Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near standstill after the US carried out a second day of strikes on Iran, raising fresh doubts about the fragile truce between the two sides.
Just two tankers had sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday, while the US-supported Omani corridor was empty of observable traffic. Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all of the ships crossing.
Meanwhile, Israel reportedly told US officials about an Iranian plot to assassinate president Donald Trump. Israeli officials shared intelligence with the US that they said indicates a new plot to kill Trump, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
Trump has had a target on his back ever since he launched an airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, during his first term. When asked about the latest reporting, the White House pointed to Trump’s recent comments: “They want to take out the US leader – me. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long”.
Key Points
- Traffic comes to a halt at Strait of Hormuz
- Trump views Iran's attack on tanker as an act of terrorism
- Israel shared intelligence of new Iranian plot to kill Trump with US officials, report says
- Oil edges lower at $76 a barrel but heads for weekly gain
- Netanyahu says Iranian axis 'weaker than ever before'
- Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral attended by 43 million people
US gas prices see their biggest one-day jump in months
11:30 , James Reynolds
Gas prices spiked in response to President Donald Trump's resumed attacks on Iran this week.
On Thursday, the average gas price in the U.S. rose by five cents per gallon to nearly $3.85, according to data from AAA.
The U.S. military said it hit approximately 90 targets in an attack on Iran on Wednesday. Trump said he considers the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran "over."
Thursday's price spike is the biggest single-day increase since May 6, according to CNN.
US gas prices see their biggest one-day jump in months as Iran war spooks market
Catch up: Inside the tense Oval Office meeting where a furious Trump decided his deal with Iran was ‘over’
11:00 , James Reynolds
During a Monday Oval Office meeting, a furious Trump decided he had enough and determined the ceasefire with Iran was finished, according to a new report.
Shortly before Trump departed for a NATO summit in Turkey, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined him in the West Wing. They informed him that Iran had fired on three ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz within a span of a few hours.
Outraged, Trump asked his top advisers whether Tehran was negotiating in good faith toward a final deal to end the war, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. “In the end, after discussing it with his senior aides, the president decided they weren’t,” the outlet reported.
Inside the Oval Office meeting where Trump decided his deal with Iran was ‘over’
Recap: Trump says Iran wants a deal 'so badly' after US military action
10:30 , James Reynolds
Where is Khamenei? Son still out of view as father buried in hometown
09:52 , James Reynolds
Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in the country's holiest shrine, state media said early on Friday, after huge crowds gathered for his funeral with his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei still hidden from public view.
The whereabouts of his son, proclaimed supreme leader by a clerical assembly in early March, a week after his father's death, has remained a mystery to Iranians.
He has not appeared in public since the war began. While he has made written statements, no image, video or voice recording of him has been issued.
He suffered debilitating injuries in the strike that killed his father, his face disfigured and limbs badly wounded.
Senior sources in Tehran have said he is recovering but that he has not yet been well enough to manage public appearances. State security services are also trying to limit his exposure in case of more U.S. attacks.
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed with the backing of the IRGC, who are now seen as the dominant force in Iranian political and strategic thinking.
Mediators urge calm after second day of strikes
09:20 , James Reynolds
Iranian armed forces launched attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday following US strikes on Iran's southern coastal and eastern provinces, further eroding a three-week-old ceasefire.
Iranian media later reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including Bushehr, where one of the country's nuclear plants is located, along with Konarak, Choghadak and Bandar Abbas.
But late on Thursday, a US official said there had been no American strikes in recent hours.
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Oman also stressed the need to avoid further military escalation in separate calls with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi.
In a call with the army chief of Pakistan, which has also mediated in the conflict, Araqchi condemned what he called U.S. "warmongering policies".
Ship tracking data showed on Friday that more LNG tankers have resumed transiting the Strait of Hormuz in recent days despite the renewed fighting. 22 Japan-linked vessels have left the Gulf since Tuesday.
Burnham signals tougher policy on Israel over Gaza
08:51 , James Reynolds
Andy Burnham has signalled a new era for Labour by indicating that he will oversee a tougher policy on Israel in support of Gaza under his leadership, heralding a marked shift in the party’s approach to the Middle East conflict.
The prime-minister-in-waiting issued a video on social media in which he dramatically apologised for Labour’s response to the conflict in Gaza, and admitted that the government had been too slow in calling for a ceasefire.
In the video, he said: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right – and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”
Burnham signals tougher policy on Israel over Gaza
Strait of Hormuz traffic plummets after renewed strikes
08:20 , James Reynolds
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz waterway has plummeted following clashes between Iran and the US, according to a UK-based maritime data firm.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported transit by traceable vessels through the US co-ordinated sea lane off Oman “effectively grinding to a halt” in response to the latest violent confrontation.
Donald Trump warned Tehran the attacks could “get much worse” after the American military carried out a second wave of strikes late on Wednesday, hitting around 90 targets aimed at degrading Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” through the narrow Gulf channel.
Read the full story:
Strait of Hormuz traffic plummets after renewed strikes, says UK monitor
Recap: Trump strikes Iran railway bridges on route to Khamenei’s funeral as ceasefire unravels
07:50 , James Reynolds
Iran accused the US on Thursday of striking railway bridges en route to the holy city where the slain supreme leader was buried as a fragile truce between the two countries unravelled.
Huge crowds gathered as the former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried at a shrine in Mashhad, northeast Iran, the culmination of a week of mass funeral processions and rallies. Khamenei was killed in a US/Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war on 28 February.
His burial came as Iran and the US traded strikes for a second day on Wednesday, after US president Donald Trump declared an interim peace deal agreed between the two sides as “over”.
The US military launched its most significant attacks on the country in a month on Wednesday in response to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Trump strikes railway bridges on route to Khamenei’s funeral as ceasefire unravels
In full: Israel shared intelligence of new Iranian plot to kill Trump with US officials, report says
07:19 , James Reynolds
Israel reportedly recently shared intelligence with the U.S. about potential plans by Iran to kill President Donald Trump.
The news about the alleged plot, reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with both sides trading strikes in recent days.
When asked by The Independent about the alleged intelligence tip, the White House pointed to President Trump’s comments yesterday claiming that he was under threat from Iran.
“They want to take out the U.S. leader — me,” Trump said. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.”
Read the full story:
Israel shared intelligence of potential Iranian plot to kill Trump with US: report
Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral attended by 43 million people - report
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
About 43 million people attended the funeral of slain Iranian former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, according to state media.
Official estimates, compiled from multiple independent field and government sources, confirm that between 41 and 43 million people took part in the historic events spanning six days and five cities, Iran’s Press TV reported.
It called Khamenei's funeral “the largest procession the world has ever witnessed”.
Israeli culture minister vows to defund 'anti-Israel movies'
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli culture minister Miki Zohar vowed to redirect public funding away from films he says “blacken” Israeli soldiers.
Zohar shared a video that opens with a director and an assistant, both wearing keffiyehs, filming scenes depicting Israeli soldiers and West Bank settlers abusing a young Palestinian child by popping his pink balloon and harming other Palestinian civilians.
As they film each scene, the pair repeatedly withdraws stacks of shekels from an ATM. Zohar then appears, stops the assistant from taking more money, and says, "Cut."
Zohar can be seen saying: "For years, the formula was simple. Defame Israel, and get a check from the government—no more.
"The cinema reforms that I initiated take our money away from movies that Israel haters love, [and give it] to movies that we, Israelis, love. The era of defaming IDF soldiers at the taxpayers’ expense has ended. Not on my watch," he added.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 73,110 people, including children, in Gaza in the past two years, according to the health ministry of the Gaza Strip. Israel's strikes followed the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack from the Strip that killed 1,200 people, primarily civilians.
Netanyahu says Iranian axis 'weaker than ever before'
06:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran has been weakened by the two previous military campaigns launched by Israel.
However, he acknowledged that the conflict was not yet over."The Iranian axis is weaker than ever before, while Israel is stronger than ever before," he said.
"We proved that the long arm of the Israeli Air Force can reach anywhere, from Yemen to Iran. Yet we must also acknowledge that the campaign is not over."
Slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei's funeral concludes in Mashhad
05:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel shared intelligence of new Iranian plot to kill Trump with US officials, report says
05:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel reportedly recently shared intelligence with the U.S. about potential plans by Iran to kill President Donald Trump.
The news about the alleged plot, reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with both sides trading strikes in recent days.
When asked by The Independent about the alleged intelligence tip, the White House pointed to President Trump’s comments yesterday claiming that he was under threat from Iran.
“They want to take out the U.S. leader — me,” Trump said. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.”
More here.
Israel shared intelligence of potential Iranian plot to kill Trump with US: report
Trump views Iran's attack on tanker as an act of terrorism
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump has said he viewed Iran's airstrike on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as acts of terrorism, CBS News reported.
A US official told the broadcaster that the 60-day ceasefire signed last month between the US and Iran was performance-based, and that Iran's actions in the tanker strikes amounted to "failed performance at an unacceptable level".
The official said technical talks between the two sides were continuing, despite Trump saying that, as far as he was concerned, the ceasefire was over.
Traffic comes to a halt at Strait of Hormuz
04:46 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near standstill after the US carried out a second day of strikes on Iran, raising fresh doubts about the fragile truce between the two sides.
Just two tankers had so far sailed through the strait in the early hours of yesterday, while the US-supported Omani corridor was empty of observable traffic.
They included the crude supertanker Berg 1, which had loaded at Iran's Kharg Island and is subject to US sanctions, according to analysis from Kpler.
The Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker Well Sail, also transited the strait, Kpler analysis showed. Its previous loading destination was near Sharjah in the UAE, according to LSEG ship tracking data.
Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all of the ships crossing.
"Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right now than any statement from Washington or Tehran," Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, wrote in a report.
The renewed hostilities, which have driven up oil and fuel prices in recent days, have raised doubts about whether traffic through the vital energy corridor will return to normal.
Israel threatens to strike Iran with 'greater force'
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran and vowed to strike Tehran with "even greater force".
"The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of fighting, to regain air superiority and strike again... in Iran, to eliminate threats, including a third time if necessary," Katz said yesterday at a military ceremony.
"If we have to go back, we will go back, with even greater force," he added.
Mahmoud Abbas condemns Iran's attack on Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain
04:25 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The office of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, has condemned Iran’s attacks on Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.
His office expressed solidarity with Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, adding that Palestine supported any measures the countries took to maintain their sovereignty.
Oil edges lower at $76 a barrel but heads for weekly gain
04:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices fell in early trading this morning but remained on track for weekly gains as the US and Iran continued trading strikes.
Concerns that accelerating inflation could soften oil demand weighed on the market and pressured prices.
Brent futures fell 6 cents, or 0.08 per cent, to $76.24 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude lost 4 cents, or 0.06 per cent, to $72.04.For the week, Brent was set for a 6 per cent gain and WTI was headed for a 5 per cent increase.
ICYMI: Iran's slain supreme leader laid to rest
03:45 , Rachel Dobkin
Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been laid to rest.
Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes at the start of the war. Khamenei’s son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him.
Iran held a dayslong funeral for the late supreme leader, which included processions in Iraq.
“In the early hours of Friday, July 10, 2026, the pure body of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei (may Allah sanctify his pure soul), was laid to rest in the luminous shrine of Imam Reza (pbuh)”, a post on Khamenei’s X account read.
Inside the tense Oval Office meeting where a furious Trump decided his deal with Iran was ‘over’
03:29 , Harriette Boucher
US reporter Brendan Rascius writes:
During a Monday Oval Office meeting, a furious Trump decided he had enough and determined the ceasefire with Iran was finished, according to a new report.
Shortly before Trump departed for a NATO summit in Turkey, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined him in the West Wing. They informed him that Iran had fired on three ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz within a span of a few hours.
Outraged, Trump asked his top advisers whether Tehran was negotiating in good faith toward a final deal to end the war, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. “In the end, after discussing it with his senior aides, the president decided they weren’t,” the outlet reported.
The response was swift. Trump ordered a barrage of strikes against Iran over the next two days, reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil sales and threatened to reimpose a U.S. blockade in the strait. On Wednesday, any ambiguity surrounding the ceasefire was dispensed with when the president said: “To me, I think it’s over.” Dealing with the Iranians, in his telling, was “a waste of time.”
Trump’s actions and statements this week have marked a sharp break from last month, when he signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran, which he hailed as a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of peace. The agreement brought an end to the conflict that started on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Trump has long said the war was to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
Read more:
Inside the Oval Office meeting where Trump decided his deal with Iran was ‘over’
Trump says he's 'number one' on Iran's target list
02:58 , Harriette Boucher
Full story: Israel shared intelligence of new Iranian plot to kill Trump with US officials, report says
02:36 , Josh Marcus
Israel reportedly shared intelligence with the US about potential plans by Iran to kill President Donald Trump.
The warning about the alleged plot, reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, comes amid growing tension between the U.S. and Israel over what the next phase of the Iran war and peace process should look like.
The Independent has contacted Iran’s mission to the United Nations and the Israeli embassy in Washington for comment.
When asked about the alleged intelligence tip, the White House pointed to President Trump’s comments yesterday, claiming that he was under threat from Iran.
“They want to take out the U.S. leader — me”, Trump said. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people. And we have to root out that cancer. That cancer. You know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel”.
In pictures: Mourners pack the streets for funeral of slain supreme leader
02:04 , Harriette Boucher
Over 30 ships transit the Strait of Hormuz: tracker
01:38 , Rachel Dobkin
A total of 31 ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, despite hostilities resuming in the region, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.
