Iraq Bolsters Defenses Following US-Saudi Strikes On Iran-Allied Fighters
Iraq has said it will bolster its air defenses and intelligence activities after US-Saudi forces struck pro-Iran militants accused of launching attacks in the region.
Government spokesman Sabah al-Numan said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi "issued strict and immediate orders...to raise alertness and readiness to the maximum across all camps and bases, particularly at the official bases of the armed forces and the Hashed al-Shaabi."
On July 29, US-Saudi air strikes targeted bases belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an Iraqi militant alliance that has been integrated into the country's armed forces but also includes powerful pro-Iran groups known for acting independently.
The US-Saudi strikes killed 20 fighters, including five Iranians after Riyadh said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities and blamed Iran-allied groups based in Iraq.
The government in Baghdad has expressed concerns about being pulled into the US-Israeli war with Iran and the wider Middle East conflict, with attacks being reported by both pro-Iran groups and Iranian-Kurdish exile groups in Iraq.
With reporting by AFP
Houthis Deny Plan To Charge Fees For Bab Al-Mandab Strait Passage
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on August 1 denied reports they were planning to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, insisting that passage through the strategic waterway remained free.
The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) said its "safe transit service was a voluntary and cost-free service."
"The HOCC categorically confirms that any individual or entity requesting the payment of money in exchange for transiting the Bab sl-Mandab Strait does not represent the Republic of Yemen or HOCC in any capacity whatsoever," it said in a statement.
"The HOCC urges shipping companies not to make any payments or provide any information to unauthorized individuals or entities," it said.
Reuters on July 29, citing regional sources, reported that the Houthis were considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, after earlier declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia on July 30 said it had established a maritime defense alliance to secure navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait amid attacks on Saudi vessels by the Houthi rebels.
Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry issued a joint statement on behalf of 14 countries, including several US partners -- Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar -- saying that the alliance was "aimed at enhancing maritime security."
Although the Houthis have said they intend to blockade only Saudi Arabia, recent incidents in the Red Sea have raised the risk of a second chokepoint threatening global oil supplies, with threats to the Bab al-Mandab Strait compounding Iran’s continuing efforts to control the key Strait of Hormuz.
The world community has condemned efforts by Tehran to charge tolls or fees for passage of the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered an international waterway and not under the control of any country.
With reporting by Reuters
US, Iran Threaten Vital Infrastructure As Rhetoric Heats Up Again
Tehran threatened to strike US- and Israeli-linked infrastructure sites in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump said American forces would continue to hit Iran “very hard” until the Islamic republic “can’t take it anymore.“
"We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore,'" Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in the state of Maryland.
Meanwhile, Iran's state-run Tasnim news agency early on August 1 cited a senior security official as saying Tehran has prepared a "comprehensive plan" to respond to any "potential American recklessness."
The official Tehran's plan includes striking critical infrastructure of Israel and the US, including energy facilities, in the region, according to Tasnim.
Those comments came after multiple US media outlets, including CBS and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Trump had ordered a fresh air campaign aimed at forcing Tehran to surrender and that it could come as soon as this weekend.
CBS News reported that US and Israeli forces were planning joint strikes on energy-related sites, also as soon as this weekend, and that the targets would likely be oil refineries and power plants.
Trump has often threatened to blast key Iranian infrastructure facilities throughout the war. A week ago, he vowed to destroy a bridge or power plant every time that Tehran fires at ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally transit.
CBS, citing multiple unnamed sources, added that Trump had not yet given the go-ahead for the coordinated US-Israeli strikes. The report comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington to meet with Trump and US defense chief Pete Hegseth.
If the strikes do take place, it would mark Israel’s return to active combat activities for the first time since the initial days of the war, which began on February 28 before an interim deal brought about an often broken cease-fire.
CBS claimed in its reporting that some White House aides voiced strong objections to the plan at the Camp David cabinet meeting.
Even as he threatens further attacks on Iran, Trump has insisted that it is still possible to reach a peace deal with Tehran.
Elsewhere, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on August 1 denied reports they were planning to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, insisting that passage through the strategic waterway remained free.
Reuters on July 29, citing regional sources, reported that the Houthis were considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, after earlier declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia on July 30 said it had established a maritime defense alliance to secure navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait amid attacks on Saudi vessels by the Houthi rebels.
The world community has condemned efforts by Iran to charge tolls or fees for another crucial sea route, the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered an international waterway and not under the control of any country. Traffic has slowed through the strait amid threats of Iranian attacks, although US forces insist the waterway is open.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AFP, Reuters, CBS, and The Wall Street Journal
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
Kuwait Says Air Defenses Engage Iranian Drones As 2 Tanker Incidents Reported Off Oman
Kuwait said on August 1 that its air defenses were engaging Iranian drone attacks, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported two separate maritime incidents involving tankers off the coast of Oman amid heightened tensions in the Gulf.
Kuwait's military said its air defenses were confronting hostile drones following what it described as Iranian aggression. It said explosions heard in the country were caused by air-defense systems intercepting incoming attacks and urged residents to follow official safety instructions.
Separately, UKMTO said a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile about 20 kilometers northeast of Lima, Oman, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel unable to maneuver. No casualties or environmental impact were reported.
Later, UKMTO reported a second incident about 39 kilometers northeast of Khasab, where a tanker crew saw a large splash and an explosion close to the vessel. No damage was reported.
Lima and Khasab are on Oman's Musandam Peninsula at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has faced increased risks in recent weeks as Iran and the US have stepped up hostilities, with some shipowners taking additional precautions.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Iran Military Commander Says Countries Who Aid US 'Will Burn In The Fire Of War'
An Iranian military commander warned on August 1 that countries in the region cooperating with the United States could face the consequences of the escalating conflict.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, urged Muslim countries to reconsider their cooperation with Washington, saying countries that make themselves a “defensive shield” for the United States would “burn in the fire of war,” according to the ISNA news agency.
Abdollahi accused the United States of using regional countries and their infrastructure to support its military operations. His comments came amid escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States and heightened security concerns across the region.
Several regional countries have stepped up efforts to protect maritime traffic as concerns over the security of key shipping routes continue to grow.
US Embassies In Middle East Warn Of 'Potential Unforeseen Escalation'
The US embassies in Jordan, Israel, and Iraq issued a security alert to US citizens in those countries on August 1, warning of the "potential for unforeseen escalation" amid "heightened tensions" in the Middle East.
"Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," read the security alert, which was posted on the embassies' websites.
It warned US citizens in the region to "consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation," adding that "Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region."
The Baghdad embassy additionally advised: "In the event of an attack, seek shelter in a safe location and avoid approaching debris or falling objects."
The alert comes as the United States and Iran have traded strikes, with Iran threatening to target US interests in the region in retaliation for its strikes on Iran.
Prison Hunger Strike Ends After Iran Agrees To Temporary Halt In Drug Executions
A hunger strike by hundreds of death-row prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison has ended after Iranian authorities met with the striking inmates and promised a temporary halt to drug-related executions at the facility, according to the Iran Human Rights organization (IHRNGO).
IHRNGO announced on July 29 that six prisoners sentenced to death in drug-related cases were transferred back from solitary confinement to the prison's general wards following the meeting. The authorities also pledged to suspend executions related to drug offenses at Ghezel Hesar for the time being.
The hunger strike began on July 12 after six death-row prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison, a section that houses around 1,500 prisoners sentenced to death in drug-related cases. The protest became a rare instance of collective action by prisoners facing execution and drew attention from rights groups and international observers.
IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam welcomed the temporary halt, saying it demonstrated that authorities were capable of stopping executions when the political cost of carrying them out increased.
To read the full report, click here.
Iranian Foreign Minister Holds Calls With Turkish, Pakistani, Saudi Officials
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held separate calls with senior Turkish, Pakistani, and Saudi officials, telling them that Tehran would retaliate if Washington follows through on threats by US President Donald Trump to launch new waves of attacks.
Araqchi on August 1 told powerful Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Iran would act decisively to any "aggression" and “destabilizing actions" by US forces.
Later the Iranian diplomat told Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that any attacks by the U.S. and Israel or participation by other Gulf nations in strikes would be met with a “proportionate response.”
At a cabinet meeting on July 31, Trump said he believed US negotiators could still reach a peace deal with Iran.
But ha also warned that he was losing faith in the Iranians, saying that "they break their word so often."
The comments come after US embassies in Jordan, Israel, and Iraq issued a security alert to US citizens in those countries, warning of the "potential for unforeseen escalation" amid "heightened tensions" in the Middle East.
"Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions," read the security alert, which was posted on the embassies' websites.
With reporting by Reuters
Trump Says He Has Decided To 'Cancel' Impending Attack On Iran, Insists Deal Is Close
US President Donald Trump said he has decided to "hold off" on any new attacks on Iran, saying that "the perimeters" of a deal have been agreed to with Tehran and adding that Israel was joining him in the commitment.
"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to," Trump posted on Truth Social late on August 1.
"This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat."
"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," he wrote.
"The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE!" Trump added.
Trump has often threatened major attacks on Iran only to call them off, claiming that an agreement between Washington and Tehran was imminent. Until now, a lasting peace agreement has been elusive, with tit-for-tat strikes by both sides resuming.
Although Trump initially said the elimination of Tehran's nuclear threat was the major aim of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28, in recent weeks he has focused on the free flow of traffic through the important Strait of Hormuz.
More than 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies moved through the strait prewar, but Iran has at times effectively shut down the waterway, including with attacks on ships it said had not received proper approval from Tehran. Iran has also threatened to impose fees or tolls on ships in the strait.
The US and other countries have insisted that the strait is an international waterway and is not under the control of any nation.
The United States and Iran signed a 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 17 aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the strait. However, disputes over the meaning of the terms in the agreement have led to fresh attacks by both sides.
Trump told Axios on July 23 that he was seriously considering “a massive attack” on Iran. But he later backed down from the threat, saying on July 27 that a new round of diplomacy with Iran could produce a breakthrough, although he has always kept open the possibility of further strikes.
Israel, which is conducting a separate war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, has often resisted peace deals suggested by the US administration, saying it would continue its attacks as long as necessary.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.