President Donald Trump’s top general is preparing for 14 days of strikes on Iran, according to new reports.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, is designing a devastating air campaign, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
The thinking behind the escalation is to force Tehran to comply with its demands in the Strait of Hormuz after smaller attacks appear not to have deterred the IRGC.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had vowed to “punish the aggressor today” after a wave of US strikes on Iranian targets overnight.
Jordan’s air defences shot down five missiles launched from Iran Thursday morning, the country's state-run Petra news agency said, hours after the US military announced it had completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran” in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan.
The US military has resumed strikes against Iran after Donald Trump promised Tehran would “get a beating”.
Trump unleashed an expletive-ridden threat to “beat the f****** s***” out of Iran” Wednesday following its “surprise” missile attack against the US.
Saudi Arabia also joined US strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq Wednesday, killing at least 20 soldiers.
Read MoreHow the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
Oil prices slip and Asian shares are mostly lower as investors sell chipmaker stocks
Hopes of new ceasefire fade as Saudis join Trump’s war in the Middle East with strikes on Iraq
Trump meets Netanyahu and Zelensky at White House as wars in Ukraine and Iran drag on
Key Points
- US says it completed latest round of strikes on Iran
- US attack kills three in Iran
- Oil prices slip below $90 a barrel
- Hopes of new ceasefire fade as Saudis join Trump’s war
- How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
US denies its aircraft were struck in Iranian attacks
20:02 , Alex CroftThe US military said on Thursday that no US aircraft were destroyed or damaged in recent attempted Iranian attacks, denying a claim it said was made by Iran's Revolutionary Guards that three US F-35 jets and three other aircraft were destroyed.
In a statement, US Central Command also said the commercial vessel M/T Nora had not broken through America's blockade of Iranian ports, denying a claim it said was made on Iranian state media.
‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’
19:30 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump is “exasperated” by the lack of progress in ending the Iran conflict and the lack of consensus on strategy among his top military advisers, according to a report.
An unnamed ally of the president has told NBC News: “The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal.
“There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint… He did not intend this to be a long, drawn-out war.”
‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’
Beyond the Strait of Hormuz: How Gulf countries are preparing for life without the waterway
19:00 , Maira ButtPort operator DP World is in talks to develop new facilities in the coastal area of Fujairah to take pressure off its flagship Jebel Ali port, according to the Financial Times.
Jebel Ali, built in 1977, has made the UAE a hub of finance and trade, but weeks ago it was set alight by a piece of fallen debris from an Iranian missile. Since then, Dubai International Airport, US military bases and other facilities have come under direct attack.
How Gulf countries are preparing for life without the Strait of Hormuz
Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'
18:30 , Maira ButtMapped: All of the countries dragged into Trump’s war in Iran
18:00 , Maira ButtWar has spread across the Middle East, threatening to become a regional conflict as fighting between the US and Iran enters its sixth month.
Ever since US-Israeli strikes took out supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February, several countries have been affected by Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. Meanwhile, a US and Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has led to disruptions in supply chains that have impacted the global economy.
After an intense period of fighting in March and April, the war entered a stalemate with a tenuous ceasefire agreed that collapsed earlier this month following disagreement over the Strait of Hormuz.
Mapped: All of the countries dragged into Trump’s war in Iran
Kuwait's chief of staff meets defence coalition in Saudi Arabia
17:30 , Maira ButtKuwait’s chief of staff is meeting with a defence coalition for preserving freedom of navigation in the Bab El-Mandeb strait, according to the state news agency.
The Houthis have in recent days threatened to block the vital shipping route, which would cripple the region already deeply disrupted by blockades in the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen's Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia from Iraq, sources say
17:00 , Maira ButtYemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to assessments by Saudi Arabia and regional partners, reflecting growing coordination among Iran-aligned militias, two officials in the region told Reuters.
The assessments, which differ from official accounts, indicate that members of Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance have deepened their ties and ability to inflict damage to US allies in the region despite years of US and Israeli strikes on them from Lebanon to Iran after Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel.
The attacks included strikes on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's eastern province, the kingdom's main crude hub.
Strait of Hormuz shipping hits ‘crisis-era lows’ as conflict risks spreading
16:30 , Maira ButtShipping through the Strait of Hormuz has hit “crisis-era lows”, a UK-based maritime data firm has reported as a brief pause in fighting was shattered by fresh clashes in the Middle East.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said amid the worsening security situation “a near-term recovery in traffic” through the strategic waterway was unlikely.
The disruption to trade through the Gulf channel, which is a vital oil and gas supply route, has driven up fuel and food prices.
Strait of Hormuz shipping hits ‘crisis-era lows’ as conflict risks spreading
Watch: Trump says he'd be 'disappointed' if China armed Iran
16:00 , Maira ButtIran's Araghchi presses European counterparts over use of bases in US operations
15:31 , Maira ButtIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged Bulgaria to reconsider its decision to allow the temporary deployment of U.S. military aircraft at the Bezmer air base, Iranian state media reported on Thursday.
During a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Araghchi said Sofia's approval of a U.S. request to station military aircraft at the base to support military operations amounted to facilitating aggression against Iran, adding the move was unacceptable and contrary to the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.
Iran has repeatedly warned countries allowing their territory to be used for U.S. military operations against it that they could "face consequences".
Araghchi held a separate phone call with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, during which he stressed the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being used against Iran.
Trump’s general plots two weeks of strikes in major escalation of war effort
15:05 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump’s top general is preparing for 14 days of strikes on Iran, according to new reports.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, is designing a devastating air campaign, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
The thinking behind the escalation is to force Tehran to comply with its demands in the Strait of Hormuz after smaller attacks appear not to have deterred the IRGC.
U.S. economy turns in sluggish 1.5 per cent second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target
14:40 , Maira ButtThe US economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve's favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, but remained above the central bank's 2% target.
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists' expectations.
U.S. economy turns in sluggish 1.5% second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target
Iran's revolutionary guards claim attack on Kuwait airbase
14:11 , Maira ButtThe IRGC has claimed responsibility for an attack on the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, according to Tasnim news agency.
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘special forces’ ready if he is arrested abroad after Mamdani threat
13:33 , Maira ButtIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is not afraid of being arrested as a suspected war criminal in New York and that special forces are on standby if it were attempted.
New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, recently called on the federal government to enforce an arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court in 2024.
While the US is not a member, the arrest warrant means Netanyahu is now an internationally wanted suspect and that the ICC’s 124 member states – including the UK – would be obliged to arrest him if they were to enter their territory.
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘special forces’ ready if he is arrested abroad
Oil prices slip and Asian shares are mostly lower as investors sell chipmaker stocks
13:01 , Maira ButtOil prices fell Wednesday and Asian shares were mostly trading lower as South Korea’s Kospi extended its losses after falling more than 16% over the past two days.
Crude prices remain volatile after the U.S. said early Thursday it had conducted a “heavy wave” of strikes against Iran, responding to an attack on a U.S. base.
U.S. futures edged higher after losses on Wall Street.
In South Korea, recent drops in its benchmark Kospi, a big beneficiary of the global boom in artificial intelligence, have been seen by some analysts as a reflection of broader doubts about massive investments by technology giants in expanding capacity for AI.
Oil prices slip and Asian shares are mostly lower as investors sell chipmaker stocks
Iran says talks with Oman over management of Hormuz continues
12:30 , Maira ButtIran has said that talks with Oman over management of the Strait of Hormuz is continuing after Muscat put forward a Gulf-backed proposal on “voluntary fees” for vessels transiting the vital shipping route.
Sources told Reuters that Yemen’s Houthis are also considering a similar proposal for the Red Sea.
Trump’s Iran war is becoming a political disaster, new poll shows
12:00 , Maira ButtA 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.
The findings come after nearly two weeks of intensified fighting in which U.S. forces struck Iranian military and commercial targets and Iran retaliated against American facilities in the Middle East. Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began on Feb. 28.
Trump’s Iran war is becoming a political disaster, new poll shows
Three revolutionary guard members killed in US attacks
11:35 , Maira ButtThree members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been killed in the US strike on Iran, state media has confirmed on Thursday.
US Central Command announced early Thursday that it had launched strikes against Iran in what it called a “powerful response” to attempted attacks on American forces in the Middle East.
Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'
10:50 , Maira Butt‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’
10:20 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump is “exasperated” by the lack of progress in ending the Iran conflict and the lack of consensus on strategy among his top military advisers, according to a report.
An unnamed ally of the president has told NBC News: “The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal.
“There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint… He did not intend this to be a long, drawn-out war.”
‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’
Kuwait defence ministry says Iranian attack hits Chinese company building, killing one worker
10:00 , Maira ButtAn Iranian attack hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in northern Kuwait on Thursday, killing a worker and inflicting significant damage, the Kuwaiti defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday in a post on X.
Fire breaks out on tanker after trying to use 'unsafe route' in Hormuz, says IRGC
09:40 , Maira ButtIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have said on Thursday that two tankers had attempted to use what it called an unsafe route in the Strait of Hormuz but turned back after a fire broke out on one of the vessels, according to a statement shared by state media.
It did not identify the cause of the fire.
Saudi Arabia GDP falls in second quarter as oil activity contracts amid Middle East war
09:20 , Maira ButtSaudi Arabia's real gross domestic product fell 4.8% in the second quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, preliminary government estimates showed on Thursday, as war in the Middle East impacts the world's top oil exporter.
The contraction was largely the result of a 24.7% drop in oil activity, showed data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). Non-oil and government activity ticked up 0.9% and 0.6% respectively.
The US attacked Iran on Wednesday, intensifying a five-month-old war that has disrupted shipping and energy markets and affected countries in the region beyond the main fronts.
Most Gulf economies will contract more sharply this year than expected three months ago before rebounding in 2027, a Reuters poll found this month.
GASTAT said oil activity in the quarter contributed negatively to real GDP growth by 5.4 percentage points, while non-oil activity contributed positively by 0.4 percentage point.
Watch: American forces resume strikes after attempted Iranian attacks
09:00 , Maira ButtBreaking: Iran will 'punish the aggressor today' after US strikes, says state media
08:47 , Maira ButtIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have vowed to retaliate today after a wave of US strikes on Iranian targets overnight.
In a statement published to state media, the IRGC said it would “punish the aggressor today”.
Strait of Hormuz shipping hits ‘crisis-era lows’ as conflict risks spreading
08:40 , Maira ButtShipping through the Strait of Hormuz has hit “crisis-era lows”, a UK-based maritime data firm has reported as a brief pause in fighting was shattered by fresh clashes in the Middle East.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said amid the worsening security situation “a near-term recovery in traffic” through the strategic waterway was unlikely.
The disruption to trade through the Gulf channel, which is a vital oil and gas supply route, has driven up fuel and food prices.
Strait of Hormuz shipping hits ‘crisis-era lows’ as conflict risks spreading
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth meets Netanyahu
08:20 , Maira ButtAmerican defence secretary Pete Hegseth has met with Israeli prime minister Benajamin Netanyahu during a record seventh state visit to the US on Thursday.
“Earlier today I had the pleasure to meet with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu,” wrote Hegseth in a post on X.
“Members of my team, including under secretary of war Elbridge Colby and chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, joined me to reaffirm the strength of our defence partnership and commitment to advancing our shared security interests.”
Earlier today I had the pleasure to meet with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) July 30, 2026
Members of my team, including @USWPColby and @SeanParnellASW, joined me to reaffirm the strength of our defense partnership and commitment to advancing our shared security interests. pic.twitter.com/YzsBKRou5Y
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
07:55 , Maira ButtFears have mounted over the world’s two major wars converging after Ukraine attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, with Tehran vowing to respond.
Iran claimed one sailor was killed and another injured in the Ukrainian attack, as the ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to protest against what it described as a “hostile and criminal” act.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the reported strike on a commercial vessel “cannot go unanswered” in a call with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
Jordanian air defences shoot down 5 missiles launched from Iran, state-run news agency says
07:36 , Maira ButtJordan’s air defences shot down five missiles launched from Iran Thursday morning, the country's state-run Petra news agency said, hours after the US military announced it had completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran” in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan.
No casualties were reported from Jordan's interception of the missiles, the news agency quoted the spokesman for the country's armed forces as saying.
The US Central Command said in a social media post that for over two hours the US had struck “dozens” of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centers as well as missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defence sites.
Jordanian air defenses shoot down 5 missiles launched from Iran, state-run news agency says
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
06:32 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFears have mounted over the world’s two major wars converging after Ukraine attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, with Tehran vowing to respond.
Iran claimed one sailor was killed and another injured in the Ukrainian attack, as the ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to protest against what it described as a “hostile and criminal” act.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the reported strike on a commercial vessel “cannot go unanswered” in a call with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
More here.
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
Jordan claims Iran fired missiles at kingdom
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarJordan's armed forces this morning said it foiled Iran's attempt to target the kingdom with five missiles.
The military spokesperson said the Jordanian military radar detected the incoming missiles before air defence units downed all five of them.
US attack kills three in Iran
05:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least three people have been killed in a US attack on a residential building in Iran's Qeshm, according to Iran's Fars news agency.
A two-year-old child was among the three killed in the attack.
Watch: Trump says he'd be 'disappointed' if China armed Iran
05:43 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHopes of new ceasefire fade as Saudis join Trump’s war
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA furious Donald Trump has threatened to punish Iran following a “surprise” attack on US military targets in the Middle East.
The offensive took place days after the US president suspended air strikes over the region.
In an expletive-ridden outburst, he told Fox News: “We’re going to beat the f****** sh** out of them. We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.”
In a day of escalation in the region, Saudi Arabia also joined the US in striking several Iran-backed groups.
More here.
Hopes of new ceasefire fade as Saudis join Trump’s war in the Middle East
Oil prices slip below $90 a barrel
05:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices gave up some of their gains today as oil tankers continued to make their way out of the Middle East even as tensions there escalated, with the US-Iran war spreading beyond its main fronts.
Brent futures fell $1.29, or 1.42 per cent, to $89.45 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 56 cents, or 0.66 per cent, to $83.90 a barrel.
Brent settled up 7.91 per cent in the previous session and WTI up 6.56 per cent in one of the sharpest spikes of the Iran war, reversing a 5 per cent plunge on Tuesday after a pause in hostilities in the five-month conflict.
QatarEnergy-controlled LNG tanker exits Hormuz
05:01 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA QatarEnergy-controlled liquefied natural gas tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz overnight, the first such vessel visible on ship-tracking data to leave the waterway since 11 July, data from analytics firms showed.
The Al Areesh tanker, which loaded a cargo at Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal around 4-6 July, sailed out of the strait overnight on 29 July, according to Kpler and LSEG data.LSEG data shows it is currently heading to Port Qasim, Pakistan, with an estimated arrival date of 31 July.
Its departure marks the first time a QatarEnergy-controlled LNG tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz since the Al Rekayyat was struck in early July.
The previous LNG tanker to exit was the Al Hamra, which left on 11 July carrying a cargo loaded at the United Arab Emirates' Das Island, according to Kpler data.
US says it completed latest round of strikes on Iran
04:38 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe US military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, which lasted two hours and hit dozens of targets, with Washington casting the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missiles launched towards US forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
The US military said on Tuesday it intercepted multiple ballistic missiles launched by Iran towards US forces in what Washington called "an attempted surprise attack" by Tehran. Iran confirmed it had fired on US bases in Jordan.
President Donald Trump said after the missiles were intercepted that US forces would retaliate. "We're going to hit them very hard," he said
Watch: Trump vows to 'beat the f***ing s***' out of Iran
04:02 , Rachel DobkinIran to get Chinese shoulder-launched missile systems 'in weeks'
03:00 , Alex CroftIran is reportedly expected to receive within weeks a first shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers.
The purchase, valued at $60-70m, is one of Tehran's largest-known efforts to strengthen its short-range air defences since the outbreak of its war with the US and Israel, which exposed gaps in Iran's ability to protect military sites and strategic infrastructure.
The contract covers the purchase of between 300 and 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, Reuters reported, citing sources.
The deal was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment. Sources told Reuters the Hong Kong-based company was acting as an intermediary between the Iranian side and the Chinese supplier.
US strikes Iran in 'powerful response' to attempted attacks on American forces
02:20 , Rachel DobkinThe US military has launched strikes against Iran in a “powerful response” to attempted attacks on American forces.
“U.S. forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET today. The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East”, US Central Command wrote on X.
In pictures: US-Saudi strikes on Iraq kill at least 20 members of pro-Iran militia
02:00 , Alex Croft
Iranian asylum seeker’s 15-year fight to stay in the UK: ‘My dreams for my life are all gone’
01:01 , Alex CroftA man who fears persecution in Iran has spent 15 years in the UK battling a failed asylum claim, homeless and unable to lead a normal life, after repeated refusals by the Home Office to allow him to stay.
In the more than a decade he has been trapped in the asylum system, Mostafa Rahmani has not been allowed to work or been housed in Home Office accommodation – forced to depend on the kindness of friends to get by.
Mr Rahmani, now 41, he arrived in the UK from Iran in 2011 as a 26-year-old student looking to learn English. He came on a student visa, but claimed asylum a few days after arrival when he says Iranian security forces turned up at his family’s home in Tehran looking for him. He said that he had taken part in anti-government protests in 2011.
The Independent’s social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
‘I’ve been trapped in UK for 15 years, I worry I won’t see my mum before she dies’
US-brokered plan for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon suffers slow start
Thursday 30 July 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftA US-brokered plan for Israel to withdraw gradually from occupied areas of southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia has started slower than expected.
The "pilot zone program" is the centrepiece of the US’ June 26 framework deal intended to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and establish peaceful ties between Israel and Lebanon.
Hezbollah still refuses to give up its weapons, while on the ground, the rollout of the first zone in the south Lebanese village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh last week offered a glimpse of a strained and complex process that will be no easier to repeat elsewhere.
A senior Lebanese military official, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, told the Reuters news agency it had taken weeks of US-brokered negotiations with Israel and days of military operations to establish the first zone in a single village.
The agreement links Israel's progressive withdrawal to the "verified disarmament" of Hezbollah — which is not a party to the deal, has refused to give up its arsenal, and has raised the prospect of internal strife if the state tries to disarm it by force.
US troops could be forced to surrender cellphones as videos help Iran target bases
Wednesday 29 July 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftThe US military’s top commander in the Middle East has warned personnel that cellphone videos being shared online by troops are helping to target US bases.
Some deployed troops could soon be ordered to surrender their phones, in a crackdown on mobile communications that would add a new dimension to the conflict for the thousands in the region, many of whom still rely on phones to periodically message loved ones and assure them they are well.
Admiral Brad Cooper, in a previously unreported letter, said Iran was benefiting from being able to see the success or failure of its strikes in near real-time by searching news reports or online posts by journalists referencing "reactions, photos, and footage from the cellphones of our troops”, according to the Reuters news agency.
"The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries," Cooper, head of US Central Command, wrote in his July 28 letter.
He called on troops to "redouble our focus on operational security," without prescribing specific steps in the memo.
