US-Iran conflict: House approves bid to limit war with Tehran as oil hits $100

Day 143: US tightens Iran blockade, redirects 9 commercial ships

Day 142: Air defences roar over Tehran on 11th night of strikes

Day 141: Iran president says country in 'full-scale war' with US

Day 140: US strikes Iran, Gulf states face missile threats as war risks spread

Day 139: Two US troops killed, one missing in Jordan

Day 138: Gulf faces fresh attacks as Trump signals diplomacy

Day 137: Dubai rebuts false explosion reports

Day 137: Iran says it is no longer bound by parts of US ceasefire deal

Day 136: 2 UAE tankers hit, US to resume Iran blockade

Day 135: US military launches another round of Iran strikes

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Iran, including strikes against its infrastructure, would trigger a “powerful and decisive” response.

In a post on X, Araghchi said: “ Our defense doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response.”

Araghchi also warned that “those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”

US President Donald Trump delivered a speech at a high school in Georgia and addressed the escalation in the confrontation with Iran. "We don't need the Strait of Hormuz," he claimed, "but we're doing this because we have to, because we cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons."

According to him, "That's how we're also winning in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and ensuring that never, but never, will they have the power to do to us what they did to so many. They killed more than 52,000 protesters."

The US military has dismissed Iran's claim that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) controls access to the Strait of Hormuz, calling the assertion "false."

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said Iran does not control the strategic waterway and that commercial vessels continue to transit the strait despite what it described as IRGC threats and attacks.

"The international waterway remains open for transit," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces have assisted more than 900 commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz since early May.

The statement comes after the IRGC Navy claimed it controlled entry to and exit from the vital shipping lane, through which about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil passes.

President Donald Trump has approved a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for US companies to help develop the kingdom's civilian nuclear energy program in a move that is expected to trigger debate over nuclear proliferation and security in the Middle East. The US Department of Energy announced Wednesday that the two countries had signed a so-called "123 Agreement," a legal framework required under the U.S. Atomic Energy Act for civilian nuclear cooperation. The accord now heads to Congress for a mandatory review before it can take effect.

According to US officials familiar with the agreement, the 30-year deal would allow American companies to supply nuclear technology, equipment and expertise for Saudi Arabia's planned civilian reactor program.

US Central Command forces began a new round of strikes against Iranian military targets overnight on Thursday (July 23), the military said, as part of an ongoing campaign to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in regional waters.

Iran state media reported early Thursday (Tehran time) that the cities of Ramshir and Ahvaz, in the country's southwest, were under "missile attack by the US terrorist enemy," while authorities in Bushehr province, along Iran's Gulf coast, reported an attack there by a US missile.

In a post on X, CentCom stated that strikes commenced at 5:30 pm ET on Wednesday July 22 (1.30am Gulf Standard Time on July 23, 2026) , and “will continue to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters.”

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with repeated American strikes, now on its 12th consecutive days/nights since fighting resumed.

CentCom has conducted multiple rounds of operations targeting Iranian command centres, air defenses, missile and drone sites, coastal facilities and communications networks.

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they carried out missile and drone strikes Wednesday on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea after declaring a maritime embargo on the kingdom amid the US war with Iran, AFP reported.

The Houthis said in a statement posted on Telegram that they "carried out a qualitative military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers that violated the blockade", naming the vessels as the Encelia and the Layla.

Kuwait's military said its air defence systems intercepted hostile drones on Thursday following what it described as an Iranian attack, urging residents to remain calm and follow official safety instructions.

In a statement, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said air defences were "confronting attacks by hostile drones" and noted that any explosions heard by the public were the result of interception operations.

The military called on residents to adhere to security and safety directives issued by the country's competent authorities.

The statement came amid heightened tensions in the Gulf as the conflict involving Iran continues to escalate. Kuwaiti authorities did not immediately provide details on the number of drones intercepted, whether any damage had been reported, or if there were casualties. Iran has not immediately commented on the allegation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would respond in kind to any attack on its infrastructure, after Washington threatened to bomb a bridge or power plant for every ship targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," Araghchi stated on X.

A US Air Force E-3B Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft declared a general in-flight emergency Thursday while operating over Saudi Arabia, according to flight tracking data. The aircraft began squawking the international emergency transponder code 7700 shortly before 1:30 a.m. UTC (5:30 AM in Gulf Standard Time (GST) on Thursday (July 23, 2026), Flightradar24 reported. The plane had been active for hours in the region near the Arabian Gulf. No immediate details were available on the nature of the emergency, and US military officials have not publicly commented.  The E-3B, a militarised Boeing 707 variant equipped with a distinctive rotating radar dome, provides critical command, control and surveillance capabilities. It is frequently deployed in high-tempo operations in the Middle East.

US Central Command said its forces completed another round of strikes against Iran at 10:30pm ET on July 22 (6:30am Gulf time on July 23), marking the 12th consecutive night of operations. American forces hit Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites and air defence assets, in what CENTCOM said would further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels.

The command said US forces have struck dozens of Iranian military sites on land this month while enforcing a naval blockade, redirecting nine commercial vessels and disabling one to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. More than 50,000 US service members are operating across the Middle East, CENTCOM added.

A vessel belonging to a Saudi company was hit while transiting the Red Sea, Saudi state media reported Thursday citing an official source, after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed it struck tankers in the waterway.

The source, quoted by state-run Saudi Press Agency, said "the vessel ENCELIA, belonging to a Saudi company, was targeted while sailing in the Red Sea, resulting in a fire at the bow of the ship" but that all crew members were safe.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Thursday they stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as the United States and Iran vie for control over the vital waterway.

In recent weeks, Iran has hit tankers using a route hugging the Omani coast to traverse the strait, in a bid to strongarm vessels into using its own waters and pay for safe passage.

"Three oil tankers, provoked and tempted by the child-killing American army, were trying to pass through the mine-laid route south of the Strait of Hormuz, but after one of them exploded and caught fire, the other two quickly turned around and turned back," the Guards said in a statement quoted by Iranian state media.

The statement did not say when the incident happened.

"The powerful IRGC Navy emphasizes that the Strait of Hormuz is under our control... and any ship that is deceived by the US and intends to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran will suffer the same fate," the Guards added.

The US State Department has issued a worldwide caution alert, warning Americans of a complex security environment and the potential for unforeseen escalation amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The advisory urged Americans in the region to be prepared for flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions, noting that some airlines have postponed resuming schedules or cancelled routes. It warned that US diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted, and that Iran and groups supportive of Iran may attack US interests, businesses and institutions worldwide. Americans outside the region were advised to reconsider travel to and through the Middle East and to check with airlines before flying.

Travellers flying from the UAE on Thursday should expect some disruption as airlines continue to adjust operations amid the escalating conflict in the Gulf.

While UAE airports remain operational and the majority of flights are operating as scheduled, some services to Bahrain and Kuwait have been cancelled, while several other departures and arrivals are facing delays.

Read the full story here.

The FBI's Cyber Division has warned that Iran-affiliated hackers continue to target operational technology devices across US critical infrastructure, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), causing operational disruption and financial losses in several sectors. The bureau said the attacks involved malicious project file interactions and manipulation of HMI and SCADA data. Updated guidance issued Thursday, expanding on an April advisory, details new methods for detecting malicious changes in Rockwell Automation PLC programs and widens the scope to cover targeting of Schneider Electric, Siemens and other branded controllers. The FBI urged operators to restrict direct internet access to these systems.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the country's military, said on Thursday that they had attacked and destroyed several American military assets in Jordan.

The targets included a radar for the US THAAD missile defence system, a Patriot system, a C-RAM radar and a helicopter hangar, according to a statement from the Guards aired by state TV.

Iran's army and its Revolutionary Guards on Thursday said they attacked several US bases in Kuwait following attacks by American forces on Iran.

The Guards claimed attacks on Ali Al Salem base, Camp Udairi and a telecommunications tower, while the army said it targeted Camp Doha, Ali Al Salem base and Camp Arifjan, according to separate statements by the forces carried by state TV.

President Donald Trump has honoured four US service members killed in the Middle East, with the White House saying their "service, courage, and sacrifice will never be forgotten." The fallen were named as 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, Sgt. Michael Swinton, Sgt. Angel Rampersad and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales. The tribute comes as more than 50,000 US troops operate across the region amid the escalating conflict with Iran.

British no-frills airline EasyJet said Thursday that its profit tumbled in the third quarter as the Middle East war sent jet fuel prices surging.

Profit before tax fell 70 percent to GBP85 million ($114 million) in the three months to the end of June, compared to one year earlier, EasyJet said in a statement.

Foreign ministers from fuel-stressed Southeast Asia will call for freedom of navigation in international straits when they wrap a week of meetings largely overshadowed by the US-Iran war, according to a draft communique seen by AFP.

The draft statement expected to emerge from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Manila will also repeat calls for self-restraint in a Middle East conflict that has carried economic ripple effects throughout the region.

Visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week warned ASEAN envoys that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a "dangerous precedent".

"There is a fundamental principle about freedom of navigation that is threatened," he said.

The draft communique inserts previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies said Thursday net profit doubled in the second quarter, on the back of high hydrocarbon prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.

TotalEnergies said in a statement that net profit amounted to $5.4 billion in the period from April to June, up from $2.7 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Oil ​prices rose for a fifth day on Thursday. Brent crude futures rose $2.42, or 2.6 percent, to $96.49 by 0640 GMT, the highest since 8th June, having settled up more than $3 at $94.07 in the previous session, just shy ​of a six-week high. US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $1.59, or 1.8 percent, to $88.42, after Wednesday's rise of 3 percent.

The US House of Representatives narrowly passed an annual defence policy bill on Wednesday that would authorise a record $1.15 trillion in funding for the Pentagon, as the divisive Iran war drags on. Though it traditionally sees significant bipartisan support, the 2027 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the lower chamber in a 216-212 vote, a sign of the growing polarization under President Donald Trump.

Tech firms enjoyed a much-needed bounce on Thursday, helping most Asian stock markets higher amid renewed hopes for the AI boom.

Oil prices climbed, however, after the United States and Iran ratcheted up Middle East tensions.

Investors' appetite for all things artificial intelligence has been tested in recent months on concern about elevated valuations and as they question when the trillions pumped into the sector will see returns.

That has hammered a number of previously high-flying companies that have hit multiple records this year, particularly those in South Korea and Japan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Yemen's Houthi rebels had been "suckered" into attacking Red Sea shipping by Iran.

"The Houthis largely were smart and stayed out of all this throughout the conflict, but they now apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this, going after Saudi Arabia and their ships," Rubio said on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila.

"I hope they will de-escalate, because I think the Houthis, frankly, got snookered into this thing by the Iranians," he told reporters.

The Iranian army said Thursday that it would continue its strikes around the region until the attacks on Iran stopped, state television reported.

"The armed forces' retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the US attacks on the country's infrastructure and coastal areas continue," said army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia according to state TV, adding that the country was ready for "every enemy scenario".

Bahrain's Ministry of Interior said warning sirens have been activated across the country, urging citizens and residents to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location and follow updates through official channels. The alert comes amid heightened regional tensions as the conflict involving Iran continues to escalate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that a landmark nuclear cooperation pact with Saudi Arabia would result only in a peaceful, civilian atomic programme.

"Suffice it to say that any agreement that we're going to make with any country in the world on civil nuclear energy is going to be one that will have safeguards in place to ensure that it can't be turned into a weapons programme," Rubio said on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila.

Brent crude jumped as much as 5 per cent on Thursday after Houthi rebels claimed they had struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, raising concerns that the Middle East conflict could widen. Oil prices advanced for a fifth consecutive session. Brent reached an intraday high of $98.80 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed as much as 3.8 per cent to $90.11.

The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile attacks by Iran targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with missiles and drones.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability.

The EU's top diplomat on Thursday demanded the Houthis "cease" attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after a Saudi vessel was hit by the Iran-backed rebels.

"The attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal, and further inflames an already volatile situation in the region," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday denounced what he called the United States' "irrational" and "domineering" approach in dealing with Tehran.

"The problem is the type of approach of America, and that is their irrational, excessive and domineering approach, which has been met with strong reactions from us," he told the state TV.

An official military source at the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army said the Royal Jordanian Air Force intercepted four missiles and six Iranian drones that targeted the kingdom over the past 24 hours.

The source said air defence systems shot down three missiles on Wednesday morning, while a fourth missile landed in an uninhabited area. On Tuesday evening, the military also intercepted and destroyed six drones. No casualties or property damage were reported.

Teams from the Royal Engineering Corps were dispatched to the impact sites to secure the areas and safely dispose of the missile and drone debris in accordance with technical and security procedures.

Kuwait's military says drones attacked its border crossing with Iraq, causing damage but no casualties.

It did not say who was behind Thursday's attack on the Abdali crossing.

Iran has launched repeated attacks on Kuwait since hostilities with the United States reignited last month. Iran also supports powerful militias in Iraq.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Yemen's Houthi rebels with "major military punishment" after they launched missile and drone strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea.

"The U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves" should the rebels launch further attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Fresh fighting in the Middle East means inflation could now trend higher than expected, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday.

"The risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside," she said at a press conference after the bank announced it was keeping its key deposit rate unchanged. "The energy shock could intensify further and its effects on other prices and wages could be stronger than currently expected."

The price of the benchmark international oil contract, Brent North Sea, reached $100 a barrel in trading Thursday after Yemen's Houthi rebels struck oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Brent soared more than six percent to hit the $100 level, as the attacks potentially opened a new front in the Middle East war with President Donald Trump threatening the rebels with "major military punishment".

The main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, rallied 5.0 percent to $91.19 a barrel.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that a nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia is contingent on the kingdom recognizing Israel.

The deal to establish a civilian nuclear program in the Gulf country "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Thursday stressed the importance of strengthening strategic ties and expanding cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

During talks in Tehran, the two leaders said closer relations would help promote regional stability, security and prosperity, while benefiting both countries and their people, according to a statement published by the Iranian presidency.

They also reviewed existing bilateral agreements and called for faster implementation, with a focus on expanding cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, energy and transport.

Al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran earlier on Thursday for talks with senior Iranian officials on bilateral relations as well as key regional and international developments.

Kuwait's General Fire Force said firefighting teams from the Central Al-Subiyah and Al-Abdali fire stations brought a blaze under control after it broke out at the Al-Abdali border crossing in northern Kuwait following what authorities described as a hostile drone attack.

Major General Mohammad Al-Ghareeb, the force's official spokesperson, said no injuries were reported and that the incident caused only material damage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia's recognition of Israel would be a significant step towards peace in the Middle East.

"Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords would be a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East", Netanyahu's office said after US President Donald Trump announced that a US-Saudi nuclear deal would be contingent on the kingdom recognising Israel.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday that an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea was "alarming", as the bank monitors the inflationary impact of the Iran war.

While the Houthi attack came too late to affect the ECB's deliberations on interest rates on Thursday, "it is having an impact - we can see that on the price of Brent as it evolves almost by the hour," Lagarde told reporters.

Before the war in Iran, roughly 15 million barrels of Arabian Gulf oil were shipped each day through the Strait of Hormuz. Within a few years, much of that oil could bypass the strait.

As Iran's chokehold over the strait drags on and oil prices surge, countries across the Gulf are planning to spend billions of dollars to build pipelines enabling them to redirect more supplies to ports on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Mediterranean.

At least seven major pipeline projects are under construction, in the planning stage or being discussed as possibilities, according to government officials, oil companies and analysts. The war has been a wake-up call for Gulf oil producers, who are determined to become less dependent on a transit point that hugs Iran's coast.

But alternatives to Hormuz are also vulnerable to disruption. And some alternative routes will take the oil on longer and more expensive paths to market.

Saudi nuclear deal is expected to last 30 years and involve US firms in program's development.

It could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following a joint US-Saudi study, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, according to the US and Saudi governments.

The agreement doesn't include the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, according to a second person familiar with the decision.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group on Thursday branded Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's recent visit to Washington a failure and said it showed the government's submission to a foreign power.

In a statement, the group's lawmakers said the visit revealed "the extent of subservience and submission to foreign tutelage", adding that it "failed to achieve... an American commitment to the withdrawal of the enemy from our land", referring to Israel.

Ongoing conflict in the Middle East has pushed the region to the "edge of the unimaginable," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday.

"The situation is getting out of control. It is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable. The region is being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation. One crisis feeds another. One escalation triggers the next," Guterres told a Security Council meeting.

"As this dynamic spreads, the political objectives are becoming increasingly obscured by the confrontation itself."

The House on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution to halt US military action in Iran, sending a warning to President Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict is increasingly uncertain.

The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war comes as the Senate is expected to consider a similar resolution later Thursday morning. Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as a strong signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administration's endgame.

The war has had "no clear mission, no strategy, no end goal," said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who led the resolution on the House floor.

The resolution narrowly passed after a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to end the war. But the vast majority of Republicans voted to back the war and cede congressional war powers to Trump.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the attack by the Houthi group targeting the Saudi-flagged vessel Encelia while sailing in the Red Sea.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that this attack constitutes a grave threat to the safety and security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the security and stability of the world's critical waterways.

The German military will move two vessels from the Red Sea region to the Mediterannean "in the coming days", the defence ministry said in a statement Thursday.

The "Fulda" minesweeper and the "Mosel" supply ship had been sent to Djibouti for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the US-Iran war but will be now be moved in part due to "the volatile political situation" in the area, the ministry said.

The Iranian news outlet Tasnim reported on Thursday that a US missile had hit a site near the town of Suza on Qeshm Island, in the disputed Strait of Hormuz.

"The relevant authorities are currently assessing the extent of the incident and the possible level of damage," the agency said.

The US State Department has urged American citizens across the Middle East to prepare for possible emergency travel disruptions, warning that the ongoing war with Iran could lead to flight cancellations and broader air travel disruptions. In an updated advisory, the department encouraged US nationals to have contingency plans in place and remain alert to developments affecting commercial flights across the region.

Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that Tehran’s response to any attacks on the country’s infrastructure would grow progressively more severe.

He said the attack on pilgrims in Shalamcheh and threats targeting Iran’s infrastructure reflected “nothing but desperation and helplessness.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the UN Security Council on Thursday that an "alarming disregard for international law" was driving deepening crises across the Middle East, with conflicts becoming "more numerous, more complex, longer and wider in scope" as "impunity continues to spread."

"The situation is getting out of control," he said. "It is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable."

Guterres also called for the full restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al Mandeb, stressing that diplomacy remains the only path to easing tensions and preventing further escalation.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Jordan have condemned Iran's continued attacks, describing them as "a clear act of aggression" that violates the UN Charter and international law.

In a joint statement, the seven countries reaffirmed their inherent right to self-defence, individually or collectively, under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

They called on the UN Security Council to recognise the right of countries affected by Iran's attacks to defend themselves and to adopt an urgent resolution demanding an immediate end to the attacks.

The statement also reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al Mandeb, while underscoring the importance of maintaining regional security and stability.

Oil prices surged Thursday as worries about attacks in the Red Sea exacerbated supply concerns in a petroleum market limited by the quasi-shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

Near 1820 GMT, Brent oil futures were up 8.4 percent at $101.93, rising above $100 for the first time since late May.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 7.6 percent to $93.44 a barrel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left for Kyrgyzstan on Thursday at the head of a political delegation to attend a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation foreign ministers, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The two-day gathering is being held in the resort city of Cholpon-Ata on Thursday and Friday.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one ship since resuming its naval blockade against Iran nine days ago.

In an update posted on X, CENTCOM said the enforcement actions were aimed at preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas as part of Washington's ongoing blockade.

The command has previously said commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains open for vessels not trading with Iran.

The Kuwaiti military said on Thursday that a new drone attack had been launched against one of its border crossings with Iraq.

"Al-Abdali border post was the repeated target this evening of enemy drone attacks that caused material damage but no casualties," army headquarters said in a statement posted on social media.

Kuwait’s air defence systems are intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks amid the ongoing Iranian aggression, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said on Thursday.

In a statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency, the military said any explosions heard by residents were caused by air defence systems intercepting incoming projectiles.

Authorities urged the public to remain calm and follow all security and safety instructions issued by the relevant agencies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused officials within the US administration of ignoring realities on the ground and prioritising domestic political calculations over diplomacy.

In a post on X late Thursday, he said “compromised individuals” in Washington were “burying their heads in the sand” and appeared focused only on the 2028 US elections.

He warned that continued support for “mindless aggression” would make it more difficult for US President Donald Trump to secure an agreement with Tehran. “The mindless aggression they advocate will only ensure that POTUS pays heavier price for deal he’s trying to achieve,” Araghchi wrote.

President Donald Trump said late on Thursday that the US would begin using frozen Iranian assets to pay for ships and cargo damaged by regime strikes in and around the Gulf.

"Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls," Trump said on Truth social.

"These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this ithe fair and equitable thing to do."

Trump, in a speech, also declared that Iran “needs more pain” before it will abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, declaring the Islamic Republic has “evil intentions” and vowing it will “never” be allowed to obtain one.

Germany will withdraw two naval vessels from the Red Sea after concluding that the ships are no longer required for a potential mine-clearing mission in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministry said, reflecting an easing of immediate operational requirements following recent diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran.

The vessels — a Fulda minehunter and the support ship Mosel — were deployed through the Suez Canal in June and stationed in Djibouti with about 140 personnel, including mine-clearance divers, autonomous underwater systems and force protection teams.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had said any deployment into the Strait would depend on political and diplomatic developments, as well as the consent of regional states, including Iran and Oman.

The vessels were part of Germany's contribution to European efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation rather than a combat mission.

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