Baghdad Opens Probe Into Saudi Claim Of Drone Attack From Iraqi Territory
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered an investigation into Saudi Arabia's claim that drones targeting the kingdom had been launched by pro-Iran groups from Iraqi territory, his spokesman said on July 27.
Zaidi directed "the competent security authorities to investigate the statement issued by the ministry of defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the targeting of the kingdom with drones launched from Iraqi territory," Sabah al-Numan said in a statement.
Earlier on July 27, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed several drones targeting oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province and the capital, Riyadh.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the attacks were carried out by "Iran-backed terrorist militias" operating from Iraq. He added that Saudi Arabia reserved the right to respond "at the appropriate time and place."
Saudi authorities gave no immediate details on damage or casualties, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged attacks and urged Iraq to prevent its territory from being used to launch attacks against the kingdom.
In a separate development on July 27, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had launched drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.
The Houthis said they had launched the attacks in response to what they described as incursions by Saudi drones.
Spokesman Yahya Saree said "a number of sensitive targets and points involved in the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu were struck using several drones."
Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the Houthi claim.
The Houthis had earlier claimed to have downed a Saudi drone over northwest Yemen and fired a missile at the southern Saudi city of Jizan over the weekend.
With reporting by AFP. This blog entry has been updated.
Iran Rejects Omani Proposal, Claims Strait Of Hormuz Won't Return To Pre-War State
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said Tehran has rejected Oman's proposal to equally divide the passage routes between the two countries in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that has become the focal point of the war with the United States.
In an interview to Iran's state television on July 28, Kazem Gharibabadi said the Omani proposal saw designating a route that would be 50 percent controlled by Iran and 50 percent by Oman, which lies on the other southern bank of the strait.
“We said this does not address Iran’s concerns.” Gharibabadi said, adding Tehran has “no plans to negotiate with the US” over the issue.
He added that the Strait of Hormuz "will never return to its pre-war state," and that if it does, Iran's "success" in the war would be "incomplete."
Earlier, Reuters cited an informed source who said Oman had submitted a proposal to Iran to establish a joint regional mechanism with voluntary payment of tolls or transit fees to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war accounted for about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas transit.
According to the source, Oman's proposal is supported by countries in the region.
Gharibabadi said Tehran was proposing that it would manage shipping through its side of the strait while Muscat would manage part, but not all, of the its side of the waterway. Oman has not confirmed such a proposal was made.
US Senate Set To Extend Iran Sanctions In Revised Russia Bill Named After Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON -- The US Senate is set to extend a cornerstone of US sanctions on Iran by adding a renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to a broader bipartisan Russia sanctions package expected to receive its first procedural vote on July 28.
According to the revised draft reviewed by RFE/RL, the legislation would rename the measure the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" and include Section 201, "Extension of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996," preserving a key pillar of the US sanctions framework against Tehran while honoring the late senator in the process.
The addition came after President Donald Trump pushed to include the Iran sanctions extension in the Russia package.
Supporters say the change helped secure broader Republican support without significantly altering the bill's overall framework.
"It helps the bill become law to add Iran into the package. I don't think it's an obstacle. I think it enhances the prospects, particularly with Republicans, and I have no objection to the addition," Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse told RFE/RL hours before the vote.
In a joint statement, the bill's sponsors said the legislation would both target purchasers of Russian oil and gas and "continue restricting the Iranian regime's ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear program."
Graham, who was one of the Republican conferences most outspoken Ukraine allies, had been negotiating tirelessly to negotiate the package with the White House, before he died on July 11 at the age of 71 from a heart condition.
CENTCOM Announces Joint AI Working Group With UAE
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it has reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to form the first bilateral working group aimed at accelerating the development of artificial intelligence applications in the military.
CENTCOM announced on July 28 that the task force, called the Talon Synapse Task Force, will begin its activities in Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks and will include about 20 American and Emirati experts in the fields of artificial intelligence, data, and cybersecurity.
The task force will focus on developing AI applications for intelligence support, critical infrastructure protection, and regional security situation monitoring, according to CENTCOM. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, described the collaboration as a "historic milestone" in expanding military cooperation between the two countries.
The UAE has repeatedly come under Iranian missile and drone attack during the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Trump Tells Fox News There Have Been 'Good' Talks With Iran
US President Donald Trump told Fox News in an interview on July 28 that there have been some "good" talks with Iran, but warned that if Tehran won't make a deal the United States may have to target civilian infrastructure in a new wave of strikes.
Speaking hours before a scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the United States has a "very strong position right now," though he'd like to avoid bombing Iran further.
"We cannot have them break deals anymore.... We have had some very good talks," he said.
The US president said he was aware of reports of satellite images that appear to show Iran is accelerating work at a secretive nuclear-related site deep beneath Kuh-e Kolang mountain, known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Intelligence agencies suspect this is where Iran is seeking to build a secret uranium enrichment facility.
"I know exactly what's going on at Pickaxe. It's not a big problem. We took out their nuclear sites, and we'll have to take out Pickaxe if we don't make a deal. We don't make a deal, we'll take it out very easily," Trump said.
Ukraine Hits At Iran In The Caspian Sea. And Things Get Even Messier.
Iranian-designed drones have wreaked havoc for Ukrainian forces battling Russian troops as Moscow took Tehran's technology and ran with it, supercharging production and deploying drones in devastating droves in its all-out war against Kyiv.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, that makes Iran an indirect combatant. And that means Iranian cargo ships heading to Russia are fair game as far as military targets go.
That's what happened this weekend in the Caspian Sea, and Tehran is not happy.
Moscow's 53-month-old invasion has scrambled politics for Europe. The US-Israeli war with Iran has scrambled politics for the Middle East.
So what do Ukrainian strikes on Iranian cargo -- or Russian ships -- in the Caspian mean for the two wars?
"If the Ukrainians continue doing this, it's going to obviously make it more difficult for both Iran and Russia," said Nicole Grajewski, an Russia-Iran expert with Sciences Po, the famed French university. But, she added, "I don't see this as being a fundamental game changer in the war."
"The Ukrainian strike against an Iranian ship represents a significant shift in tactics and sends a clear message that Ukraine will not tolerate aggression, regardless of where it originates," said Luke Coffey, a Russia expert at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank.
"I suspect these types of operations will make shipping between Russia and Iran across the Caspian increasingly difficult," he said.
To read the full report, click here.
Oil Prices Fall Below $80 a Barrel
Global oil prices have fallen below $80 after US President Donald Trump said Washington was engaged in "very deep talks" with Iran while calm persisted in southern Iran without US strikes for a third straight night.
Early on July 28, the price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by 3.2 percent to $79.98 a barrel.
Brent crude oil fell 3.7 percent to $85.10 a barrel.
Brent crude had briefly topped $100 a barrel earlier in the latest round of US attacks on Iran.
Oil prices had risen by more than 20 percent after the United States resumed strikes on Iran after a framework cease-fire unraveled, with the campaign continuing for 13 consecutive nights.
With reporting by AFP
Bushehr Airport Completely Destroyed In US Attacks, Says Spokesperson
An Iranian government spokesperson said the airport in Bushehr was completely destroyed in recent US attacks and is no longer usable, adding that it "will definitely have to be rebuilt from scratch."
Fatemeh Mohajerani told reporters at her weekly news conference on July 28, that during a visit to the main civilian airport serving the southern port city on the Persian Gulf, she saw "the remains of a newly purchased aircraft" that had been destroyed after a direct missile strike, with only a small section of its tail remaining.
This is the first time an Iranian official has said Bushehr airport was completely destroyed in the attacks on Iran.
During its latest campaign against Iran, the US carried out strikes over 13 consecutive nights against targets in the country's south. Bushehr was among the targets, with various parts of the city reportedly struck by missiles on an almost daily basis.
Mohajerani also claimed that more than 350 government employees were killed during the recent attacks.
Earlier, Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development said that 12 bridges and two tunnels were damaged in the US campaign.
Iranian Demonstrators Protest State Executions In Isfahan
Videos posted on social media appeared to show crowds of protesters gathering in the Iranian city of Isfahan on July 28 to demonstrate as state executions of two men took place. With more executions feared, the videos show groups of people chanting "Without honor!" amid a heavy security presence. Iran has been ramping up the numbers of death sentences carried out. (Video by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Will Tizard)
Oman Proposes Joint Hormuz Management Plan, Iran Would Not Have Sole Control, Gulf Source Says
Oman has proposed a joint regional mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz, modelled on the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, under which users would make voluntary contributions to fund navigation, environmental protection, and search-and-rescue operations, a source in the Persian Gulf source told Reuters on July 27.
The proposal, which has regional backing, would not give Iran sole control of the strategic waterway, the source said.
The initiative comes after the United States suspended air strikes against Iran over the weekend, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution that could restore shipping through the strait, which carried about a fifth of global energy supplies before conflict erupted in the Persian Gulf.
President Donald Trump said on July 26 that the United States was having "good talks" with Tehran and there was a chance of a deal, but warned US strikes would resume if the negotiations failed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi discussed the strait with his Omani and Saudi counterparts on the same day.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said he called for greater regional cooperation to restore stability and security in the crucial waterway.