More than 10 civilians, including a 4-year-old child, were injured in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to the Saudi military.

The attacks, which took place in the southern region of Najran, near the Yemeni border, came hours after the Iran-backed rebels claimed responsibility for another series of strikes in central and eastern Yemen that killed at least 30 government troops and wounded at least 50 others.

A Houthi leader said Saudi-backed troops were targeted in the attacks and that “hundreds” were either killed or injured. The assaults hit camps for forces of the internationally recognised government in the provinces of Marib and Hadramout, the Yemeni officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

– AP

Oil prices slipped on Thursday (August 6, 2026) as investors assessed whether progress in Iran-Oman talks could pave the way for a U.S.-Iran peace deal to end the five-month war and reopen the ‌Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures fell 37 cents, or 0.5%, to $79.08 a barrel by 0024 GMT. U.S. ⁠West Texas Intermediate futures declined 53 cents, or 0.7%, to $74.69 a barrel. Brent settled up slightly on Wednesday, while WTI edged lower.

“Some selling pressure emerged following ‌reports that talks between Iran and Oman are making progress,” said Yuki Takashima, economist at Nomura Securities.

– Reuters

U.S. forces launched strikes on Iran on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) after three commercial vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said, sharply escalating a confrontation that has already shaken efforts to end the West Asia war.

U.S. Central Command said the “powerful” strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on ships transiting the vital waterway and would “impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping.”

Iranian state media reported numerous explosions around the strait, including six on the island of Qeshm, seven in the city of Sirik and more in the major port city of Bandar Abbas.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of repeatedly violating the memorandum of understanding agreed between the two sides and threatened retaliation.

“Iran is issuing a serious warning about the consequences of America’s breach of the treaty, and will take decisive measures to protect its interests and national security,” the Ministry said in a statement carried by official media.

The strikes came shortly after Washington revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Iranian oil, raising pressure on Tehran as it negotiates with the US over a final settlement to the conflict.

The U.S. Treasury Department canceled a license announced in June that had allowed Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21.

“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences,” a U.S. official told AFP.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was “entirely performance-based,” warning that Tehran would see benefits only if it showed “good behavior.”

But U.S. negotiators were continuing to work “in good faith towards a final deal,” the official said.

British maritime security agency UKMTO said an “unknown projectile” hit a tanker overnight, causing a fire, before two more vessels were struck, at least one by a drone.

All three vessels were struck close to Oman, which had proposed a temporary transit corridor hugging its coastline — an initiative opposed by Iran as it seeks to impose fees on ships using the narrow waterway.

Qatar said one of the vessels was its LNG tanker Al-Rekayyat and blamed Iran, denouncing an “unacceptable” attack on international maritime navigation.

Doha later summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador to lodge a complaint, demanding an explanation and urging Tehran to “immediately cease any practices undermining regional security.”

“We hold Iran fully legally responsible for this attack and for any resulting damages or repercussions,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X.

Iran voiced “dismay” over Qatar’s accusations in a statement carried by state news agency IRNA, calling the claims “unacceptable.”

Hormuz dispute

The attacks, which ended more than a week of relative calm, revived concerns over freedom of navigation after Iran lifted its blockade of the vital waterway following a fragile ceasefire with the U.S.

Oil prices rose by more than two percent as the renewed attacks reignited worries over global energy supplies and cast doubt on the durability of the U.S.-Iran agreement.

“We are now in a sensitive period where potential alternatives to an Iranian toll or fee system are being explored,” Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King’s College London, told AFP.

“Iran is sending a clear signal that no alternative will be accepted.”

Krieg said tankers trying to diverge through the Omani maritime corridor without registering with Iran would be punished, and called the attacks a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement and international law.

Maritime traffic had tentatively resumed after Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum last month, but Iran has insisted there will be no return to pre-war arrangements, under which vessels could pass freely through the strait.

Under the 14-point U.S.-Iran memorandum, Iran and Oman, which border Hormuz, must hold talks “to define the future administration and maritime services” in the waterway with other Gulf states.

Qatar had previously refused to mediate under Iranian fire as Tehran launched an unprecedented aerial bombardment against Gulf states in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli strikes.

But Doha has since taken a more active role, hosting indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. last week.

Published – July 08, 2026 04:48 am IST

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

President Donald Trump said Monday (June 29, 2026) that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, though one of Iran’s top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled after attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend challenged negotiations to end the war.

The U.S. President has tried to preserve an increasingly fragile interim deal as hostilities have mounted in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, through which a fifth of the world’s oil had been shipped before war began. After four days of trading strikes, both sides appeared to pause their attacks on Monday (June 29, 2026).

Also Read : West Asia war LIVE

Mr. Trump said on social media that a meeting with Iran would happen on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) in Doha, Qatar. Mr. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, are flying to Qatar for the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” But Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior negotiator for Iran, denied any talks had been scheduled.

The U.S. and Iran agreed to an interim deal earlier this month that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium. It also waives US-backed sanctions on the country while opening the Strait of Hormuz and giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.

Oil prices fell sharply after the signing of the interim deal, but if they were to reverse course in a meaningful way, it could undermine Trump’s claims to voters ahead of the November elections that inflation was easing.

Earlier on Monday (June 29, 2026), Iran’s President said that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar. Masoud Pezeshkian’s mention of the funds appeared aimed at selling the Iranian public on the interim deal, particularly as its grip on the strait has been tested.

Increased tension in a waterway vital to world energy supplies

During the war that began Feb. 28, Iran’s attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving through the Strait of Hormuz, creating a global energy crisis.

In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels in the strait — including a tanker filled with Qatari crude — following efforts to open Oman’s territorial waters to both inbound and outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf.

The attacks drew retaliatory American airstrikes and raised concerns that negotiations to reach a formal end to the war could be disrupted. Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday.

Iran and Oman held a meeting about the Strait on Monday (June 29, 2026) in Oman.

The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite its location in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.

Confusion mounts over next round of Iran-U.S. talks 

Pakistan, a key mediator, has said talks would resume on Tuesday (June 30, 2026). The Trump administration on Sunday (June 29, 2026) said nothing has been cancelled and technical talks are on track for the coming days.

Gharibabadi, the Iranian negotiator, cast doubt on the meeting in comments published by IRNA.

“Reports by some media about technical talks by the working groups being held in Doha are not confirmed,” he said.

Technical talks involve lower-level diplomats working on the specifics of any deal that would draw top leaders from Iran and the US back to the table.

Trump touts falling oil prices

Mr. Trump celebrated on Monday (June 30, 2026) morning that U.S. oil futures were trading at roughly $69 a barrel, a decrease that he credited to the interim deal with Iran.

Even though the president has previously said oil prices and domestic political concerns were not influencing his approach to Iran, Mr. Trump has repeatedly focused on lower oil prices with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a key victory.

The President falsely claimed that oil prices are lower than they were before the war.

Oil futures in the U.S. were trading at a range of roughly $65 to $66 per barrel before the war began in late February.

Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at about $72 a barrel before the war began, and rose above $126 per barrel in April. On Monday, Brent traded at around $73.25 a barrel.

Published – June 29, 2026 05:51 pm IST

Before the conflict, the IAEA estimated that Iran had 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%.

That is close to the 90% needed to make a bomb and well above the 3.67% limit set by a now-defunct 2015 agreement with Iran.

Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA after Israel and the United States launched a previous wave of attacks in June 2025, and its inspectors have not seen the material since.

Under the terms of the preliminary agreement between Tehran and Washington, this stockpile is meant to be “downblended” under IAEA supervision.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi said the “widespread impression” was that the stockpile remains where it was before June 2025 near Iran’s Isfahan facility.

However, that facility was bombed and Iran said that it does not plan to allow the IAEA to inspect sites that were attacked.

-AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on June 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The story so far:

After 40 days of war and more than 60 days of intense negotiations, the U.S. and Iran, on June 15, agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the war and start more substantive negotiations on contentious issues. The deal has kicked off a geopolitical storm, with Israel opposing it firmly, causing an unlikely rift between Washington and Tel Aviv. U.S. President Donald Trump, who ripped up the 2015 Iran deal, which was signed by the Obama administration, calling it the “worst deal” in America’s history, is facing backlash at home for the concessions Washington has made to Tehran. Iran’s leadership claims that they defeated the U.S. and Israel in the war and that the terms of the MoU underscored their victory. While the agreement has brought lingering post-ceasefire skirmishes between the U.S. and Iran to an end, this is not a final settlement.

What does the deal say?

The opening article of the MoU calls for a ceasefire on all fronts, “including Lebanon”. It calls on both sides to respect each other’s sovereignty and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs. The U.S. has lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has taken steps to remove its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. The text calls on Iran to remove all impediments, including mines, within 30 days of the signing of the deal.

One of the contentious issues during the talks was Iran’s demand for access to its frozen funds and for war reparations. The text says Iran will have its funds unfrozen contingent on progress in the second phase of the talks, without specifying the amount or timeline. Iranian state media have reported that Iran has demanded that $24 billion be unfrozen. Mr. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have said that no American money will be paid to Iran. That could be technically correct as the frozen funds are Iranian assets held in different banks across the world under U.S. sanctions. If the U.S. lifts the sanctions, countries and banks could make the transfer.

The U.S. would also work with other regional countries to draw up a plan for Iran’s reconstruction and redevelopment, which would involve $300 billion in financing. Iran will have access to these funds if a final settlement is reached.

What commitments has Iran made?

Iran, on its part, has pledged never to make a nuclear weapon. This has been the official Iranian position for years. The Iranians had made the same pledge in the 2015 Obama-Iran deal as well. While more contentious issues such as Iran’s possession of 60% enriched uranium (which is a step away from weapons-grade purity) and Iran’s enrichment capabilities are to be discussed in the second phase, according to the text released by the White House, both sides have mutually agreed to “downblend” (dilute) Iran’s enriched material under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Other issues such as enrichment in Iran and the country’s nuclear needs will be discussed as part of the final deal.

Both sides also agreed to maintain the status quo until they reach the final deal — Iran will not expand its nuclear programme and the U.S. will not impose additional sanctions and deploy more troops to the region. Upon signing the MoU, the U.S. will issue waivers for the export of Iran’s crude oil, petroleum products, and other derivatives, and all associated services, including banking, transactions, insurances, and transportation.

Where does Israel stand?

For Israel, the U.S.-Iran deal appears to be a major strategic setback. Israel launched this war with the U.S. on February 28 to bring about regime change in Iran, destroy its nuclear and missile capabilities, and stop the country from supporting its non-state allies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis. Israel had been a big proponent of a war on Iran — officials of former U.S. administrations had said Israel had pushed previous Presidents to launch strikes on Iran. After the attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, the Zionist state fought a multi-front war against Hamas, Hezbollah, and the then Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad — all Iranian allies. The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 weakened Iran’s regional standing further, as Syria was a key link between Hezbollah and Tehran. In June 2025, Israel bombed Iran aimed at destroying its nuclear facilities. The U.S. joined in, but after a single strike, Mr. Trump enforced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. But the 12-day war, as it is called, was only a trial run.

What Tel Aviv wanted was regime change in Tehran, which it thought would reshape West Asia with Israel being at the centre of a new unipolar regional order. But this project collapsed as Iran survived the 40 days of bombing. Iran’s stranglehold of the Strait of Hormuz and its refusal to make concessions on the nuclear issue forced the U.S. to diverge from Israel’s maximalist demands and take a more narrowed-down approach to end the war and address the nuclear question diplomatically. But to address these issues diplomatically after the war’s failure, the U.S. would have to give substantial economic concessions to Tehran. As the U.S. is doing just that, Israel, increasingly isolated and frustrated, fears that the deal would render Iran conventionally stronger, altering the regional balance of power.

Why does Lebanon matter?

Despite being cut off from the Iran-U.S. diplomatic process, Israel still possesses a key card — Lebanon. Israeli troops have occupied parts of Southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militia-cum-political party, is a close ally of Iran. To have a ceasefire in Lebanon, which has been mentioned in the MoU, Mr. Trump should get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on board. Since Israeli troops are present in South Lebanon, Hezbollah, which is far from defeated, is targeting the occupying force. And in the name of striking Hezbollah, Israel is bombing Lebanon.

Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have said that the Israeli troops will not pull back from Southern Lebanon. This keeps Lebanon as a flashpoint with a potential for escalation. An Iranian delegation was supposed to travel to Geneva to start direct negotiations for the second phase on June 19, but Iran called off talks, citing Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Mr. Netanyahu seems determined to use the Lebanon card, making the U.S.-Iran peace process complicated. Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon and its public criticism of the Iran MoU have triggered rare public criticism of Israel from top American officials, including Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance.

Will the agreement hold?

Both Mr. Trump and the Iranians seem determined to take the peace process to the next step. Mr. Trump, who bombed Iran for 40 days, and kept a blockade on Iran for roughly 60 days, realises the massive economic costs of the war. The war was also unpopular at home and cost the U.S. billions of dollars, depleting its stockpile of weapons.

Iran, on the other hand, has emerged regionally stronger. It will restart negotiations with the U.S. without the fear of a U.S. strike. But at the same time, Iran wants long-term economic relief and security guarantees to rebuild the country and address internal resentment. While there are incentives for both sides to reach a final settlement, there are three key sticking points. The first is Lebanon. As long as Israeli troops continue occupation of Southern Lebanon, the country will remain a tinderbox. And given that Israel is critical of the U.S.-Iran deal, Mr. Netanyahu could escalate the war aimed at torpedoing the detente. The war in Lebanon posed the first test to the deal on Saturday when Iran announced that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

The second is Iran’s highly enriched uranium (HEU). The U.S., until recently, argued that Iran’s HEU should be taken out of the country and destroyed, whereas Iran has always opposed such a move. Mr. Trump said last week that the HEU would be diluted “either in America or in Iran”, which was a concession. A final agreement should draw up the modalities for downblending under the IAEA’s supervision, which also means that Iran should restore IAEA access to its nuclear sites.

The third issue is Iran’s ‘enrichment right’. The U.S., until the war began, opposed any enrichment on Iranian soil, which had been the Israeli position as well. Iran says it will continue to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. The final agreement should narrow the gap between these two positions as well.

Published – June 21, 2026 02:46 am IST

Iran said on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) that talks with the United States on its nuclear programme and sanctions relief would likely begin later this week, as President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would “completely open” once the foes sign their deal.

Follow the updates for the West Asia LIVE on June 16, 2026

Officials say negotiations over a final deal would take place in a 60-day window after the memorandum of understanding to end nearly four months of war triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran is physically signed.

“Likely on Friday (June 19, 2026), at a location to be determined… a new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States to reach a final agreement will begin,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

“In the final agreement, decisions will be made on the nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions,” he added. According to Iran’s deputy Foreign Minister, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Islamic Republic’s top negotiator, will attend the signing in Switzerland.

The U.S. side will be represented by Vice President J.D. Vance, who said Mr. Trump himself might also attend. The developments came after Mr. Trump said an Iranian blockade on the crucial Hormuz Strait oil and gas route would be fully lifted by the same day, which would be a major boost to the global economy.

The U.S. had, in retaliation, imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports. “Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with Oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr. Trump said on Monday (June 15, 2026), adding later that he did not “think we will need much help” keeping the waterway open.

Sporadic episodes of violence since an April ceasefire had threatened a deal, but weeks of indirect negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar built momentum for an interim agreement. Yet a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Western sanctions remains unsolved.

Washington and close ally Israel are pressing to strip Iran of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, said to have been buried by U.S. strikes last year, while Iran has insisted on its right to enrich uranium. The agreed framework has however paved the way for talks on those key disputes.

Powerful document

Asked at the G7 in France when the text would be released, Mr. Trump said, “It’s a very powerful document, and I want it to be released. So probably pretty soon.”

G7 Summit Day 1 LIVE

But he told The New York Times the U.S. was still negotiating whether Iran would suspend enrichment for 20 years, hinting he might settle for 15.

Iran’s military hailed the accord as a victory, claiming it had “humiliated” the U.S. and Israel, while President Masoud Pezeshkian called it “a great achievement” for the region. The ultraconservative newspaper Vatan-e Emrooz praised the agreement as a “Trump surrender document”.

But Mr. Araghchi struck a more cautious note. “We have a history of broken commitments… we have a history of agreements being torn up. All of this is present in our minds,” he said.

A senior U.S. administration official, however, said Mr. Trump, Mr. Vance and negotiator Mr. Ghalibaf had already signed the text electronically. In a flurry of interviews to talk up the deal, Mr. Vance said no U.S. taxpayer money would go to Iran under the deal, as Iranian media reported $12 billion of frozen assets would be released.

Mr. Vance told NBC that U.S. and UN nuclear inspectors will be allowed to enter Iran. “One of the core parts of the agreement is that the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United States are going to help Iran destroy the highly enriched stockpile, and that’s something that’s spelt out very clearly” in the MoU, Mr. Vance said.

“We are not investing any money” in Iran, Mr. Trump said at the G7 summit in France after talks with the emir of Qatar, adding that the main focus of the deal was that Iran would not acquire a nuclear weapon and that “all hell” would “rain down” on the country if it did.

Lebanon crucial to deal

Analysts have warned that the parallel conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah presents the biggest threat to the diplomatic thaw. Lebanon was pulled into the war in March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

That theatre of the conflict could be “the biggest ultimate spoiler” of the coming negotiations, said Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. Israeli figures quickly condemned the deal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that the country’s forces would remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria “for as long as necessary”.

But Mr. Araghchi on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) said that ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, was “the most important” issue in the peace deal announced with the United States. “Ending the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete end of the war” he added.

Published – June 16, 2026 06:19 pm IST

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France on June 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters