US plans new Iran strikes as Trump warns, Tehran prepares response

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.

The incident occurred about 11 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, damaging the vessel’s engine room and leaving it unable to manoeuvre.

UKMTO said regional coast guard authorities have been notified and an investigation is underway. No casualties or environmental impact have been reported.

Vessels operating in the area have been advised to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Iran has warned that it stands fully prepared to target key Israeli infrastructure and American energy installations throughout the region should it come under attack, following reports that Washington and Tel Aviv may be coordinating new military operations against the Islamic Republic.

A senior Iranian security official told Tasnim News Agency on Friday that Western media reports regarding prospective strikes on Iranian infrastructure represented "a kind of madness".

According to Tasnim, the official stated that Tehran has formulated comprehensive retaliatory strategies encompassing strikes on critical installations in Israel and US energy assets across the Middle East, asserting that Iran maintains complete readiness to execute these measures if provoked.

The Iranian official added that the nation's armed forces had evidenced their capability and resolve to carry out such operations during the 40-day war and subsequent engagements.

Indian-origin US Army Sergeant Angel Rampersad, who was killed in action in the Iran war, was given a hero's farewell at her funeral here.

"My daughter was a real hero", her mother Carol Acevedo said at her funeral, surrounded by officials, soldiers and several hundred mourners who shared the sentiment.

Rampersad, who immigrated to the US as a two-year-old from Trinidad, was killed last month in an Iranian missile strike on a US Army base in Jordan.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who ordered the flags to be flown half-staff across the state to mourn her, said, "Staff Sergeant Rampersad lived a life of courage and selflessness. New York, and our nation, are safer because of brave Americans like her who answer the call to serve".

The city and state rallied to honour her on her final journey, which was televised live by some stations. A motorcade led by dozens of New York Police on motorcycles accompanied her body to the funeral services at a church and to the burial at a Long Island cemetery with military honours.

New York Mayor Zohair Mamdani, who is against President Donald Trump's Iran War, joined the mourners at the church, and said in a statement, "Sgt. Rampersad's courage and sacrifice will be remembered" across the city that was her home.

"For so many New Yorkers, wars overseas are never distant, they are felt here at home", he added.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth received her body with military honours when it was brought from Jordan to the Dover Air Force Base on July 22.

Trump stated that he was "losing faith" in Tehran, alleging that Iranian authorities routinely breach commitments even as bilateral discussions persist between both nations.

Addressing a televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump asserted that Iran lacked credibility due to its recurrent failure to abide by its pledges.

"They do lie, and they do misrepresent," Trump said. "They always want to talk, but they break their word so often."

Notwithstanding his sharp rebuke, the US President confirmed that top-level American officials maintain active lines of engagement with Iranian counterparts. He identified Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as key members of the negotiating team.

"We have great people talking," Trump said.

Highlighting regional security challenges, Trump pointed to a strike on an American military facility situated in Jordan, noting that the incident occurred whilst dialogue was actively underway.

"Instead, I got a call from Pete that they just shot five missiles at one of our bases in Jordan," Trump said, referring to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

In response to queries regarding whether further hostile actions could follow, Trump declined to discount additional attacks.

"I think I'm going to be foolish to say no. You always have to keep your guard up," he said.

Evaluating Iran's long-term capabilities, Trump remarked that Tehran's capacity to sustain such momentum would wane over time.

"They get weaker. They get a little stronger, maybe now, but they'll get weaker, and then they peter out," he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised Britain’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a state threat and accused London of involvement in US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

During a call with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Araghchi blamed US and Israeli actions for regional instability and said Iran had pursued diplomacy before Washington allegedly breached previous agreements.

He also said Iran was working with Oman to establish arrangements for managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, warning against outside interference.

Miliband said the UK was not involved in the war with Iran and reaffirmed London’s focus on diplomacy to reduce regional tensions.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday called the agreement for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from Gaza the “only good news in recent days”.

Speaking to reporters, Guterres urged both sides to follow the roadmap announced under the deal and warned that the region cannot afford further conflict.

“The fighting must stop on all fronts in the region,” he said, calling for the agreement to be implemented “without any questions, skepticism or determination to undermine it.”

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that, as of 31st July, US forces had rerouted 30 commercial vessels, disabled two ships, and boarded two others to verify full compliance with the naval blockade imposed on Iran.

In a statement, CENTCOM said US forces have continued to strictly enforce the naval blockade on Iranian ports since mid-July, adding that around 30 vessels had been allowed to pass through the blockade zone to deliver humanitarian assistance.

US forces resumed the naval blockade on vessels bound for, or departing from, Iranian ports and coastal areas on 14th July, in response to attacks on commercial shipping and the disruption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump is considering launching air strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure within days in an attempt to compel Tehran to accept Washington's ceasefire terms, according to a report by Axios.

Citing an American official, Axios reported that while President Trump has yet to reach a final determination, internal discussions remain focused on attacks targeting Iranian infrastructure and energy facilities. The report stated that the contemplated campaign aims to intensify pressure on Tehran amidst ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Axios further reported that Israel could join the operation, marking its first direct participation in strikes on Iran in several weeks. The report noted that such joint action could trigger renewed Iranian missile attacks against Israel.

According to the report, US officials assess that Iran has become "very aggressive" in recent days following attacks executed against American forces stationed in the region.

The developments align with a report by The Wall Street Journal stating that President Trump has ordered preparations for a renewed military campaign intended to pressure Tehran into surrendering, with potential operations launching as early as this weekend.

President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran "very hard," as US media reported he was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend, including against energy infrastructure targets.

After more than five months of war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, there is seemingly no end to the conflict, with resumed tit-for-tat attacks.

"We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore'," Trump said Friday as he hosted a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had ordered a fresh attack aimed at convincing Tehran to surrender, which could begin as soon as this weekend, citing unnamed US officials.

CBS News meanwhile reported that the United States and Israel were planning joint strikes on energy-related targets, possibly throughout the weekend. Such targets would likely be oil refineries and power plants.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran's vital infrastructure throughout the war, vowing last week to destroy a bridge or power plant plant every time ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz are attacked.

The president had not yet given the green light for the campaign, but Israel and the US were coordinating, CBS said, citing multiple unnamed sources.

The report comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington and met with Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Some White House aides voiced strong objections to the plan at the cabinet meeting, the CBS report said.

If the plan went forward, it would mark the first time that Israel has joined in attacks on Iran since the initial phase of the war.

The US military says the Iranian government’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz is closed is “false”. “The Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it. Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the past four months,” the US military’s Central Command said in a post on X.

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