikes also reached into areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, for the first time of this latest round of violence.
Lebanon and Israel move towards implementing withdrawal deal, US says
04:04 , Jane DaltonLebanon and Israel took steps toward implementing "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces would withdraw and turn over control to the Lebanese army, the US State Department has said after two days of US-mediated talks in Rome.
The State Department said the talks were "productive" and the parties "agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalised and implemented in the coming days.
"There was no immediate statement from Lebanon or Israel on the outcome of the negotiations.
Lebanon and Israel announced a "framework agreement" on June 26, laying out a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from the large swathes of southern Lebanon they are occupying, in exchange for the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The deal was supposed to begin with two "pilot zones" where the Israeli military is to turn over control to the Lebanese army, which would clear the areas of any Hezbollah presence.
However, implementation on the ground had stalled.
Read on...
Lebanon and Israel move toward implementing withdrawal agreement, US officials say
WATCH: US forces strike oil tanker 'violating' blockade
03:31 , Rachel DobkinLatest round of US strikes against Iran ends
03:14 , Rachel DobkinUS Central Command has announced that its latest round of airstrikes against Iran is completed.
“US forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz”, CENTCOM wrote on X Wednesday night, Washington time.
JD Vance tries to clear up the 'bulls***' about Iran negotiations
03:04 , Rachel DobkinUS Vice President JD Vance has tried to clear up what he calls the “bulls***” that has been circulating about the country’s peace negotiations with Iran.
"There's just so much bulls*** out there when what I'm actually trying to do is accomplish what the president of the United States told me to accomplish — which is a settlement of this that accomplishes our objectives. Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon; we have the free flow of oil and gas”, Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan in an episode released Wednesday.
Strait of Hormuz traffic remains diminished
02:41 , Rachel DobkinMaritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has remained diminished as the US continues to attack Iran.
About 41 ships transited the vital oil waterway in the past 24 hours, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.
Iran retaliates over US strikes by attacking Bahrain and Kuwait: report
02:23 , Rachel DobkinIran has retaliated over US airstrikes on Wednesday by attacking Bahrain and Kuwait, the Associated Press reported.
Watch: Trump says 111 missiles shot by Iran were 'knocked into the sea'
02:20 , Rachel Dobkin.@POTUS "111 missiles shot a few weeks ago were launched by our lovely friends from Iran — they were aimed at the Abraham Lincoln, which is a beautiful aircraft, by the way...
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) July 15, 2026
Out of the 111 missiles shot, 111 were knocked into the sea." pic.twitter.com/ANuJtmwO9w
Vance says some Israeli officials want to keep Iran war going 'indefinitely'
01:49 , Rachel DobkinUS Vice President JD Vance has said that some Israeli officials want to keep the Iran war going “indefinitely.”
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to actually shift us away from [negotiations] because they want to continue the military campaign”, Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan in an episode released Wednesday.
“There are some people within their system, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”, Vance said. “Again, not towards any objective, but just indefinitely”.
Some ships refusing US-military guided Hormuz transits
01:28 , Jane DaltonShipping companies are avoiding using a US military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after a wave of Iranian attacks on vessels sparked safety concerns, seven maritime security and shipping industry sources said.
For decades, ships sailed into and out of the Gulf using a safe set of lanes down the middle of the strait established by the UN’s shipping agency in 1968, dubbed the Traffic Separation Scheme.
Since the Iran war began on February 28, Iranian forces have mined this area, forcing vessels to use one of two makeshift routes close to either the Iranian or Omani coast.
WATCH: JD Vance says US will strategically 'use out military force'
01:02 , Rachel Dobkin.@VP on Iran: "What the President has done very, very capably is said we're going to use military force in this situation when it's connected to something we're trying to achieve... But we're not just going to do something open-ended, indefinitely... We're going to try to use our… pic.twitter.com/Sr1O0uQBGK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 15, 2026
Trump says 'wrongfully detained' US citizen freed by Iran
Thursday 16 July 2026 00:21 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has said a “wrongfully detained” US citizen has been freed by Iran in a “gesture of Goodwill”.
“Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country.
“She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday evening, Washington time.
