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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar and Maira Butt

Iran-US war latest: Trump wants Tehran to ‘pay the price’ for killing US soldiers after 10-day ceasefire proposal

President Donald Trump has warned that Tehran will “pay” for killing US soldiers as American forces launched a 10th consecutive night of attacks.

Nearly 100 US service members have suffered injuries since 7 July the Pentagon said, adding that most of the injuries were minor. At least 17 service members have been killed since fighting broke out on 28 February, with over 400 people injured overall.

It follows reports that Iran initiated a 10-day ceasefire proposal, two sources familiar with the matter told the Jerusalem Post. According to them, the purpose of the halt in fighting would be to find a solution to the Strait of Hormuz disagreement that led to the collapse of the original memorandum of understanding.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted data infrastructure belonging to Amazon in Bahrain, according to a statements published by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency on Tuesday. There has been no official confirmation from Bahrain.

“[Trump] should know that, by God's grace, even if this war lasts for several years, until the very last day, our missiles and drones will rain down on American criminals,” Iran said in a statement on Monday.

Key Points

Iran attacked Kuwaiti power and water desalination plants on Monday, ministry says

13:45 , Maira Butt

Iran attacked several Kuwaiti power generation and water desalination plants on Monday for the fourth consecutive day, causing fires at a number of facilities, Kuwait's ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said on Tuesday.

Fires were extinguished, damage was being assessed and repairs were ongoing, the ministry added.

Israel has 'no interest' in joining war with Iran

13:12 , Maira Butt

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that Israel has “no interest” in joining the US war with Iran.

The countries had conducted the initial strikes that led to the outbreak of the conflict on 28 February, together, with early reports suggesting that President Donald Trump had been persuaded by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to carry out the campaign. Trump has consistently denied the claims.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that Israel has “no interest” in joining the ongoing confrontation between the US and Iran, in comments made at a conference organised by the Gush Katif Heritage Center.

"Right now, the State of Israel has no interest in joining the campaign," he said. According to him, "The current situation is good for us and we have no interest in pushing ourselves into it. We are prepared for any scenario."

Israeli troops withdrew from parts of southern Lebanon with the Lebanese army deployed in the areas instead.

Netanyahu’s minister of finance Bezalel Smotrich, left, may be targeted by Lord Cameron’s sanctions (AFP/Getty)
Netanyahu’s minister of finance Bezalel Smotrich, left, may be targeted by Lord Cameron’s sanctions (AFP/Getty)

'Interaction' with supreme leader increasing daily, says Iranian president Pezeshkian

12:40 , Maira Butt

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has said that “interaction” with supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is increasing on a day-to-day basis.

Khamenei, the eldest son of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has not been seen in public since US-Israeli attacks left him reportedly injured in the same attack that killed several of his family members.

A woman holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran, as mourners gather during funeral ceremonies in Karbala, Iraq, July 8, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran, as mourners gather during funeral ceremonies in Karbala, Iraq, July 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Iran begins talks with Pakistani mediators

12:32 , Maira Butt

On Tuesday, Iran’s interior minister Eskandar Momeni, began talks with Pakistani mediators, two officials told the Associated Press.

Momeni is expected to meet with Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and later with prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

US strikes Iran for 10th consecutive night as Tehran strikes tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

12:15 , Maira Butt

Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, while the United States conducted yet another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic as they struggle over control of the key waterway.

The 10 consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes haven’t compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait, through which about a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime.

Even as the U.S. and Iran inch closer to all-out war again, Iran’s interior minister traveled to Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, for talks. However, it remains unclear just what new deal could be reached to end the fighting.

US strikes Iran for 10th consecutive night as Tehran strikes tanker

Full story: Iran will pay for killing US troops ‘many times over’, warns Donald Trump

11:45 , Maira Butt

Iran will pay for the killing of US troops “many times over”, Donald Trump has said following the deaths of three service personnel in recent days.

The president issued the warning after the American military launched a further wave of strikes, sparking retaliatory attacks by Tehran.

The ongoing clashes and the collapse of the interim ceasefire deal have fuelled fears of a return to a full-blown conflict.

Iran will pay for killing US troops ‘many times over’, warns Donald Trump

Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump at White House, hoping to generate pressure on Israel

11:30 , Maira Butt

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to present a plan on how to disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Aoun, who served as the commander of Lebanon's US-backed army before being elected president last year, is the first Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years to visit the White House, where he will meet Trump face-to-face for the first time.

The meeting comes at a crucial moment for Lebanon: Israeli troops are occupying a swathe of the country's south, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese remain displaced following Israeli strikes and Hezbollah has firmly rejected the government's direct talks with Israel - and efforts by the state to strip it of its arms.

Aoun arrived in Washington at the weekend and met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, telling him that Israel should begin withdrawing from southern Lebanon in line with a US-brokered June 26 agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

President Joseph Aoun will meet Trump in the US (Reuters)
President Joseph Aoun will meet Trump in the US (Reuters)

In pictures: Lebanese army deploys in southern Lebanon after Israeli withdrawal

11:15 , Maira Butt

Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. (Reuters)
A Lebanese army armored vehicle enters the southern Lebanese village of Zawtar on July 21, 2026. The Lebanese army announced on July 21 that it had begun deploying to an area in the south, one of three
A Lebanese army armored vehicle enters the southern Lebanese village of Zawtar on July 21, 2026. The Lebanese army announced on July 21 that it had begun deploying to an area in the south, one of three

Lebanese army deploys in southern town after Israeli withdrawal, official says

10:45 , Maira Butt

Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a US-brokered plan.

The plan sees Lebanese army troops confiscating Hezbollah’s weapons in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military said on Monday that the plan, dubbed the pilot zone programme, has begun. It had no immediate comment on Tuesday.

Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. (Reuters)
Lebanese army troops deploy at the entrance of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan, Lebanon, July 21, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. (Reuters)

Yemen’s Houthis declare naval blockade against Saudi Arabia amid Strait of Hormuz fighting

10:15 , Maira Butt

Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, have declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on Monday, a move that would mark a major escalation in conflict in the region and further disrupt global energy supplies beyond the Gulf.

In a statement, the Iran-aligned armed group said that they were declaring “a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye', effective immediately”.

They said the decision was in response to what they described as “an unjust and oppressive siege” imposed on Yemen by the Saudis.

The blockade would apply to the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea, a lifeline for Saudi Arabia with the Strait of Hormuz blocked on the other side by fighting between the US and Iran.

Yemen’s Houthis declare naval blockade against Saudi Arabia amid Hormuz fighting

US strikes unlikely to change Iranian position, say intelligence reports

09:45 , Maira Butt

New US intelligence reports suggest that a new round of US strikes on facilities is unlikely to influence Iran’s position, both current and former US officials told The Washington Post.

The spy agencies have concluded that Tehran and Washington are stuck in a limbo between war and peace.

The findings have been briefed to President Donald Trump’s administration, according to the reports.

Reza Pahlavi says he received DMs from IRGC members wanting to 'break away'

09:15 , Maira Butt

In an interview with DRM News, Reza Pahlavi has said that he receives social media messages from members of the Iranian establishment that are hoping to break away from it.

“I began receiving some DMs in my social media by elements that say, you know, ‘I'm a basij in Mashhad,’ or ‘I'm a member of the IRGC in such and such country. We hate this regime. We're not with them. We're looking for an opportunity to break away’,” he said.

“It's not that I'm in fact talking to the IRGC command — not at all. But there were elements of the Sepah, of course the military as well, that would communicate with me discreetly.”

Son of Iran's last shah, opposition figure Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks to the press as he takes part in a roundtable discussion regarding the situation in Iran at the Dutch parliament in The Hague on July 6, 2026. (AFP/Getty)
Son of Iran's last shah, opposition figure Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks to the press as he takes part in a roundtable discussion regarding the situation in Iran at the Dutch parliament in The Hague on July 6, 2026. (AFP/Getty)

Pentagon withheld information on dozens of US military injuries in Iran war: report

08:45 , Maira Butt

The Pentagon withheld information on dozens of military injuries suffered by US forces during the war in Iran, according to a report.

At least two service members were killed and one missing after Iranian attacks on the Muwaffaq Salti US Air Base in Jordan on Friday.

They were identified on Monday as 25-year-old 1st Lt Tyler James Feehan from Ewa Beach, Hawaii and 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales from Carrolton, Texas.

But in the week leading up to the incident, Iran carried out three other attacks against the US in Jordan that injured dozens of service members and damaged several helicopters, US officials told the New York Times.

The Pentagon did not disclose the attacks nor release details of the casualties and damage inflicted.

Pentagon did not disclose dozens of US military injuries in Iran war: report

Oil prices remain close to one-month high as Yemen announces Red Sea blockade

08:13 , Maira Butt

Oil prices held close to a one-month high on Tuesday despite efforts to broker a truce between the US and Iran as the widening conflict and a new threat to Red Sea shipping kept supply fears alive.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, slipped 0.4 per cent to $88.87 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate held steady at $82.47. Both remained near the highs reached the day before, when Brent broke above $90 for the first time in more than a month.

The slight retreat came after reports of a mediation effort to pause the fighting between US and Iran. Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire, an effort to salvage an interim deal signed on 17 June to end the US-Israeli war on Iran that started on 28 February, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

Oil prices remain close to one-month high as Yemen announces Red Sea blockade

Iran's Guard target Amazon infrastructure in Bahrain

07:06 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Iran's Revolutionary Guard have claimed to have targeted US retail giant Amazon's infrastructure in Bahrain.

The Guard have also launched attacks on US bases in Jordan and Kuwait.

Iran claims strikes on US bases in Jordan

06:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Iran's Revolutionary Guard this morning claimed it launched an attack on US military bases in Jordan.

The Guard claimed it destroyed a missile defence radar system and an F-15 aircraft inside a shelter during the attack.

Pentagon chief says 100 US troopers injured in attack

06:26 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson said nearly 100 US service members have been injured since the US restarted strikes on 7 July, and 96 per cent of them have returned to duty.

“The vast majority of injuries experienced were minor concussions,” Sean Parnell posted on X in response to a New York Times report that the Pentagon has withheld information about troop injuries from Iranian strikes. He denied that the Pentagon was hiding data about injuries.

However, the Defense Casualty Analysis System, the military’s clearinghouse for reporting deaths and injuries in conflict, has not been updated as of last night with the latest attacks.

Yemen’s Houthis declare fresh naval blockade in the Middle East

06:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, have declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, a move that would mark a major escalation in conflict in the region and further disrupt global energy supplies beyond the Gulf.

In a statement, the Iran-aligned armed group said that they were declaring “a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye', effective immediately”.

They said the decision was in response to what they described as “an unjust and oppressive siege” imposed on Yemen by the Saudis.

More here.

Yemen’s Houthis declare naval blockade against Saudi Arabia amid Hormuz fighting

Israeli strikes kill five in Gaza

06:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At least five Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.

A man and his daughter were killed when an Israeli drone struck the Al-Yaman Al-Saeed shelter for displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Anadolu reported.

Three others were earlier killed when another Israeli drone struck a vehicle belonging to the Desert Sands Insurance Company near the British Field Hospital in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, according to reports.

Explosions heard in western Iranian city

05:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Several explosions were heard during the early hours of the day in the western Iranian city of Abdanan, governor Behzad Nourmohammadi said.

“Fortunately, this incident did not result in any casualties, and the responsible agencies are investigating the dimensions of the issue,” he said.

Oil prices remain close to one-month high as Yemen announces Red Sea blockade

05:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Oil prices held close to a one-month high on Tuesday despite efforts to broker a truce between the US and Iran as the widening conflict and a new threat to Red Sea shipping kept supply fears alive.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, slipped 0.4 per cent to $88.87 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate held steady at $82.47. Both remained near the highs reached the day before, when Brent broke above $90 for the first time in more than a month.

The slight retreat came after reports of a mediation effort to pause the fighting between US and Iran. Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire, an effort to salvage an interim deal signed on 17 June to end the US-Israeli war on Iran that started on 28 February, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

More here.

Oil prices remain close to one-month high as Yemen announces Red Sea blockade

Watch: Iran launches multiple drone attacks on US bases in Kuwait

05:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

US completes its 10th consecutive night of attacks on Iran

04:48 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US military late last night said it finished its latest round of strikes on Iran, saying it hit Iranian military command ⁠centers, missile and drone launch sites, maritime capabilities and air defense systems.

The latest round of US strikes ⁠on Iran lasted about ​five hours, ⁠according to the US military, marking 10 consecutive nights of American strikes on Iran. Washington said ⁠it is attempting to "degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial ​vessels flowing through the Strait of ‌Hormuz".

The strikes come as US president Donald Trump vowed revenge against Iran after the deadly weekend for US troops.

Iran's army says it targeted US bases in Kuwait

04:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The Iranian army this morning claimed they have targeted three major US military installations in Kuwait using “kamikaze drones”.

The army claimed it struck administrative buildings and antennas at Camp Arifjan, a helicopter parking area at Camp Al-Adiri, and troop housing facilities at the Ahmed Al-Jaber base, according to Tasnim news agency.

“Security in the region has been disrupted following the mischief of US terrorist forces, and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are attempting to restore security and calm to the region in their battle against the US,” the army added.

Oil prices dip as mediation efforts offset US-Iran strikes

04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Oil prices eased this morning as markets weighed ​reports of mediation efforts between the US and Iran against an exchange of ‌fresh attacks between the two and threats of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis.

Brent crude futures eased 35 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $88.87 per barrel, while US West Texas ​Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.47 a barrel.

Both contracts were ​trading below their highest levels in more than a month hit in ⁠the previous session.

Crew abandons ship as tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz

04:11 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A tanker ​in the Strait of Hormuz reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and board a lifeboat, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said this morning.

UKMTO said it had received multiple reports that a tanker had broadcast over VHF Channel 16 that it had been hit by an unknown projectile. The incident was reported eight nautical miles east of Oman's Limah and ⁠authorities were investigating.

UKMTO said the tanker's company ​security ⁠officer had reported that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were aboard a lifeboat and no environmental impact had been ⁠reported.

Separately, Iran's Revolutionary ​Guard said this morning that two ‌oil tankers had caught fire after explosions while attempting to transit the southern route of the strait.

The Guard said rescue teams were removing ‌the crews from the area but did not ‌identify the vessels.

Diplomatic efforts made to restore ceasefire

04:00 , Holly Evans

A senior Iranian official ‌said on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire in efforts to salvage the ‌interim deal, intended to pave the way to a lasting agreement to end the war that began on 28 February with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Neither the ministry nor the official who spoke to Reuters gave any details on the putative ceasefire discussions.

Two Pakistani government sources said separately that Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had asked Pakistan to resume its mediation role in the conflict. He later arrived in Islamabad for further talks.

The diplomatic push followed another night of US strikes on Iranian cities and attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on US military assets across the region. ⁠U.S. Central Command said Monday afternoon US time that it had begun another round of strikes on Iran.

President Donald Trump, under mounting political pressure at home over rising gasoline prices since the war began and Iran effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, defended the latest strikes on Iran as honouring the deaths of American service members killed in recent Iranian attacks.

Donald Trump is under mounting political pressure over rising gasoline prices (AFP/Getty)
Donald Trump is under mounting political pressure over rising gasoline prices (AFP/Getty)

Iran war is America's leader popular since polls began

03:00 , Alex Croft

Net approval for Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran is now as low as -30 per cent among Americans, according to recent polling.

Among Democrats, approval of the conflict now sits at -84%. Independents sit at -52%, while MAGA Republicans buck the trend with +72%, per The Economist.

More than half only approve “somewhat” of the handling of the war, while non-MAGA Republicans have turned from supporting the war on balance (+26% in April to -25% now), per Washington Post/Ipsos.

Recap: Pentagon withheld dozens of US military injuries during Iran war - report

02:00 , Alex Croft

Dozens of US service members were injured in a fresh Iranian attack on Friday, several US officials have said, despite no announcement from the Pentagon.

The attacks injured US forces and damaged helicopters, they told the New York Times on condition of anonymity.

Those strikes were not disclosed by the Pentagon, however, which an official said is not required to release information about injured service members.

The NYT cast the revelation as the latest example of friction between the Pentagon’s insistence on security versus the government’s obligation to be transparent with the public about its war conduct.

Is it safe to travel to Jordan? Latest advice

01:02 , Alex Croft

Travel advice has been updated for Jordan after missiles were intercepted in the vicinity of Aqaba’s airport and seaport.

The UK government is currently advising against all but essential travel to that area.

Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait have reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles as attacks across the region have intensified.

At least two US service members were killed in action in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

In full:

Is it safe to travel to Jordan? Latest advice amid Iran-US war

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