Shia Muslims revere Imam Hussein as the Master of Martyrs because he sacrificed everything on the plains of Karbala.
Likewise, we will never forget nor forgive the martyrdom of Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei as the Master of Martyrs of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

— Syed Abbas Araghchi (@SyedAbbasA3t) July 16, 2026

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the attack was "reminiscent of Israel's atrocities against healthcare facilities". He said that the attack caused severe suffering and anxiety to the children who were hospitalised.

Jordan's air defence systems shot down eight Iranian missiles targeting the kingdom early Thursday, a statement issued by the Jordan Armed Forces mentioned.

The interception was carried out in line with approved defensive and operational procedures to safeguard the kingdom's sovereignty, protect its airspace, and ensure the safety of its citizens, it mentioned.

No casualties or material damage were reported. Royal Engineering Corps teams had dealt with missile debris that fell at several locations and secured the sites in accordance with approved technical and security procedures, the statement added. (IANS)

تتصدى حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الكويتية لهجمات طائرات مسيّرة معادية، إثر العدوان الإيراني الاثم.
تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش بأن أصوات الانفجارات، إن سُمعت، فهي نتيجة اعتراض منظومات الدفاع الجوي للهجمات المعادية.
ويرجى من الجميع التقيد بتعليمات الأمن والسلامة الصادرة عن… pic.twitter.com/tzsIg8JzVi

— KUWAIT ARMY - الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) July 16, 2026

Kuwait's military says it faces new round of incoming fire from Iran as it retaliates over US airstrikes. (AP)

The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship the US accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting US allies in the region before dawn and warned its attacks may escalate.

Days of back-and-forth strikes by the US and Iran across the Middle East - and renewed threats to the Strait of Hormuz - have shredded the interim deal to end the Iran war and could tip the region back into all-out war. Already, Iranian officials say US strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others.

Strikes also reached into areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, for the first time in this latest round of violence, showing a widening set of targets for the Americans. (AP)

Shahid Baqaei Hospital, a children's cancer treatment centre in Ahvaz, was evacuated last night after the US attacked a nearby location.
This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the… pic.twitter.com/xv3W7SY2X9

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 16, 2026

The new hoarding shows the US president's body peeking out from an open black coffin. In the picture, his hair is disheveled, and his eyes and mouth are closed, as his hands rest on a red tie atop a protruding stomach.

Iran has said that the Strait of Hormuz was an inviolable "red line", warning that if Donald Trump carried out his threat to attack Iran's infrastructure, it would strike all infrastructure across the Gulf region.

Tehran has warned it would target regional infrastructure if the United States carried out threats to attack Iran's infrastructure, as the war in the Middle East resumed.

The spokesman for Iran's military headquarters said that if the US followed through on its threats, "all infrastructure in the region" would be "crushed under the steel blows" of Iran's armed forces.

Jordan’s military has said it shot down eight missiles launched by Iran targeting the kingdom. The military made the announcement via the kingdom’s state-run Petra news agency.

The United States has intensified its strikes targeting Iran, hitting targets further north. American forces also fired into a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic.

Tehran retaliated early Thursday with missile and drone fire also targeting Bahrain and Kuwait before dawn.

IRGC has claimed it has intercepted and destroyed an "enemy" MQ-9 drone over the southwestern city of Andimeshk.

Oil prices rose for a fourth straight day today after US struck Iranian military installations, raising fears of renewed full-scale conflict and supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures climbed 33 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.28 a barrel by 0026 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 42 cents, or 0.5%, to $80.02 a barrel.

Both benchmarks gained about 0.3% on Wednesday and were hovering near their one-month highs touched on Tuesday.

The US military has said that it has ended a wave of overnight airstrikes that rattled parts of northern Iran for the first time.

"U.S. forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said on X.

Precision munitions were used to hit targets in multiple locations including Bandar Abbas, it added, hours after striking coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave.

https://t.co/8lYsAIspma

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2026

Kuwait said on Thursday it was intercepting Iranian drones, while air raid sirens rang out in Bahrain, following another night of American strikes on Iranian territory.

In a statement on X, the Kuwaiti army said they were "engaging hostile drone attacks following the nefarious Iranian aggression". Bahrain's interior ministry urged citizens and residents to "remain calm and head to the nearest safe place".

A US aircraft fired on and disabled an unladen oil tanker Wednesday as it tried to break the naval blockade of Iran's ports, the US military said.

The aircraft "disabled the vessel after firing Hellfire missiles into the ship's smokestack. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran," US Central Command said in a post on X, identifying the tanker as the Curacao-flagged M/T Belma.

The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday in a bid to curb Tehran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said.

 Iran summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday after London designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the UK's Countering State Threats Act, warning the move would "not go unanswered," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.

The move came a day after Britain summoned Iran's Charge d'Affaires Ali Nasimfar in London over what the UK government said was ​Iran's role in directing proxy groups to carry ‌out attacks across Europe in recent months.

Britain on Monday designated the IRGC and a linked ​group as ​a security ⁠threat under new powers aimed at preventing foreign states from using proxies for activities such as ​surveillance and sabotage.

The US military said it had completed its latest wave of strikes against Iranian targets on Wednesday that "further degraded Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and intensified its airstrike campaign Wednesday in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barracks, killed at least seven troops and wounded more than 260 people across the country, Iranian officials said.

Days of back-and-forth strikes by the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East — and renewed threats to the waterway crucial to global energy supplies — have shredded the interim deal to end the conflict and the region could tip back into all-out war.

The U.S. first imposed a blockade in April and then lifted it last month after signing the interim deal that paused the fighting and set a 60-day period for negotiations over issues like Iran’s nuclear program. Those talks have stalled as fighting over the Strait of Hormuz has intensified.

(AP)

The United States launched a wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, after Washington reimposed a naval blockade in a return to war between the foes.

US forces "began launching a wave of strikes... designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz", CENTCOM said on X.

(AFP)

The United States on Tuesday expanded its sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector, taking further aim at the network of petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the Treasury Department said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department had also frozen $130 million held in digital wallets linked to Iran's central bank, hitting a sector that has seen increased activity since the start of the war.

The move came after US forces carried out a fourth straight day of strikes against Iran and reimposed a naval blockade, with Iran in turn hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Maritime Organization.

Iran started blocking the strait -- a key waterway for energy transit -- after US-Israel attacks in February. Washington imposed an initial blockade on Tehran's ports from mid-April to mid-June.

"This action is part of Treasury's ongoing efforts to ramp up economic pressure on the Iranian regime after it resumed destabilizing attacks in the Strait of Hormuz," the Treasury Department said in a notice Tuesday.

(AFP)

Jordan's army said Wednesday it had shot down three missiles from Iran, as Tehran pressed attacks on US allies in response to American strikes.

"Air defense systems intercepted and shot down three ballistic missiles at dawn on Wednesday after they entered Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory," the army said in a statement, adding that there were no casualties or material damage.

(AFP)

The number of vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz ticked up on Tuesday, with most of them linked to Iranian trade, before a U.S. blockade took effect on Wednesday, shipping data showed.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday reimposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and threatened to hit power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran resumes negotiations, in the latest escalation of the U.S. conflict with Iran.

Nine of the 11 vessels that passed through the strait on Tuesday sailed via the Iranian route, ship-tracking data on Kpler showed.

Of these, three empty oil tankers - one Aframax-sized vessel and two Very Large Crude Carriers - entered the strait, the data showed.

(Reuters)

Iranian state television reported Wednesday that Iran's army and the Revolutionary Guards carried out separate attacks on US targets in Jordan and Kuwait after US forces struck the Islamic republic.

The army said it targeted the Al-Azraq base in Jordan with drones, state TV IRIB reported. Separately, the Guards said they fired cruise missiles at a US military logistics centre at Mina Abdullah in Kuwait, stressing that the Hormuz strait would remain closed "until the United States ends its acts of aggression".

(AFP)

 Both Bahrain and Kuwait came under attack early Wednesday as Iran retaliated over US strikes targeting it and the reimposed blockade.

Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren, while Kuwait's military said its air defenses were firing to shoot down incoming missiles and drones.

Both countries host US military forces and have been repeatedly targeted by Iran as tensions have mounted over the Strait of Hormuz.

(AFP)

The United States on Tuesday expanded its sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector, taking further aim at the network of petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, said the Treasury Department.

The move came after US forces carried out a fourth straight day of strikes against Iran and reimposed a naval blockade, with Iran in turn hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Maritime Organization.

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Tuesday he would expand US strikes on Iran next week to target power plants and bridges if Tehran does not make a deal.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday (local time) said that it had targeted US military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait during the third wave of its "Operation Nasr 2", in retaliation for US strikes on the Islamic Republic earlier in the day.

According to a statement by the IRGC and carried by Iran's state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the operation involved simultaneous missile and drone strikes on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The IRGC stated that its Navy and Aerospace Forces targeted several weapons and equipment storage sheds, as well as parts of US ships and aircraft, at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/epNbgbDaOP

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 14, 2026

The US military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran's attacks on commercial ships on the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war.

The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April and then lifted it in mid-June, a day after the signing of the interim deal aimed at permanently ending the war. The deal set a 60-day timeline to also negotiate an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, but talks have stalled as fighting over the strait has intensified.

Kuwait's military said Tuesday that one of its naval vessels was hit during an Iranian missile and drone barrage, wounding four crew.

"The heinous Iranian aggression resulted in the targeting of a number of vital and civilian facilities, and the fall of shrapnel in several locations across the country, leading to material damage," defence ministry spokesman Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said.

"One of the naval vessels belonging to the Kuwaiti Naval Force was also targeted, resulting in the injury of four members of the armed forces."

Kuwait says four crew hurt in Iran strike on navy vessel

US is launching additional strikes on Iran ahead of threatened blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, US official says

Trump spoke about how factories, plants and equipment will "pour" into the United States at "historic" levels, which will in turn create high-paying jobs.

Netanyahu tells Iran's leaders Israel will hit back if attacked

(AFP)

The US military on Tuesday advised neutral vessels to immediately depart Iranian ports or discontinue transit to Iran, according to VHF radio recordings obtained exclusively by Xinhua.

A crew member aboard a merchant vessel in waters near the Strait of Hormuz provided Xinhua with recordings from the public maritime radio channel, which showed the US military broadcasting a message to nearby vessels.

"All neutral vessels are advised to immediately depart Iranian ports and discontinue transit if Iran is your next port of call," the message said. 

(IANS)

India said it is closely following developments in the Middle East and called for safe and unimpeded navigation and the flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.

Responding to queries during the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels in which one Indian national was killed.

"We are closely following the developments in the Middle East. We continue to call for safe and unimpeded navigation and the flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. This is key for ensuring the economic and energy security of people across the world," he said.

(ANI)

Norwegian tanker attacked off coast of Oman: company

(AFP)

As many as seven Indian-flagged vessels were on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz before the start of the latest military escalation between the US and Iran, a government official said on Tuesday.

Just like the early part of the Middle East conflict, these vessels are unlikely to sail out of the Persian Gulf before de-escalation of tensions, he said.

The official told PTI that five Indian-flagged vessels are engaged in commercial activities in the region.

"About 148 seafarers are onboard the seven Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. And given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now," he said.

(PTI)

US strikes on Tuesday hit the port city of Bushehr, which hosts Iran's only civilian nuclear power plant, local authorities said, as fighting between Tehran and Washington escalates.

"Four points in the city of Bushehr were hit by enemy projectiles at noon (0830 GMT)", deputy provincial governor Ehsan Jahanian was quoted by official news agency IRNA as saying, blaming the attacks on the United States.

(AFP)

The United States has reportedly extended its support to Saudi Arabia for a highly unusual military action against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The backing came last week after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) told US President Donald Trump that it was concerned that the kingdom's renewed tensions with the Houthis could broaden the war between the US and Iran and asked for support for possible strikes against the Iranian-backed rebels, Axios reported, quoting US officials. 

Jordan's army said Tuesday it had shot down four missiles from Iran, as Tehran pressed attacks on US allies in response to American strikes.

"Four missiles intercepted and shot down after entering Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory," the army said.

Bahrain sounds its missile alert siren for the third time as Iran retaliates over US strikes targeting it.

https://t.co/9ofbRK68gl

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 14, 2026

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tuesday they had carried out missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, after the Gulf country urged citizens to take shelter as a siren sounded.

"Several weapons support warehouses, a satellite communications center and the residential building for US forces in Bahrain were targeted," Iranian state television IRIB quoted the Guards as saying.

US President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants Gulf nations to reimburse the United States for helping protect the Strait of Hormuz.

(Reuters)

Bahrain sounds missile alert sirens as Iran retaliates over new round of US airstrikes.

The Ministry of Defence announces that the national tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters.

The attack resulted in the death of one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa tanker and the injury of eight others, including four who sustained serious injuries. The injured comprise six Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals. The attack also caused material damage to both tankers as a result of the fires that broke out on board, which have since been brought under control.

The Ministry of Defence condemned this blatant attack, which is considered a serious violation and a clear breach of international law that threatens the security and stability of the region. The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents, in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security, and stability, and protects its national interests.

The Ministry further affirmed that it remains on the highest level of readiness and preparedness to address any threats, and that it is taking all necessary measures to respond decisively to any attempt to undermine the security and stability of the country.

The Ministry urged the public to obtain information from official sources and to refrain from circulating rumors or unverified information.

The UAE Ministry of Defence on Tuesday said that its two national tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.

In a statement, the UAE MoD said that the attack killed one Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa and injured eight others, including six Indian nationals and two Ukrainians, four of whom sustained serious injuries.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday that plans by President Donald Trump to impose hefty fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz would turn the United States into a "pirate" state.

Trump vowed earlier to reinstate a blockade of Iran's ports on the strait and slap a levy of 20 percent on all cargo shipped through Hormuz in order to pay for keeping the narrow waterway open.

 President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that the United States was attacking Iran's capabilities related to the Strait of Hormuz, amid renewed military action between the two countries.

The US military said on Monday it was launching fresh strikes against Iran but Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday that he had not decided that a negotiated settlement could not be reached with Tehran. 

Oil prices shot up around nine percent Monday as President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports while the two sides traded attacks.

Near 1820 GMT, Brent oil futures jumped 9.1 percent to $82.90 a barrel while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate also climbed by 9.1 percent, to $77.87 a barrel. The surge came as the two countries clashed over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for petroleum shipments.

At least four explosions were heard Monday east of Iran's Bandar Abbas, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported, citing a reporter in the port city's province.

"An IRNA reporter in Hormozgan province reported hearing four explosions east of Bandar Abbas. According to him, the nature of these explosions has not yet been determined by official authorities," news agency IRNA reported.

The UAE Ministry of Defence said on Monday that two national tankers were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles in the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters, killing one Indian crew member and wounding eight others, including four seriously.

The ministry said fires broke out on both tankers but had been brought under control. It condemned the attack as a serious breach of international law and said the UAE retained its full right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that a deal with Tehran to end the Middle East war was still possible, despite launching fresh strikes on Iran and reimposing a blockade of Iranian ports.

"Yeah, I think a deal is possible. Sure, I do," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We had a deal with them two days ago and then they said 'Oh we can't make that deal. We have to negotiate it further.'"

.@POTUS: "We're going to hit them very hard tonight and we're going to hit them hard tomorrow — and there's not a damn thing they can do about it. They have nothing. They have nothing going other than they have big mouths... I got to know them, and they're stone cold crazy." https://t.co/vKSOZN3EaI pic.twitter.com/UH8lBL5An3

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 13, 2026

At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia on Monday, hours after the rebels accused the kingdom of attacking Sanaa airport -- the biggest flare-up in years between the two sides that threatens to upend a frozen conflict.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack on the Houthi-held airport, saying it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.

US President Donald Trump said he would make a primetime address to the nation on Thursday, in an announcement that comes amid a major flare-up of hostilities with Iran.

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump's plan to charge 20 per cent on all cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with its foreign minister arguing that Iran, not the US, has always been the true guardian of the waterway.

Writing on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, "POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service. Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER."

US forces have struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran, the CENTCOM said on Monday.

The targets were attacked on Sunday using multiple drones, the Central Command said in a post on X.

"Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran," the post read.

The strikes come at a time the US and Iran are exchanging fresh attacks on each other, with Washington hitting various parts of Iran. Tehran, in response, has been attacking US bases in surrounding Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States will charge "20 per cent on all cargo shipped" through the Strait of Hormuz.

"The USA will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately," Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States is "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz. 

Speaking to "Fox & Friends", Trump said, "We're taking over the strait. They've got nothing." He argued that the US should have addressed the threat from Iran "47 years ago."

Trump said Iranian leaders had taken part in an 11-hour round of negotiations with the US, during which "everything was agreed to", before Iran later began asking for changes.

"We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that," he said.

Trump said the US had effectively been guarding the strait "for nothing" up to now, but that this would change, with wealthy nations expected to pay for the arrangement going forward.

The United States and Iran each asserted Monday they controlled the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of attacks stretching across the wider Middle East, further threatening any diplomacy to end the war.

The latest exchange was sparked by an Iranian attack on a container ship on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for international oil and gas over which Iran has asserted control since the United States and Israel started the war on Feb. 28.

Iran says it has the right to manage traffic through the strait and potentially charge fees in accordance with an interim peace deal reached last month. The US disputes that, citing international law on freedom of navigation, and has tried to establish an alternative route outside of Iranian control.

(AP)

A series of arson and vandalism attacks on Jewish sites in Britain were the work of a proxy group backed by Iran, the UK government said Monday.

The government said it is banning the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, or IMCR, also known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. It also banned Iran's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

In a statement, Security Minister Angela Eagle said that the IMCR has claimed seven attacks in the UK. The group had said online that it was responsible for a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London in recent months, including fires at synagogues and Jewish charity ambulances, as well as a Persian-language media organisation critical of Iran's government. No one was injured in the blazes.

"Sitting behind IMCR were members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, who almost certainly directed IMCR attacks across Europe," she said. Quds, or Jerusalem, Force is the Guard's expeditionary unit.

Explosions of unknown origin were heard in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a news agency reported, following an exchange of attacks between Tehran and Washington.

"Media and residents reported having heard on Monday at midday explosions near Bandar Abbas and the island of Qeshm," Mehr news agency said, adding that the blasts "appear to be coming from the West Coast of Bandar Abbas".

Iran said Monday it was continuing talks with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman in an effort to prevent any further escalation in its war with the United States.

"The role of the mediators is to continue their efforts to prevent an escalation of tensions," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

(AFP)

Iran on Monday said it would no longer abide by the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States if Washington failed to uphold its commitments to end the war.

"Each time that the other party has failed to meet its obligations, we did not uphold ours... We will continue to act in this manner," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press conference in Tehran, following the latest bout of hostilities between the foes.

(AFP)

Oil prices jumped and Asian shares were mostly lower Monday after the U.S. carried out airstrikes and Iran retaliated.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, gained 4.7% to $79.59 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude oil added 4.8% to $74.85 per barrel.

Prices for both types of crude oil recently had slipped back to around the levels they were at before the war with Iran began, after the two sides set an interim agreement on ending the conflict and ships resumed transporting oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the United States launched several waves of strikes on Iran into Monday morning over an Iranian attack on a container ship in the strait that set it ablaze and left a crew member missing over the weekend. Iran retaliated by targeting countries across the Middle East.

U.S. stock futures fell, with the contract for the S&P 500 down 0.6% and that for the Dow 0.4% lower. The Nasdaq composite future lost 1.3%.

In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 2.2% to 67,055.67, while in Seoul, the Kospi declined 8.2% to 6,864.84.

Shares in South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix, which soared 13% in their debut Friday on Wall Street, slumped 13.3% in Seoul. Its bigger rival Samsung Electronics sank 10.5%.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged 0.1% higher, to 24,200.67, and the Shanghai Composite index shed 1.9% to 3,920.50.

(AP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Monday claimed strikes against Bahrain and Oman, saying they destroyed radar systems in Oman and targeted US military facilities on the southern edge of Manama.

"In addition to targeting US military facilities and infrastructure in Juffair, Bahrain, where fires are raging, the navy of the Revolutionary Guards has... targeted and destroyed the long-range airborne FPS radar and the ship-detection radar in the Sultanate of Oman," said a statement from the Guards carried by their Sepah news outlet.

(AFP)

The Jordanian military said on Monday it had shot down four Iranian missiles over the country, which Tehran said were intended as retaliation for US strikes.

"At dawn today, air defence systems intercepted and shot down four missiles that had entered Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory," an official source from the Jordanian General Staff said, adding that there were no reports of injuries or damage to property.

(AFP)

Kuwait's armed forces said they were responding to "hostile aerial targets" on Monday as Iran carries out strikes on US interests in the Gulf.

"The Armed Forces are currently intercepting hostile aerial targets within Kuwaiti airspace," the head of Kuwait's army said in a statement published by the state-run news agency KUNA.

(AFP)

Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens for a second time Monday as Iran retaliated over U.S. airstrikes targeting it.

The warning urged the public to seek shelter in the island kingdom, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

There was no immediate word on any damage or casualties in the attacks Monday morning.

The U.S. military earlier said it wrapped up its latest round of attacks targeting Iran after hitting dozen of targets.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it was in the process of launching attacks in response.

(AP)

The US military said on Sunday it completed a new round of strikes in Iran aimed at preventing the Islamic republic from attacking shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

"CENTCOM forces struck Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using U.S. fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time," the US military said in a post on X.

(AFP)

The siren has been sounded ..Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.

— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) July 13, 2026

At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 12, 2026

The dollar jumped against most of its peers as a renewal of conflict in the Middle East fanned inflation fears and the prospect of rate hikes from central banks increased.

Against the yen, the U.S. dollar was up 0.1% at 161.92 yen. The euro weakened 0.1% to $1.1403 while the British pound slipped 0.1% to $1.3383.

The Australian dollar was down 0.1% at $0.6942, while its kiwi counterpart slid 0.1% to $0.5757.

U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone assaults at the weekend, with Tehran targeting U.S. facilities in states across the Gulf on Sunday and saying it had again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices rose as trading resumed in Asia, with Brent crude futures up 3.3% at $78.49 a barrel.

(Reuters)

Iran has condemned the latest wave of US attacks on its territory, saying they had "rendered futile" all the diplomatic efforts of the last few months.

Their statement came soon after the US military announced a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday, saying it aimed to "continue degrading" Tehran's ability to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

"These barbaric attacks are not only a gross violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter...but also a serious threat to international peace and security," said an Iranian foreign ministry statement.

They had "rendered futile all efforts of the past few months to reduce tension and establish peace in the West Asian region", the statement added.

"The US regime has also caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz and disruption of international commercial shipping by openly interfering in the process of Iran implementing the necessary arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz," said Tehran.

(AFP)

US strikes killed one person and wounded four in southwestern Iran, state media reported on Monday. 

"Following the attack of the American enemy on Monday morning... one person was martyred and four others were injured," official news agency IRNA reported, citing Khuzestan province's deputy governor for security and law enforcement, Valiollah Hayati.

(AFP)

Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned what it described as US military attacks carried out over the past 24 hours, calling them a "gross violation" of the UN Charter and alleging they undermined recent efforts to reduce tensions in West Asia.
Iran warned that any country… pic.twitter.com/FAoIvUuv9H

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 13, 2026

Oil prices opened sharply higher in Tokyo Monday after the United States launched a wave of attacks on Iran and as Tehran announced it would close the Strait of Hormuz.