US-Israel war on Iran widens: Explosions rock Qeshm Island near Hormuz as Trump says conflict 'can't go much longer'

Two explosions were heard on Iran's southern Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province late on Thursday night as a result of the Iranian armed forces' confrontation with "hostile enemy targets" at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Tasnim cited informed sources as saying that the explosions were heard at around 21:40 local time (1810 GMT, 10:10 PM Gulf Standard Time), adding that the "achievements" of the Iranian naval forces' confrontation will be announced in the coming hours.

US President Donald Trump insisted the US has "massive" munitions reserves, especially certain types, with defence production ramping up at historic levels. The Washington Post reported he confronted US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David over concerns that heavy use of ATACMS missiles, THAAD interceptors, and Patriots had reduced inventories, potentially limiting options against Iran.

White House officials dismissed the account as "fake news", while Hegseth publicly backed the administration's readiness claims. The exchange highlights tensions in the debate over sustaining US military supplies during the conflict.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the story “100% fake news” and said it “literally never happened,” while Hegseth publicly dismissed parallel reporting on depleted interceptors as “NOT TRUE,” posting on X: “Shame on you.” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell similarly told CNN the military has “everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”

Israel has refused in talks to withdraw from more areas of south Lebanon unless the Lebanese army had full control of an initial two "pilot zones", a Lebanese presidential source told AFP.

The seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel was held in Rome under US auspices, aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah that have become a second front in the Middle East war. The Lebanese source told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the talks had "not yielded definitive results regarding the pilot zones".

While the outlook from Beirut was dim, a US State Department spokesperson told AFP that the talks were "productive".

US President Donald Trump late on Thursday expressed confidence that the conflict involving Iran would end "pretty soon," saying that he believes the Islamic Republic "can't go much longer".

He also voiced optimism over ongoing negotiations related to the Strait of Hormuz, while reaffirming the commitment to prevent Iran from posessing a nuclear weapon.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, "When I started the very important excursion into the Islamic Republic of Iran, it was a very important excursion because they can't have a nuclear weapon, otherwise the whole world would get blown up. We're not gonna let that happen. Not only us, not only the Middle East, the whole world would have been... It would have been catastrophic. We had no choice... We will see those days pretty soon again, based on everything I see, as soon as the war ends. And I think the war's got to end pretty soon. I don't think they can go much longer."

An attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels late Thursday wounded 11 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh-led coalition said, an unprecedented toll in the kingdom in over four years of hostilities.

They include seven Saudis, two Egyptians, a Yemeni, and a Pakistani, coalition spokesman General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the official Saudi news agency, adding that the attacks had taken place in the Najran region, on the border with Yemen.

This marks another step in the recent escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces are continuing to enforce the naval blockade of Iran.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said that, as of August 6, US forces had redirected 49 vessels, disabled two and boarded two others as part of the maritime enforcement mission.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Saudi Arabia Friday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, Erdogan's office announced.

Pakistan has been acting as a mediator to try to end the US-Iran war that has drawn in several Gulf countries and paralysed maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Day 157: Iran says Oman deal alone won’t reopen Hormuz

Day 156: Iran says new Strait of Hormuz shipping route agreed with Oman

DAY 155: Resolving US-Iran conflict in 'progressive stages'

Day 154: Trump says Iran talks ongoing as IRGC warns of readiness

Day 153: Trump pauses strikes as Iran demands US honour deal

Day 152: Trump announces Hamas disarmament deal

Day 151: GCC condemns renewed Iranian attacks on Kuwait, Jordan

Day 150: US, Saudi forces strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq

Day 149: Trump holds 'positive' talks with Zelenskyy, Netanyahu

Day 148: Saudi air defences foil drone attack on oil facilities

Day 147: Iran says military ready as Netanyahu heads to US

Day 146: Iran says it earned $11.5b in oil sales during the war

Day 145: US-Iran war escalates as Tehran targets US bases in Gulf