• Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, says Tehran is preparing to enforce a restricted zone across the Gulf, threatening the US with a full blockade in and around the Strait of Hormuz in response to economic sanctions.
• Qatar says that opening the strait remains the priority, as the world faces an “industrial catastrophe” if the crisis continues.
• US Central Command says its forces have “redirected 94 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded 2” since mid-July, when the US reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports.
• Shipping data from Kpler shows traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell 28 percent last week to 77 vessels.
• International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi urged Iran to re-engage with the UN agency, as the UK, France, Germany and the US sought a resolution to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council.

Iran using Strait of Hormuz to shape post-war conditions

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has urged Iran to re-engage with the nuclear watchdog.

Grossi’s comments come as the US, the UK, France and Germany seek a resolution that could refer Tehran to the UN Security Council for “failing to comply with its nuclear reporting obligations”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, says Tehran will respond if the IAEA adopts a resolution against it.

Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, tells Al Jazeera that Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz to shape post-war conditions as it seeks to restore deterrence and ease economic pressure.

Trump says oil prices will fall sharply after victory over Iran

Trump has claimed that oil prices will fall “precipitously” after a US victory over Iran.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said that pump prices will reach “$3 a gallon” and eventually fall below “$2 a gallon” (3.8 litres).

He said the drop will happen quickly and once again stated that Iran will “never have a Nuclear Weapon”.

US State Department says will take ‘decisive measures’ over Iran’s Hormuz blockade

A US State Department spokesperson has said that Washington is coordinating with regional partners to ensure that Iran’s disruption of navigation does not become an accepted state of affairs.

“We will continue to take decisive measures against Iran’s attempts to blackmail the global economy,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not allow Iran to disrupt navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and hold the global economy hostage.”

Iran says it’s capable of targeting US warships enforcing blockade

Iran’s acting defence minister, Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza, has rejected Washington’s assertions that Tehran lacks the technical capability to hit US warships enforcing the naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Speaking to state broadcaster IRIB, Ibn Reza responds to Washington’s scepticism by stating that Tehran has the necessary technology.

“God willing, you will see; you will see the results,” he said when asked if Iranian forces could strike vessels enforcing the blockade.

US senator slams Trump over Iran war costs, lack of strategy

Democratic Senator Mark Warner has criticised Trump in a video message released on X, arguing that “the Iran war of choice that Donald Trump started cost Americans $100bn” and “every two minutes, it goes up by another $1m.”

Warner said that “if you view this, you know, an hour after I record it, another $30m there, and where are we? Nowhere in terms of any of the goals Trump laid out for this war of choice.”

“This is what happens when you start a war of choice with no plan, no strategy, no allies, and no way to get out,” he added.

“Stand up, speak up, fight back.”

US congressman says Iran war an entirely predictable ‘quagmire’

US Congressman Jason Crow says the war on Iran was entirely foreseeable and that Washington has been drawn into a predictable Middle East quagmire.

“This is the most predictable thing that we could’ve imagined: you get involved in another war in the Middle East, that it would be a quagmire, that our adversaries will try to draw us out. It was as predictable on day one as it is today,” Crow said in the video.

Oil prices climb on mounting Middle East supply fears

Oil prices are continuing their upward trajectory, with Brent crude futures climbing 34 cents, or 0.35 percent, to $97.34 a barrel as of 00:00 GMT.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude went up $1.15, or 1.26 percent, to $92.63 a barrel.

The gains came as risks of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East grew after Iran threatened to retaliate against any new US attacks on its assets, heightening worries over supply disruption, Reuters reported.

Brent rose to its highest level since July 24 in the previous session as traders continued to build a risk premium into prices amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global crude shipments.

Iraq moves to bypass Strait of Hormuz to safeguard oil exports

Baghdad is attempting to shift its oil export routes away from the Strait of Hormuz to protect its primary revenue source from ongoing regional conflicts, according to a senior government official.

Mazhar Muhammad Salih, financial adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the government has moved from simply trying to cushion the impact of the regional crisis to actively managing it.

“The issue of pipelines and finding alternative routes is part of state strategy to move oil policy and marketing away from geopolitical conflicts,” Salih said.

He added that if disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist, Iraq will be forced to rely heavily on neighboring transit regions.

Before the US-Israel war on Iran, Iraq exported about 3.4 million barrels of crude per day, with roughly 80 to 85 percent shipped directly through the Strait of Hormuz. Salih said the government’s primary goal now is to secure those same volumes through alternative channels.

Strait of Hormuz ship traffic drops as regional tensions persist

Shipping data compiled by Kpler and cited by Reuters shows that seven commodity vessels have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, down from eight vessels the previous day.

The latest figures highlight a continued slowdown in maritime traffic through the critical waterway as regional tensions persist.

 

IAEA warns over Iran nuclear access as Western powers push UN referral

France, Germany, the UK and the US are pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report Iran to the UN Security Council, as the nuclear watchdog warns that it remains unable to verify Tehran’s nuclear material more than a year after losing access to key facilities.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told the agency’s Board of Governors on Monday that Tehran had provided no information during the latest reporting period on the status of its declared nuclear material or facilities, and inspectors had been unable to conduct on-site verification.

Qatar PM, Chinese FM discuss Hormuz navigation in Beijing talks

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi have discussed regional developments, including the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in a meeting in Beijing, according to the Foreign Ministry’s statement on X.

The strait, through which a fifth of oil and gas normally passes, has been under Iranian blockade in response to the US war, impacting energy exports from the Gulf countries, including Qatar. Full-scale military hostilities ended in June following the Memorandum of Understanding. But since the MoU expired last month, tensions have risen, with Iran attacking tankers trying to evade the blockade in recent weeks.

Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the country’s foreign minister, affirmed Qatar’s support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring maritime navigation and “paving the way for a comprehensive agreement”.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening bilateral relations in the meeting, which Sheikh Mohammed dubbed “fruitful”, according to the statement on X.

US, EU push to refer Iran to UN unlikely to intimidate Tehran: Analyst

The US and EU push at the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the UN Security Council is unlikely to scare Tehran, Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute, has said.

“Iran is not interested in engaging with the US on the nuclear front until the US starts to engage with Iran,” Schayegh said. “If the Europeans and the US are going to refer Iran to the UN, there is not much Iran can do at this point,” he said, noting that Tehran can count on support from Russia and China. “I don’t think Iran will be particularly afraid.”

On the contrary, Iran appears ready to push the confrontation to a tougher level, declaring that it would no longer limit itself to proportionate retaliation.

According to Schayegh, the Iranian leadership believes that, with the US midterm elections approaching, “they can push the Americans more, as the political cost for the US will become too high and maybe Trump will then cave”.

More importantly, he said, third parties are becoming increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the US.

Iran’s president says Tehran to resist until ‘aggressors are regretful’

Iran will ⁠continue ⁠its resistance with strength until the “aggressors” become regretful and its ⁠rights are defended, President Masoud Pezeshkian ⁠said on Tuesday, pointing to a less conciliatory tone from Tehran.

“The Islamic Republic ‌of Iran has always been against war and has considered the preservation of people’s interests and regional security to ⁠lie in refraining ⁠from conflict. However, just as it has boldly risen to ⁠defend against aggression up ⁠to this day, it ⁠will continue this resistance with strength until aggressors become regretful ‌and will remain guardian of people’s rights,” Pezeshkian posted ‌on ‌X.

US-Israel war on Iran, six months down the line: In numbers

More than six months ago, the United States and Israel launched their first strikes of on Iran, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran and hitting nuclear and military sites around the country.

Those attacks prompted Iran to begin strikes on US military assets and infrastructure in Gulf countries – and for the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, to fire rockets into northern Israel, prompting near-daily Israeli attacks since then and, at one point, the occupation of one-fifth of Lebanon.

Neither side has gained the upper hand since. Iran has used its control of the Strait of Hormuz to squeeze Washington and global energy markets, and the conflict has settled into a deadlock, which months of negotiation have not broken.

The first six months of the war, from the numbers killed and displaced to the shock suffered by the global economy, the key numbers are:

• At least 7,900 people killed, most of them from Iran and Lebanon
• More than 5,500 attacks
• From 100 ships each day transiting the Strait of Hormuz down to just seven now
• At least 18 US security personnel killed.

Iranian FM blames US for regional tension in call with Japanese counterpart

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call with his Japanese counterpart, said the current “tense situation” in the region is due to the US’s “regrettable” violation of the Memorandum of Understanding, Fars news agency reports.

“The solution is simple; the return and adherence of the American side to its commitments and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding will pave the way for a return to normalcy.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reportedly expressed concern about the escalation in the region and emphasized the need for “continued diplomatic consultation and coordination” between countries to establish peace and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar says it is working with China and other partners to resume talks between US and Iran

Qatar ⁠is ⁠working with partners in ⁠the region and around ⁠the world, including China, to resume talks between ‌the United States and Iran, a Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson said ⁠on Tuesday.

Qatar’s Prime ⁠Minister and Minister of Foreign ⁠Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is currently leading a delegation in ‌Beijing.

Guns and ​cannons not the way out, China tells Qatar PM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the importance of dialogue in talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, telling him that the tense situation in the region has severely compromised the security of countries in the region.

He said that the tensions “continues to affect the stability of energy markets, shipping, ‌and supply chains”.

“Pressure through guns and cannons is not the way out. Dialogue and negotiation are the right path,” Wang ⁠said in their meeting in Beijing, according to an official summary released by Wang’s ministry.

He also thanked the efforts Qatar made in mediating the issues and their pursuit of peace. He added that he is willing to maintain communication and coordination with Qatar on international and regional affairs.

Opening of Strait of Hormuz ‘paramount importance’ for everyone in the region: Qatar

The opening of the Strait of Hormuz constitutes paramount importance for us and for everyone in the region, Qatar Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ibrahim Al Hashami said in a briefing.

Lavrov: Saudi Arabia, Russia back compromise solutions to implement the MoU

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a press conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said that they “regret” that the Arab states have been “dragged against their will” into a confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran.

He also said that both Moscow and Riyadh are urging for compromise solutions in order to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.

Tehran says that Washington must to return to the terms of MoU, which expired last month, to resolve the conflict.

How South Korea finds itself trapped in the US war on Iran

Tehran has threatened “serious consequences” for South Korea if it interferes in the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a statement posted on X on Monday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and South Korea had more than 64 years of diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and that Tehran values that friendship.

Baghaei threatened that Iran would regard any military presence or participation in operations by another country in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz “would inevitably be regarded as direct support for the aggressor and would have serious consequences”.

“No sovereign and responsible country should succumb to US pressure and intimidation and become complicit in acts of aggression and horrific crimes against the great Iranian nation,” he added.

Iran says finalized Russia deal to boost trade and ‘increase resilience to sanctions’

Iranian Finance Minister Seyed Ali Madanizadeh says Iran and Russia have reached an agreement that would “create new openings” and “increase Iran’s resilience to sanctions,” Fars news agency reports.

This comes after Madanizadeh said on Sunday during his visit to Moscow that the two countries were finalizing a previously reached economic deal.

He said several contracts had been prepared that will help develop the International North-South Transport Corridor, to enable trade between Iran, Russia and other regional countries, according to Iranian state media.

“With the signing of these contracts, good openings will take place, the results of which will be evident in the country’s exports, imports and production,” Madanizadeh said.

IRGC navy claims to capture US submersible in Hormuz

The IRGC navy says its forces have captured an unmanned US submersible at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC navy said the submersible was “modern” and equipped with cutting-edge technology. It said it would soon release images of the vehicle.

The US has yet to comment on the IRGC navy’s claim.

US official says underwater military drone ‘malfunctioned’ in the Middle East

An underwater drone operated by US forces in the Middle East malfunctioned more than a day ago, a US official has confirmed.

The official said the drone was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment, the official added.

Earlier, the IRGC Navy said it ⁠had captured an unmanned ‌US submersible at the entrance ⁠of the Strait ⁠of Hormuz.

IRGC says capture of US submersible shows Iran’s military prowess

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its capture of a US submersible earlier today proves its military capabilities.

“The early-morning capture of the US military’s most advanced 2025 unmanned submarine shows that no advanced technology can get past our surveillance layers in the Strait of Hormuz,” IRGC spokesperson Sardar Mohebi said in a statement.

“Dominance over the Persian Gulf belongs to our young technologists. Return to the Bay of Pigs,” he said, referring to a failed US-backed invasion of Cuba in 1961.

US sanctions 27 Iranian airlines

The US Treasury has announced new sanctions on 36 entities, including 27 Iranian airlines, for “supporting Iran’s aviation sector”.

In a statement, the US Treasury said Iran’s government uses the aviation sector to “move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo” and that the US was following through on its promise to impose “sever consequences” on entities providing “financial lifelines” to the Iranian government.

“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”

US ‘will not relent’ in economic campaign against Iran, says State Department

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott has said the US will press on with its economic campaign against Iran, after sanctioning 36 entities connected to the Iranian government’s aviation sector, including 27 Iranian airlines.

“The United States will not relent in President Trump’s campaign to shut down the Iranian regime’s financial resources,” said Pigott in a statement.

 

Iran’s Araghchi says US resorting to ‘more sanctions’ after failing to achieve war aims

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has posted a message on social media appearing to dismiss the US’s latest Iran-related sanctions.

“After 47 years of sanctions, the US went to war with Iran on behalf of Israel. The fallout has been disastrous for America, including its standing worldwide,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.

“After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s “novel” solution is … more sanctions. Seriously?” he added.

As we reported earlier today, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation industry, including sanctions against 27 Iranian airlines.

IRGC claims to down drone over Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims its air defenses have “intercepted and destroyed” an MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to an IRGC statement carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB.

The MQ-1 is a US-made remotely piloted drone often used for surveillance and reconnaissance.

The US has not commented on the claim.

Earlier, as we reported, the IRGC navy also claimed to have seized an unmanned US submarine at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.

US ‘underestimating resilience’ of Iranian economy

Mohammad Eslami, a research fellow at the University of Tehran, says the US is underestimating the Iranian economy, which he says is proving resilient despite US sanctions and attacks.

Eslami said Iran is continuing to export oil, petrochemical and mining products via the Strait of Hormuz, breaking the US blockade, and by land.

“The Americans are miscalculating again regarding the Iranian economy. They are dreaming about its collapse, but they are not aware of the level of the resilience,” he said, adding that the economy is decentralized and “very reliant on domestic capacities”.

Iran ‘may escalate’ if US does not return to negotiations

Mohammad Eslami, a research fellow at the University of Tehran, says Iran may soon “escalate” attacks on US assets in the region if Washington does not return to the negotiating table.

“For the Iranians, this battle is a kind of existential threat,” Eslami told Al Jazeera, adding that Iran would not accept intermittent US military attacks coupled with economic pressure.

Iran “wants the Americans to come back to the war, or to come back to the negotiating table”, said Eslami.

Iran’s military warns it will ‘heavily target’ US interests if Iranian ships attacked

A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s joint military ⁠command, has said Iranian forces will “heavily target” US bases and other interests in the region if the US military attacks any Iranian ships.

In a statement carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson said the US military has threatened to target three Iranian oil tankers.

Explosions heard on Iran’s Kharg Island, Iranian media reports

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency has reported several explosions being heard on Iran’s Kharg Island, including from the port area.

Mehr said no official information has been released on the cause or origin of the explosions.

Explosion heard from Iran’s Jask: Iranian media

Iran’s Fars news agency has reported an explosion being heard in the southern Jask area, after reports of earlier explosions heard on Kharg Island.

Qatar urges Iran-US to return to negotiating table, find ‘middle ground’

Sheikha Alanoud Hamad Saud Al Thani, a Nonresident Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, says talks to resolve the US-Iran conflict “have kind of gone awry to put it mildly,” and that the memorandum of understanding signed in June is no longer “standing on its legs,” she said.

She said that Qatar is encouraging both parties to return to the negotiating table.

“Like the Qatari spokesperson said the other day, we don’t want to just reach a temporary solution and then reopen the issue later on. We want to find a middle ground that makes everyone happy as soon as possible and that’s lasting,” she said.

Sheikha Alanoud Hamad Saud Al Thani said Iran’s relationship with its Gulf neighbors, whom it attacked over the past six months, is unclear.

“It’s up to them whether that choice was beneficial or not and it’s up to them in moving forward whether they deem it valuable to have a trusting and positive relationship with their neighbors,” she said.

“We hear one thing from one leader, another thing from someone else. It’s still not clear which policy will come out on top in Iran. Will it be the hawks or will it be the doves? We don’t know,” she said.

Iranian media reports US attack on Iranian tanker off Kharg Island

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that US forces have attacked and struck a small Iranian tanker off Kharg Island.

The agency cites local sources as saying the tanker’s crew are being evacuated and there have been no reported casualties.

IRGC says US attacked Iranian tankers, urges crews in Kuwaiti, Bahraini ports to leave

The IRGC navy has warned it will target oil tankers in the vicinity of Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports in response to recent US attacks on Iranian oil tankers.

In a message carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC navy urged the crew of oil tankers in the vicinity of Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to immediately leave their vessels, whether anchored or docked.

Second tanker attacked, Iranian media reports

Another explosion has been reported on an oil tanker near the Yekbani coast of Jask port, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reports.

It added that the tanker’s crew were safely evacuated in the initial moments after the attack.

US forces targeted Iranian tankers linked to IRGC: Reuters

US forces hit multiple Iranian ⁠tankers tied to the IRGC in response to attempted missile ⁠attacks on ⁠a US Navy warship, ⁠an unnamed US official told the Reuters news agency.

Latest reported US attacks on Iranian tankers increase war’s ‘stress level’

Local media is reporting that the crew of the targeted vessels have been evacuated.

Iran’s IRGC Navy has since issued a warning for all tankers in the vicinity of Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, telling them to evacuate their vessels, whether anchored or not.

Kharg Island is the most crucial point in the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports were handled from that island. It’s the heartland of Iranian oil exports.

This has brought the war to a different stress level.

No casualties in US tanker strikes; Iran promises retaliation

No casualties have been reported so far in the US’s latest strikes on Iranian tankers.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says at least two tankers have been hit. Iran has promised to retaliate for the strikes, threatening US bases in neighboring countries. It also warned crews of oil tankers off the shores of Kuwait and Bahrain to evacuate.

US says it destroyed 5 Iranian tankers in latest strikes

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it has destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship twice over the past two days.

CENTCOM said on X that the warship evaded both attempted attacks and continued patrolling regional waters, with no American personnel harmed.

In response, US forces struck the tankers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and M/T Derya near Kharg Island, CENTCOM said.

Thirty more US troops wounded in Iran war, Pentagon database reports

An additional 30 US troops have been wounded in the war on Iran, according to the Pentagon’s casualty database.

As of Tuesday, 820 US troops have been wounded and 18 killed since the war began.

Missiles intercepted over Jordan’s Irbid

Missiles have been intercepted over Jordan’s border city of Irbid, Syrian state TV reported.

‘Small potatoes’ or endless war: Top US Senate Democrat challenges White House rhetoric

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has shared a montage on X criticizing the Trump administration’s refusal to call the confrontation with Iran a war.

“Donald Trump got us into an endless WAR”, he said.

The montage shows Trump’s public statements describing the war as a “short excursion”, a “little skirmish”, a “military operation”, and, in one clip, “small potatoes”.

“We must end this war immediately,” Schumer said.

Missiles intercepted over Jordan in intense Iranian barrage targeting US base

At least eight Iranian missiles have been intercepted by Jordanian air defenses over Amman and other cities in the kingdom.

Official and semi-official Iranian media outlets are reporting that several Iranian missiles were fired at a US base in Jordan tonight.

Multiple types of missiles have been seen over the Jordanian-Syrian border.

Footage of the missiles suggests this could be the most intense barrage, with the highest number of missiles fired by Iran in response to US attacks in recent days.

IRGC says targeted US forces at Jordan’s Al Azraq base in ‘devastating’ missile strikes

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it launched “devastating” missile strikes at US forces stationed at Al Azraq base in Jordan.

“In this operation, aimed at punishing the aggressor, a significant number of ballistic missiles, both solid and liquid fuel, struck the maintenance, preparation, and deployment sites of F-35, F-16, and F-15 fighter jets, as well as their shelters, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy”, the IRGC said in the statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

South Korea says no troop deployment planned to Strait of Hormuz

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung discussed the Strait of Hormuz with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, but the talks concerned possible contributions to international efforts to ensure security and freedom of navigation, not troop deployment, according to Seoul’s presidential office.

National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said a review of South Korea’s potential role was not linked to any US investment talks, and that Iran had sought explanations over a possible intervention.