Donald Trump has said Israel is "very happy" with the agreement reached by the Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Under the proposed phased deal, Hamas would disarm, Israeli forces would withdraw as the disarmament progresses, and an international stabilisation force would work with a new Palestinian police force until a new Palestinian government takes over governance in Gaza.
"We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they've been very good," Trump said. "Will it go through its ups and downs? It's a very complex situation over there."
Hamas has said the agreement stipulates that Israel must stop killing Palestinians and withdraw from Gaza before it disarms, according to Reuters.
Senior Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the group’s disarmament is conditional on Israel fulfilling its commitments under the agreement, including withdrawing from Gaza and allowing the establishment of a national committee and reconstruction efforts.
In other Middle East news, Tehran warned the US it will “pay the price” following reports that a family of three, including a couple and a two-year-old child, were killed in a strike on Qeshm Island.
Key Points
- Trump says Israel 'very happy' with Board of Peace agreement
- Hamas says disarmament depends on Israeli withdrawal
- Board of Peace says focus now shifts to implementation
- Trump hails ‘major milestone’
- Board of Peace says focus now shifts to implementation
In pictures: Latest pictures from Gaza as ceasefire moves forward
19:49 , Alex Croft
Trump delivers childlike ‘bing, bing, bing’ recap of US shooting down Iranian missiles
19:20 , Alex Croft
President 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.
White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:
Trump delivers childlike ‘bing, bing, bing’ recap of US shooting down Iran missiles
Oil prices rise after Iran says it stopped ships in Strait of Hormuz
18:55 , Alex Croft
As the stagnant Gaza ceasefire looks like it could finally be making progress, the situation between the US and Iran shows no sign of improving.
On Friday, after Iran said it had stopped two vessels seeking to exit the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices once again rose, underscoring concerns over global energy supplies following a drone attack on ships in a Mediterranean Egyptian port this week.
Iran said four other tankers turned back after its forces intervened, although the Iranian reports could not be independently confirmed.
Two large tankers carrying oil loaded from the Gulf were recorded passing through the strait, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that normally carries about one-fifth of the world's energy shipments.
Two other commodities vessels also transited, according to shipping data from Kpler, which does not capture vessels that have been transiting the strait with their transponders off.
Watch: US says 24 ships diverted during blockade of Iranian ports
18:20 , Alex Croft
Trump says Israel 'very happy' with Board of Peace agreement
17:43 , Alex Croft
President Donald Trump said Friday that Israel was "very happy" with an agreement reached by his so-called Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
"We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they've been very good," Trump said. "Will it go through its ups and downs? It's a very complex situation over there."
Trump called the agreement a major breakthrough, saying nobody had thought it would be possible to disarm Hamas.
"It's a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they're surprised by it."
On Thursday, Trump called the deal a "major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan" to end Israel's war in Gaza.
The president also said the deal would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament proceeds and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.
Hamas describes agreement as 'difficult and painful'
17:13 , Alex Croft
Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in the negotiations, has said the group is ready to accept an agreement he said was "difficult and painful".
But he avoided using the term disarmament and said the agreement was a "comprehensive framework" that would depend on Israel implementing the first phase of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
Under that agreement, he said Israel was obliged to end its attacks in Gaza and withdraw its forces to where they stood in October, as well as increase the flow of goods and aid coming into the enclave.
Only then would Hamas agree to hand over its weapons for storage by the new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Palestinian technocratic body set up to run the enclave.
"We insisted to the mediators that Israel must abide by the agreement," he said.
New UK foreign minister welcomes announcement of Hamas disarmament
16:39 , Alex Croft
The new UK foreign minister Ed Miliband said on Friday he welcomed the announcement of a disarmament agreement for the Palestinian group Hamas.
"The focus must now be on implementing the 20-point plan in full. This includes the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, and respect for the ceasefire from all parties," he said in a statement.
“Conditions for the people of Gaza remain appalling. Israel must immediately end the unacceptable restrictions on aid so that more food, medicine and support can reach those who need it”.
My statement on the announcement that Hamas will disarm ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NrMUKMX0zx
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) July 31, 2026
EU's Kallas welcomes Gaza plan as "constructive step" towards peace
16:11 , Maira Butt
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Friday said a proposed deal to bring peace to Gaza, if fully implemented, would be "a constructive step."
"A lot needs to fall in place for this to work. Success depends on the full commitment of all parties. Verifying Hamas' compliance will be a significant challenge. Israel would need to eventually withdraw from Gaza," Kallas wrote in a post on social media platform X.
Kallas added that the EU was ready to support next steps.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his "Board of Peace" had reached an agreement for the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, though it was not immediately clear how Hamas or Israel stood behind it.
Israel will not withdraw from yellow line 'whatsoever', says diplomatic source
15:48 , Maira Butt
The Independent’s chief international correspondent Bel Trew has spoken to a diplomatic source in Israel.
Here’s what the source said:
“Regarding various reports from this morning concerning diplomatic progress in the Gaza Strip, Israel has reiterated that there will be no IDF withdrawal whatsoever from the current ‘yellow line’ without the genuine disarmament of Hamas.”
Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'
15:00 , Maira Butt
Indian companies profited with weapons sale to Israel amid ongoing Gaza genocide, Amnesty report says
14:30 , Maira Butt
India has sold over 2500 shipments of weapons to Israel since the 7 October Hamas attacks despite risks that they could end up being used in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Amnesty International said in a new report.
India has become one of the strongest allies of Israel under prime minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, marking a significant shift in its foreign policy as the South Asian nation has historically supported the establishment of a Palestinian state.
India did not establish full diplomatic ties with Israel until 1992 and Mr Modi in 2017 became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.
India profited by supplying arms to Israel despite risk of use in Gaza, Amnesty says
Hamas says first step in implementing disarmament deal is Israel's commitment to stop killing Palestinians
14:00 , Maira Butt
Hamas said the first step in implementing the phased disarmament agreement in Gaza announced by U.S. President Donald Trump is a commitment from Israel to stop killing Palestinians and end attacks.
The group said handing over heavy weapons was also conditional on Israel ending hostilities and withdrawing from Gaza.
Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire was agreed last year and over 73,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.
Analysis: Hamas agreement 'calling Israel's bluff', say experts
13:33 , Maira Butt
Chatham 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.”
In full: Trump claims Board of Peace has reached ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
13:00 , Maira Butt
The parties in the Israel-Hamas war have agreed to a “historic” framework paving the way to rebuild Gaza and remake its government, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.
The deal includes the “COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas communicated via mediators that it has agreed to the terms of the multi-step road map, U.S. and Board of Peace officials told The Independent.
Trump claims ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
Gaza deal must be 'implemented in stages', says Hamas
12:30 , Maira Butt
A newly agreed Gaza deal must be implemented in stages, a Hamas official has told Reuters.
They said that Israel must first withdraw from Gaza as the first phase of the deal once both sides have finalised the text of the agreement.
This includes the dismantling of "Israeli-backed armed militias" in the area.
After this, Hamas will then hand over weapons to the Palestinian National Committee for storage, dependent on Israel endorsing the agreement, the official added.
Hamas disarmament is not the first time Trump has declared ‘historic’ peace in Gaza - major questions remain
11:54 , Maira Butt
The 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?
Will this begin much-needed reconstruction in the strip where 90 per cent of homes are severely damaged or flattened?
The Independent’s chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:
This is not first time Trump has declared peace in Gaza - and major questions remain
Several Palestinians wounded in Israeli airstrike hours after disarmament deal announced, medics say
11:26 , Maira Butt
Several Palestinians were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza hours after US President Donald Trump announced a deal on Hamas disarmament, Gaza medics said.
Trump’s original peace plan for Gaza in full after Hamas agrees to disarm in ‘major milestone’
10:47 , Maira Butt
Hamas says it has agreed to disarm in a historic agreement that could transform the structure of power in Gaza if it holds.
A peace deal put forward by the US would see Hamas disarm, Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza as the disarmament progresses, and an international stabilisation force work with a new Palestinian police force until a new Palestinian government takes over in Gaza.
Trump thanked Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for mediating the agreement and called the deal “historic”.
However, a senior Hamas negotiator said the group’s disarmament is conditional on Israel fulfilling its commitments under the agreement, including withdrawing from Gaza and allowing the establishment of a national committee and reconstruction efforts.
Trump’s peace plan for Gaza in full after Hamas agrees to disarm in ‘major milestone’
German foreign minister welcomes Gaza disarmament deal, offers support
10:15 , Maira Butt
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Friday welcomed a phased disarmament agreement in Gaza announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and said that now it was key that real progress was made and militant Palestinian group Hamas actually disarms.
"Germany stands ready to support the people of Gaza with humanitarian aid and early recovery. Thus, additional crossings into Gaza should be opened without delay," wrote Wadephul on X, adding that Germany will do its part to help implement the agreement.
No Israeli withdrawal until Hamas disarms, Israeli political sources said before announcement
09:45 , Bel Trew
An Israeli political source told The Independent that the issue of Gaza was not raised at all in the meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.
“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” they said.
“The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands, and Israel conveyed its objections on the matter to Tony Blair’s envoy.
“There will be no Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed and the Strip is demilitarised.”
The comments came shortly before President Donald Trump’s announcement.
Israel must approve disarmament agreement before Hamas will implement, says Hamas official
09:14 , Maira Butt
Israel must approve the phased disarmament agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace before Hamas will implement it, Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in the negotiations, told Reuters.
Once both sides approve the agreement text, Israel must begin implementing the agreement's first phase, Hamad said.
How Trump’s promise to reconstruct Gaza fell apart in six months
08:46 , Maira Butt
As Hamas agree to disarm, the promise to reconstruct the war-torn strip appears to have fallen apart.
Read all about how it happened here.
How Trump’s promise of peace and prosperity in Gaza fell apart in six months
'More work remains' says Jared Kushner following disarmament announcement
08:17 , Maira Butt
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has responded to news of a “historic” deal brokered by the Board of Peace, which would see Hamas relinquish arms.
In a post on X, the White House called the agreement “a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY”.
Kushner reposted the announcement, writing: “Another historic step. And more work remains.”
He was instrumental in proposing a reconstruction plan, which was significantly scaled back according to recent reports.
Who is Khalil Al-Hayya? New Hamas leader overseeing disarmament deal
07:49 , Maira Butt
Eleven days after Khalil Al-Hayya was appointed the new leader of Hamas, the militant group has agreed to disarm.
Al-Hayya, 65, was central to ceasefire talks throughout the war.
Hamas's top negotiator, he is based in Doha and has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of the group since the deaths of Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in July 2024.
He was among top officials targeted in an Israeli attack in Doha in 2025, Israeli officials said.
Hailing from the Gaza Strip, Al-Hayya is a veteran member of the group and is regarded as having good ties with Iran, which is a vital source of weapons and money for Hamas. He has long been closely involved in the group's efforts to broker several truces with Israel, playing a key role in ending a 2014 conflict.
Al-Hayya has been part of Hamas since it was set up in 1987. In the early 1980s, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni Islamist movement from which Hamas emerged, along with Haniyeh and Sinwar, Hamas sources say.
In Gaza, he was detained several times by Israel.
He is known as the “father of the martyrs” after losing several family members to Israeli attacks.
In 2007, an Israeli airstrike hit his family home in Gaza City's Shejaia quarter, killing several of his relatives. In 2008, his son Hamza was killed by an Israeli airstrike.
In the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, the house of Mr Hayya's eldest son Osama was bombed, killing him, his wife and three of their children.
A third son, Himam, was killed in the Israeli strike on Doha in 2025.
Hamas confirms it has agreed disarm, official tells BBC
07:22 , Maira Butt
A senior Hamas official has told the BBC that the group has in fact agreed to disarm.
The parties in the Israel-Hamas war have agreed to a “historic” framework paving the way to rebuild Gaza and remake its government, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.
Trump claims Board of Peace has reached ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
07:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The parties in the Israel-Hamas war have agreed to a “historic” framework paving the way to rebuild Gaza and remake its government, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.
The deal includes the “COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas communicated via mediators that it has agreed to the terms of the multi-step road map, U.S. and Board of Peace officials told The Independent.
Read more here:
Trump claims ‘historic’ Gaza deal to disarm Hamas and withdraw Israeli troops
Iran says it launches drone strikes on US military facilities in Kuwait
06:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Iran says it has launched drone strikes targeting US military facilities at Kuwait's Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base in retaliation for recent American attacks, including a strike on a residential home on Qeshm Island.
According to Iranian state media, the operation targeted aircraft hangars, satellite communications systems and equipment warehouses. There has been no immediate confirmation from US or Kuwaiti authorities on the reported attack.
Drone strike at Egypt's Damietta port raises fresh concerns over Suez shipping
06:33 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A drone strike that set two gas vessels on fire at Egypt's Damietta port has heightened concerns over the security of shipping through the nearby Suez Canal, a key route for global trade and Saudi oil exports.
Egyptian authorities said an unidentified drone caused the attack, while Iran denied any involvement.
The incident comes as tensions in the region continue to escalate, prompting London's marine insurance market to expand its "high risk" zone in the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia to propose a multinational maritime defence coalition to protect shipping routes.
Meanwhile, Iraq said it had no prior knowledge of recent US-Saudi strikes on its territory, amid fears the conflict could draw more countries into the war.
Iran says it targeted US airbase in Kuwait with drone strike
06:06 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Iran's army says it carried out a drone strike targeting US military facilities at Kuwait's Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base in retaliation for recent American strikes.
In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the military said the attack targeted aircraft hangars, satellite communications systems and equipment warehouses using drones.
Iran said the operation was in response to a US strike on a residential home on Qeshm Island, adding that the airbase serves as a key hub for US aerial surveillance and operational support in the region.
Trump hails ‘major milestone’
05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump described the agreement as "a major milestone" in the implementation of his 20-point peace plan for Gaza, saying it would be carried out in carefully structured phases.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.
“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.”
Trump also added: “The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.”
Agreement reached after 'months of very difficult negotiations', says Board of Peace official
05:32 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's director-general and high representative for Gaza, said the agreement followed months of difficult negotiations and stressed that its success would depend on implementation.
In a post on X, he wrote: "Today, agreement has been reached on the decommissioning of weapons and civilian transition in Gaza. It took months of very difficult negotiations to get here."
"There were several points when I did not believe we would make it..." he added.
Mladenov said the next stage would be crucial, writing: "What the agreement says matters. What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real. Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning."
He also said the agreement could pave the way for a rebuilt Gaza governed by Palestinians and a broader political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding: "Ahead of us is a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict. That is the work now."
Board of Peace says focus now shifts to implementation
05:13 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump's Board of Peace has described the proposed Gaza agreement as a "historic breakthrough" and said its attention is now turning to implementation.
In a statement, the board said Hamas had committed "for the first time" to an actionable plan to relinquish its weapons, to be followed by an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
"It holds the promise of delivering significant benefits to the people of Gaza, who have waited for too long for a better future, and security to the people of Israel," it said, according to the Guardian.
Hamas says disarmament depends on Israeli withdrawal
05:12 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A senior Hamas negotiator has said the group's agreement to disarm is conditional on Israel fulfilling its commitments under the proposed deal.
Ghazi Hamad said in a statement carried by the Guardian that the framework links Hamas's weapons to Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of a national committee to administer the territory and reconstruction efforts.
"If Israel does not implement the agreement, neither will we," Hamad said, adding that Hamas would discuss implementation details with mediators before agreeing on a timetable.
US-brokered plan for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon suffers slow start
05:02 , Alex Croft
A 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 military says 24 ships redirected during blockade
04:02 , Rachel Dobkin
US Central Command has said 24 ships have been redirected, two disabled and two boarded during its blockade of Iranian ports.
A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon approaches a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker for refueling while patrolling the Middle East. The P-8 is a specialized reconnaissance aircraft that is among the many assets monitoring regional waters during America's blockade against Iran. As of July… pic.twitter.com/5LJGLApwWR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 30, 2026
Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'
03:00 , Alex Croft
Iranian official responds to Qeshm Island attack: 'Pains the heart'
02:04 , Rachel Dobkin
Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, has said the attack on Qeshm Island “pains the heart of every conscientious human being”.
Iran has blamed the U.S. for an attack on a residential building that reportedly killed a couple and a two-year-old child.
“The criminal attack last night on the homes of the noblest Iranians in Qeshm, which resulted in the destruction of several houses and the martyrdom of a hardworking taxi driver, Qeysar Jafari, his wife Zahra Jafari, and their innocent two-year-old child, Sina, pains the heart of every conscientious human being”, Baqaei wrote on X.
“With every explosion, with every crime, with every sanction, with every threat, with the killing of every child, you only make Iranians more determined and united in defending their homeland”, the spokesperson added.
In pictures: Smoke rises after multiple US strikes
01:01 , Maira Butt
Smoke rises after reports of multiple US strikes on the city, as loud explosions were heard according to the Iranian state TV, in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, Iran, July 30, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.
Iran's Araghchi presses European counterparts over use of bases in US operations
Friday 31 July 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
Iran'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.
In focus: How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
Thursday 30 July 2026 23:00 , Maira Butt
Fears 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.
How the wars in Iran and Ukraine are colliding on the world’s largest lake
US issues Iran-related sanctions against Iranian air carrier
Thursday 30 July 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
The US on Thursday issued new Iran-related sanctions that target global networks supporting Mahan Air, the Iranian carrier Washington says transports Iran's Revolutionary Guards personnel, as well as weapons and drones.
The US Treasury designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia and Iran for acting as sales agents and support networks for the US- and EU-sanctioned airline, the department said in a statement.
The four Iranian nuclear plants in Trump’s sights after president’s threat to hit Pickaxe Mountain
Thursday 30 July 2026 21:00 , Maira Butt
With the US-Iran ceasefire in tatters, Donald Trump has issued new threats against Tehran’s nuclear facilities in what would represent a significant escalation in the conflict.
The president’s latest target is Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” a suspected underground facility that lies on the south side of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site, one of those bombed by the US and Israel in June 2025.
Named Operation Midnight Hammer, the countries launched a series of attacks on several nuclear and military facilities more than one year ago. as part of a long-running ambition to thwart Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme.
The Iranian nuclear plants in Trump’s sights after threat to Pickaxe Mountain
Watch: American forces resume strikes after attempted Iranian attacks
Thursday 30 July 2026 20:30 , Maira Butt
US denies its aircraft were struck in Iranian attacks
Thursday 30 July 2026 20:02 , Alex Croft
The 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’
Thursday 30 July 2026 19:30 , Maira Butt
President 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 19:00 , Maira Butt
Port 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'
Thursday 30 July 2026 18:30 , Maira Butt
Mapped: All of the countries dragged into Trump’s war in Iran
Thursday 30 July 2026 18:00 , Maira Butt
War 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 17:30 , Maira Butt
Kuwait’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
Thursday 30 July 2026 17:00 , Maira Butt
Yemen'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
Thursday 30 July 2026 16:30 , Maira Butt
Shipping 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 16:00 , Maira Butt
Iran's Araghchi presses European counterparts over use of bases in US operations
Thursday 30 July 2026 15:31 , Maira Butt
Iran'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
Thursday 30 July 2026 15:05 , Maira Butt
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.
U.S. economy turns in sluggish 1.5 per cent second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target
Thursday 30 July 2026 14:40 , Maira Butt
The 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 14:11 , Maira Butt
The 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 13:33 , Maira Butt
Israeli 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 13:01 , Maira Butt
Oil 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 12:30 , Maira Butt
Iran 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 12:00 , Maira Butt
A 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 11:35 , Maira Butt
Three 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'
Thursday 30 July 2026 10:50 , Maira Butt
‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’
Thursday 30 July 2026 10:20 , Maira Butt
President 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
Thursday 30 July 2026 10:00 , Maira Butt
An 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.
