US president Donald Trump says he will hold off on a threatened fresh round of strikes against Iran after “the perimeters of a deal [have] been agreed to” by Tehran and America’s Middle East allies.
Trump said he had cancelled the strikes “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL”, and that Israel had agreed to support the move.
Earlier, Trump told a cabinet meeting that new strikes would take place as soon as this weekend, telling a cabinet meeting on Friday: “We will be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”
Tehran had warned him against any further “aggression”, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying on Saturday that any such “adventurous action” by the US or Israel would be met with a “decisive and proportional response”.
Both countries have resumed direct strikes after a brief truce collapsed last month, with negotiations to secure a ceasefire failing to make significant progress.
In other Middle East news, Mr Trump said Israel was "very happy" with the agreement reached by the Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Read MoreTrump delivers childlike ‘bing, bing, bing’ recap of latest Iran war action
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Key Points
- Trump cancels attack on Iran and claims peace deal breakthrough
- Trump claims Board of Peace has reached ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
- Analysis: Hamas agreement 'calling Israel's bluff', say experts
- US military says it redirected 30 ships during blockade
- Strait of Hormuz traffic remains muted
Three Palestinians killed in Gaza, report says
07:30 , Shweta SharmaThree Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
The latest casualties were reported after an Israeli strike on the town of al-Qarara, north of Khan Younis, citing sources at the Nasser Medical Complex.
The latest deaths bring the total number of people killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza this morning to eight.
Earlier, two people were killed in central Deir al-Balah, while three others were killed and several more wounded in a strike on an apartment in northern Gaza City.
Saudi diplomacy may have influenced Trump's decision to hold off on Iran strikes, ex-US colonel says
07:15 , Shweta SharmaRetired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton told CNN that Saudi Arabia and Iran both have strong reasons to avoid further escalation in the region, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacting much of their energy flows and exports.
“They’re economically at risk here,” he said.
“This is an area where the United States really is dependent, to a large degree on Saudi diplomacy, and that, I think, had a big impact on President Trump’s decision to forgo attacking Iran, at least for the near term,” he added.
He added that while Iran is also under growing economic and military pressure after months of conflict, any push for de-escalation could give Tehran time to regroup and ease the strain.
Trump’s decision to call off strikes on Iran came after it was that report that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, spoke with Trump by phone and raised concerns about the US potentially escalating the conflict with Iran.
Iran implementing Supreme Leader's orders on Strait of Hormuz, lawmaker says
07:00 , Shweta SharmaIran's armed forces are carrying out Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's directives on managing the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, the spokesperson for parliament's national security committee said on Sunday.
Hassan Ghashghavi said Tehran opposes a proposed southern Omani shipping corridor through the strait, arguing it could be used to transport fuel for US and Israeli military aircraft as well as military equipment and weapons to US bases in the region.
He said Iran would have no ability to monitor or control vessels using the route, making the proposal incompatible with the country's national security.
Israel agrees to join US push for Iran deal to end war, Trump says
06:41 , Shweta SharmaIsrael has agreed to join the US in efforts to finalise an agreement with Iran that would bring an end to the war, Donald Trump said. Iran did not immediately comment on the announcement.
“The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he said.
Trump has ordered American forces to hold off on new strikes against Iran. His remarks marked a sharp shift from a day earlier, when he suggested the US was close to resuming heavy military strikes to force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal "unacceptable" and said the killings in Gaza must continue. "Israel must win," he said.
The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, with Trump saying the campaign aimed to destroy Tehran's missile capabilities, prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and curb its support for allied armed groups.
Saudi crown prince calls Trump to raise concerns about Iran conflict
05:49 , Adam WithnallEarlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, spoke with Trump by phone and raised concerns about the US potentially escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a person familiar with the leaders’ discussion.
The call happened before Trump's social media announcement that he was cancelling a major strike.
The Saudis, according to the person briefed on the substance of the call but not authorised to comment publicly, are concerned that Tehran could respond with attacks on the energy infrastructure of the kingdom and other Gulf countries.
The crown prince sought clarity from Trump on what potential new action he was weighing to take against Iran, the person told the Associated Press.
A White House official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and requested anonymity, confirmed the leaders spoke Saturday but did not offer any detail.
Trump's post cancelling strikes on Iran in full
05:15 , Adam WithnallHere’s the full text of what Trump posted on Truth Social:
“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL. The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Trump cancels attack on Iran and claims peace deal breakthrough
04:55 , Adam WithnallPresident Donald Trump claims that his Middle East allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the five-month old conflict for now.
Trump added that the emerging deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”
“Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump said.
He said that Israel has agreed to join the US in the commitment to try to complete the agreement with Iran that would bring about an end to the war.
Iran did not offer any immediate public reaction to Trump's announcement.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least four and wound dozens more
03:00 , Alex CroftIntense Israeli strikes Friday night and Saturday killed at least four people in central and northern Gaza and wounded dozens more, according to local health officials.
The strikes came after Hamas confirmed Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, though major obstacles remain.
Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October.
That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration.
Israel was to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed.
In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal "unacceptable" and said the killings in Gaza must continue. "Israel must win," he said.
Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over his criticism of Israel on US trip, says report
02:00 , Alex CroftIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confronted US Vice President JD Vance over his criticism of Israel during a recent trip to America, according to a new report.
Netanyahu made his seventh state visit to the US this week to attend the funeral of his close friend Lindsey Graham and had meetings with US President Donald Trump, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vance.
The vice president has been the most vocal critic of Israel in the Trump administration and recently accused the country of “trying to kill your way out of solving every single national security problem”.
In a one-to-one meeting at Blair House in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed his criticism in a “frank and candid conversation”, an Israeli official told Axios.
A US official confirmed the nature of the discussion saying: “The conversation was direct”.
'Iran will continue to pay', White House press secretary says
01:01 , Alex CroftWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the US administration's frustration anew, stating that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the US on a truce but then quickly "broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers."
"President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," Ms Leavitt said in a statement on Friday evening.
"Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way."
'Bing. Bing. Bing, Bing Bing': Trump offers epic soundbite to recap US shooting down Iranian missiles
Sunday 2 August 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftRead: Trump's 'roadmap' for peace in Gaza in full
Saturday 1 August 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftDonald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza has published a “roadmap” for implementing a “comprehensive peace process” between Israel and Hamas, nearly 10 months since both sides agreed to terms to stop the fighting.
The US president hailed the agreement as a “major milestone” in the peace process, saying the deal included the total disarmament of Hamas and other groups in Gaza as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Published in full on Friday, the roadmap says that Hamas and ‘other factions’ agree that “all civilian governance and security functions in Gaza shall be handed over” to a new technocratic body set up to run the enclave.
With that, the technocratic body will take over responsibility for handling “internal security incidents.”
Senior reporter James Reynolds reports:
Trump’s ‘roadmap’ for peace in Gaza published in full after Hamas says it will disarm
Tehran warns Trump of 'decisive and proportional' response to any escalation
Saturday 1 August 2026 22:11 , Alex CroftWe’ve just heard from Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who has warned the US against carrying out fresh any fresh strikes.
Any such aggression from the US or Israel will be met with a “decisive and proportional response”, Araghchi warned.
It is the latest in a series of threats and counter-threats which are beginning to become a hallmark of this war, ever since an initial ceasefire was agreed in mid-April.
In a separate phone calls with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, and Pakistan’s army commander Field Marshal Asim Munir, Araghchi also declared that any “adventurous action” by the US would be responded to.
UKMTO reports two tanker incidents off Oman
Saturday 1 August 2026 22:01 , Alex CroftThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday it had received reports of two maritime incidents off Oman, including one in which a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile.
In the first incident, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile about 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Lima, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel not under command, UKMTO said. There were no reported casualties nor environmental impact, it added.
Later, UKMTO said it had received a second report of an incident, 21 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab. The master of a tanker reported seeing a large splash and an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, though no damage was reported.
Lima and Khasab are on Oman's Musandam Peninsula at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping chokepoint through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has faced heightened risks in recent weeks, with vessels reporting security incidents and some shipowners adopting additional precautions as Iran and the United States stepped up hostilities.
Israeli officials signal that peace road map does not align with their interests
Saturday 1 August 2026 20:00 , Holly EvansIsrael has not commented publicly on the road map towards peace that Trump has proposed but Israeli officials, speaking anonymously over the past two days, have signalled that the document does not align with the country's interests.
The officials also reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from the Yellow Line in Gaza, which divides Israeli-controlled territory in the east with the western part of the enclave.
In recent months, the military has built a massive earthen barrier roughly along the same line, developing what it described as a "security zone" adjacent to the berm, equipped with intelligence and technological assets.
Israel has also carried out controlled demolitions and clearing operations across much of the territory it controls. Palestinians who lived there have yet to return — and are unsure whether their homes are still standing.
Trump delivers childlike ‘bing, bing, bing’ recap of latest Iran war action
Saturday 1 August 2026 20:00 , Holly EvansPresident Donald Trump‘s attempt to describe the prowess of American air defense weapons left him making childish video game-like sounds as he recounted how U.S. anti-aircraft interceptors successfully downed a quintet of Iranian ballistic missiles over the weekend.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Friday, the president was answering a question on whether he’d permit Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors under a license when he digressed into the onomatopoetic tangent.
“The other day you read that five missiles were shot. They were going 8,600 miles per hour ... and they were big missiles, and they were shot at Jordan, and our guys were there — bing, bing, bing, bing, bing. Five missiles, and we shot all before they got close,” he said.
Read the full article here:
Trump delivers childlike ‘bing, bing, bing’ recap of latest Iran war action
Palestinians in Gaza hope Hamas will disarm but fear Israeli forces won't withdraw
Saturday 1 August 2026 19:01 , Holly EvansFor Palestinians in Gaza, President Donald Trump's announcement that Hamas had agreed to disarm was a small sign of hope that Israel's attacks might end, allowing them to rebuild their lives and what remains of their homes.
But it also clashed with the reality on the ground, where Israeli strikes have continued since Trump first touted the deal late Thursday in Washington, and where few steps have been taken to advance a broader ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October.
Most of Gaza's 2 million Palestinians are still displaced or live in tent camps, where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.
"They can talk about withdrawal and disarmament," said Abdel Moneim Aboul-Roos, 24, a tuk-tuk driver who lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike.
"I don't care about any of it as long as there is no food or medicine."
Netanyahu yet to comment on proposed peace plan
Saturday 1 August 2026 18:00 , Holly EvansDonald Trump on Thursday said there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, which both Israel and Hamas agreed to last year and which started with the ceasefire.
Trump said that Hamas, which ruled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, had agreed to lay down its weapons.
However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to comment publicly, while his national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called the agreement unacceptable and said that Israel must continue to carry out its policy of assassinating Hamas leaders.
Trump's Board of Peace, established to implement his plan for ending the Gaza war, released a roadmap on Thursday outlining the final steps for carrying out the initiative. The document states that Israel will cease military operations as part of its commitment to Trump's 20-point plan, which it signed last year.
Trump blames Minnesota for cyberattack that feds have traced to Iran
Saturday 1 August 2026 17:00 , Holly EvansPresident Donald Trump on Friday renewed an on-again, off-again feud with one of his 2024 election opponents by suggesting that an Iranian cyberattack against Minnesota’s water infrastructure was due to the state government’s incompetence rather than Tehran’s malfeasance.
Trump was speaking during a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland when, unprompted, he downplayed an advisory from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Environmental Protection Agency, which had warned that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and sewage systems and other critical infrastructure sectors across the United States.
"Today, I just want to mention that we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don't think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they're grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” Trump said.
Read the full article here:
Trump blames Minnesota and Tim Walz for cyberattack that feds have traced to Iran
US issue security alerts for Americans in 10 countries
Saturday 1 August 2026 16:16 , Holly EvansOn Saturday, the US State Department issued new security alerts for Americans in 10 countries in the region to exercise heightened caution due to the escalating tensions with Iran.
The warnings — covering Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates — urged U.S. citizens to prepare for the possibility of flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures and other travel disruptions.
How Trump’s Saudi deal could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East
Saturday 1 August 2026 15:17 , Holly EvansIn 2018, Mohammad bin Salman was asked whether Saudi Arabia would ever develop a nuclear weapon.
“We do not want to develop a nuclear bomb. But without doubt, if Iran developed one we would follow suit as soon as possible,” he told CBS, in an interview that sparked alarm across the Middle East.
Eight years later, Saudi Arabia announced a historic deal with President Donald Trump to use American technology and expertise to develop a civilian nuclear programme.
Read the full story here:
How Trump’s Saudi deal could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East
Israeli strikes kill two in Gaza and destroys medicine storage warehouses
Saturday 1 August 2026 14:42 , Holly EvansIsrael's military on Saturday killed two Palestinians in Gaza and destroyed two warehouses near a hospital that stored medicine in separate strikes, amid uncertainty over whether Israel has accepted a deal reached with Hamas over the group's disarmament.
Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City in central Gaza in an Israeli air strike. The military said those targeted were Hamas militants but declined to provide further details.
In an earlier incident, an Israeli air strike destroyed two warehouses that were used to store medicine by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said in a statement.
Petrol reaches highest price since 2022 as impact of Iran war hits motorists
Saturday 1 August 2026 14:05 , Holly EvansPetrol prices have reached their highest level in more than three-and-a-half years as the impact of the Iran war continues to bite.
The RAC said the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts on Friday was 160.0p per litre – a record high since the conflict began on February 28 when it was 132.8p per litre.
Conflict in the Middle East has seen the price of Brent Crude oil surge from below $70 (£52) to briefly peak over $120 (£90), with almost the entirety of the past five months seeing the price above $85 (£63).
Read the full article here:
Petrol reaches highest price since 2022 as impact of Iran war hits motorists
Read: Trump's 'roadmap' for peace in Gaza in full
Saturday 1 August 2026 13:35 , Holly EvansDonald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza has published a “roadmap” for implementing a “comprehensive peace process” between Israel and Hamas, nearly 10 months since both sides agreed to terms to stop the fighting.
The US president hailed the agreement as a “major milestone” in the peace process, saying the deal included the total disarmament of Hamas and other groups in Gaza as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Published in full on Friday, the roadmap says that Hamas and ‘other factions’ agree that “all civilian governance and security functions in Gaza shall be handed over” to a new technocratic body set up to run the enclave.
With that, the technocratic body will take over responsibility for handling “internal security incidents.”
Trump’s ‘roadmap’ for peace in Gaza published in full after Hamas says it will disarm
Inside Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, the secret nuclear site Trump has threatened to bomb
Saturday 1 August 2026 13:05 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has issued threats to bomb a secretive under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain.
The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” lies on the south side of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site, which was bombed by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025's 12-day war between Iran and Israel. But Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig at the site.
It remains unclear just what has been placed at Pickaxe Mountain, as the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has never gained access to the site.
Read the full analysis here:
What is Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain? The secret nuclear site Trump threatens to bomb
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least four and wound dozens more
Saturday 1 August 2026 12:35 , Holly EvansIntense Israeli strikes Friday night and Saturday killed at least four people in central and northern Gaza and wounded dozens more, according to local health officials.
The strikes came after Hamas confirmed Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, though major obstacles remain.
Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October.
That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration.
Israel was to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed.
In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal "unacceptable" and said the killings in Gaza must continue. "Israel must win," he said.
'Iran will continue to pay', White House press secretary says
Saturday 1 August 2026 12:05 , Holly EvansWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the US administration's frustration anew, stating that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the US on a truce but then quickly "broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers."
"President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," Ms Leavitt said in a statement on Friday evening.
"Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way."
UKMTO reports two tanker incidents off Oman
Saturday 1 August 2026 11:35 , Holly EvansThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday it had received reports of two maritime incidents off Oman, including one in which a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile.
In the first incident, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile about 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Lima, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel not under command, UKMTO said. There were no reported casualties nor environmental impact, it added.
Later, UKMTO said it had received a second report of an incident, 21 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab. The master of a tanker reported seeing a large splash and an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, though no damage was reported.
Lima and Khasab are on Oman's Musandam Peninsula at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping chokepoint through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has faced heightened risks in recent weeks, with vessels reporting security incidents and some shipowners adopting additional precautions as Iran and the United States stepped up hostilities.
EU naval force says Italian frigate escorts merchant vessel safely through Red Sea
Saturday 1 August 2026 11:05 , Holly EvansA merchant vessel safely passed through the Red Sea under the protection of the Italian frigate Bergamini, the European Union naval mission ASPIDES said on Saturday.
ASPIDES, the EU's defensive maritime security operation in the Red Sea, did not identify the vessel or disclose its flag, ownership or cargo details.
Shipping in the Red Sea has faced renewed disruption in recent weeks after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and subsequently attacked Saudi vessels, raising risks for commercial traffic and contributing to higher oil prices.
Kuwait says it destroyed hostile drones as Iranian attack targeted vital facilities
Saturday 1 August 2026 10:35 , Holly EvansKuwait's army said on Saturday it had detected and destroyed hostile drones in the country's airspace since dawn, and that what it described as an Iranian attack had targeted several vital facilities.
A government facility in northern Kuwait and civilian property belonging to a company on Bubiyan Island were hit, it said, adding that falling shrapnel caused material damage but no casualties.
Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over his criticism of Israel on US trip, says report
Saturday 1 August 2026 10:02 , Maira ButtIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confronted US Vice President JD Vance over his criticism of Israel during a recent trip to America, according to a new report.
Netanyahu made his seventh state visit to the US this week to attend the funeral of his close friend Lindsey Graham and had meetings with US President Donald Trump, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vance.
The vice president has been the most vocal critic of Israel in the Trump administration and recently accused the country of “trying to kill your way out of solving every single national security problem”.
In a one-to-one meeting at Blair House in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed his criticism in a “frank and candid conversation”, an Israeli official told Axios.
A US official confirmed the nature of the discussion saying: “The conversation was direct”.
Read on...
Netanyahu confronted JD Vance over criticism of Israel on US trip, says report
Trump considering new strikes on Iran
Saturday 1 August 2026 09:49 , Holly EvansDonald Trump has threatened new strikes against Iran with US officials warning they could take place as soon as this weekend.
The scope of those strikes is currently unclear, and officials have warned that they could be called off.
In a cabinet meeting on Friday, the US president said: “We will be hitting them very hard. At some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”
There were no US strikes on Iran overnight, but Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had struck another two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and Kuwait said it intercepted drones.
Watch: Trump offers soundbite to recap US shooting down Iranian missiles
Saturday 1 August 2026 09:01 , Rachel DobkinICYMI: Trump claims Board of Peace has reached ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
Saturday 1 August 2026 08:01 , Josh MarcusThe parties in the Israel-Hamas war have agreed to a “historic” framework paving the way to rebuild Gaza and remake its government, Donald Trump announced on Thursday.
The deal includes the “COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas communicated via mediators that it has agreed to the terms of the multi-step road map, US and Board of Peace officials told The Independent.
The deal will eventually see the group hand security and political control to an international stabilization force of troops, a newly trained Palestinian police force and a transitional group of technocratic experts overseeing basic services, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the officials said.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, will pull back its troops from Gaza in phases, according to Trump.
Read on...
Trump claims ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'
Saturday 1 August 2026 07:02 , Rachel DobkinAnalysis: Hamas agreement 'calling Israel's bluff', say experts
Saturday 1 August 2026 06:04 , Alex CroftChatham House expert and associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Dr Julie Norman told The Independent that Hama’s agreement “calls Israel’s bluff”.
“Hamas’s reported agreement to Trump’s disarmament plan essentially calls Israel’s bluff: for the past nine months, Hamas’s refusal to disarm has been held up as the primary obstacle to unlocking other elements of the ceasefire plan, including the entry of the technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and the International Security Force,” she said.
“Moreover, it has precluded any discussion of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, with Israel’s control of the Strip only increasing over the same period.
“The announcement can shift that dynamic. In reality, it’s unlikely things will change on the ground anytime soon.
“The last thing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants going into October’s elections is US pressure to withdraw from Gaza, and it’s likely he will foot-drag any further negotiations as much as possible.
“Slow-walking the process also suits Hamas. It’s a pragmatic move by new Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya that keeps the group in the conversation and improves their positioning with the Board of Peace. But they know that actual decommissioning will not be immediate.
“Indeed, both actors will likely double down on sequencing priorities that have stymied previous attempts to reach agreements in Gaza: Israel will demand full Hamas disarmament before withdrawal, while Hamas will demand Israeli withdrawal before decommissioning.
“The question is if the Board of Peace in general, and Trump in particular, are willing to put the pressure on both parties to move past the current stalemate.”
Analysis: Hamas disarmament is not the first time Trump has declared ‘historic’ peace in Gaza - major questions remain
Saturday 1 August 2026 06:03 , Bel TrewThe million (if not billion) dollar question right now is: has Donald Trump actually finally made “a monumental step towards lasting peace and security” for Gaza?
Will this agreement announced overnight, actually see Israel withdraw from the 40km-long territory they have utterly destroyed? Will Hamas militant group really surrender its weapons?
The short answer is: this is a significant announcement. It is a step forward in a process that for 10 months has shuddered to halt, while civilians on the ground continue to be slaughtered and displaced despite a “ceasefire” in place.
But the jury is out on whether it will actually go anywhere. Existential sticking points remain.
Read on...
This is not first time Trump has declared peace in Gaza - and major questions remain
