Iran war: Trump declares ceasefire ‘over’ but says negotiations to continue

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the interim agreement with Iran is “over” but he will allow talks to continue. “For me, I think it’s over,” Trump responded when asked about the status of ceasefire. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”

He made the comment on the sidelines of the two-day Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, and hours after striking Iran in what the U.S. described as retaliation for strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

13:56 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Trump says after launching new strikes on Iran that ceasefire is ‘over’ but says negotiations can continue

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the interim agreement with Iran is “over” but he will allow talks to continue.

“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump responded when asked about the status of ceasefire. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”

He made the comment on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and hours after striking Iran in what the US described as retaliation for strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump added that US representatives can continue negotiations but he cast doubt on the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.

13:40 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: China warns US, Iran against ‘reigniting’ war, urges dialogue

China on Wednesday condemned sharp escalation in hostilities in the Middle East after the United States struck dozens of targets in Iran, with Beijing’s foreign ministry warning both sides against “reigniting” the war in the Middle East.

“Reigniting the war is not in the interests of either side, and military means cannot solve the fundamental problems,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a news conference, when asked about the strikes.

13:27 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Iran state media says member of Revolutionary Guards killed in US strikes

US strikes in southwest Iran on Wednesday killed a member of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said.

“A member of the Guards, Mohammad Reza Khazini, was hit by shrapnel and died a martyr while confronting enemy drones” in Mahshahr, a port city not far from the Iraqi border, IRNA reported, citing a statement from the Guards, the ideological arm of the Iranian military.

13:06 (IST) Jul 08

Thousands march as Khamenei’s funeral procession crosses into Iraq

Mourners marched through Iraq’s ​holy city of ​Najaf on Wednesday, following the coffin ​of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as his six-day funeral procession, which drew huge crowds in his home ⁠country, ⁠pressed on across the border.

People carrying large portraits ​of the late leader gathered along the route and ​chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as Khamenei’s coffin was driven on a large truck ​through the streets.

Iraqi and Iranian ⁠flags fluttered ‌above the crowd, alongside ​the banners ​of powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militias whose ⁠supporters joined the procession.

12:29 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Iran claims drone strikes on US-linked military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after US strikes

Iran has claimed that it launched drone and missile strikes against US-linked military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for US strikes on the country’s southern provinces, according to Iran’s state-affiliated Fars news agency.

Citing the Iranian Army Public Relations, Fars reported that Iranian army drones targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain early Wednesday morning.

“Following the hostile invasion by the American enemy into areas in the south of the country, army drones targeted the gathering centres of the hostile American forces at the ‘Sheikh Isa Air Base’ located in Bahrain in an attack early this morning,” the statement said, according to Fars News Agency.

Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that it had carried out a large-scale joint missile and drone operation targeting 85 key US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

According to Fars News Agency, the IRGC said, “IRGC Navy and Aerospace Forces, during a joint missile and drone operation, pounded 85 key US military facilities in Salman Port, the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.”

12:20 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Iran’s foreign ministry reiterates its warning to regional states not to allow their territory to be used by the US for strikes on Iran

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11:57 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Several explosions heard in Iran’s Bushehr

Iranian media reported Wednesday a series of blasts in the port city of Bushehr following a resumption of hostilities with the United States.

“Explosions have been heard in Bushehr and the surrounding area,” the Mehr news agency said, without providing details.

Located in Iran’s southwest, Bushehr hosts the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant and lies near Kharg island, the main oil terminal through which 90 percent of the nation’s crude exports transit.

11:56 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Bahrain sounds missile alert sirens a third time after Iran launches retaliatory attacks over US airstrikes

11:50 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Funeral prayers in Iraq for Iranian supreme leader commence after body arrives in holy city

Funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began Wednesday in the Iraqi city of Najaf with thousands of mourners present.

The Islamic Republic’s dayslong funeral for Khamenei began Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as mourners commemorate the life of the man who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West. His body will later be taken from Najaf to the city of Karbala before returned to Iran.

Talks between the United States and Iran appear to be on hold until after the burial. However, strikes from both sides in the Persian Gulf Tuesday and into Wednesday raised risks that the interim agreement to end the monthslong war that engulfed the Mideast could break down. The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, before Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain.

The body of Khamenei arrived in the Iraqi city considered among the holiest for millions of Shiite Muslims around the world on Tuesday, alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other senior officials. They were welcomed by mourners and supporters holding portraits of the late supreme leader, and others performing self-flagellation on the streets.

Khamenei’s body was in a casket draped in the Islamic Republic’s flag, encased in glass. Mourners waved flags of Iran as well as red and black flags symbolizing mourning and revenge.

“We the people of Iraq will remain a thorn in the eyes of the enemies,” said Jaafar Jawad, who is participating in the funeral. “His arrival to us is the greatest possible honor, and God willing we will be loyal, and repay a little of his due in the holy city of Najaf.”

11:27 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Dutch PM says Iran ceasefire breaches cannot be accepted

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on Wednesday it was important to show Iran that breaches of the fragile Middle East ceasefire would not be accepted.

“It is important to show you don’t accept breaches of the ceasefire,” Jetten told reporters before a NATO summit in Ankara.

“At the same time, you must apply maximum diplomatic pressure to make sure talks continue and a solution is reached,” he said.

11:09 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Explosions heard in Bahrain after air raid sirens

Several explosions rang out across Bahrain on Wednesday, an news agency AFP reported after authorities sounded air raid sirens to warn of an attack.

“Loud” blasts were heard in the north of the island state, the correspondent said, in the first incident since Bahrain reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles on June 28.

11:08 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Iran’s army says it struck US forces at Bahrain base

Iran’s army said on Wednesday its attack drones had struck US troop positions at Isa Air Base in Bahrain. The army’s public relations office said the strikes began early Wednesday and targeted what it called “gathering centers of hostile US forces” at the base.

“All US bases in the region will be legitimate targets for the army’s drones,” it said.

It added that the attack was a consequence of what it described as repeated US violations of the ceasefire.

10:52 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: ‘Unacceptable attack’: Qatar condemns strike on vessel ‘Al-Rekayyat’, holds Iran legally responsible

Qatar has strongly condemned the targeting of its vessel “Al-Rekayyat” while it was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, describing the incident as an “unacceptable attack” on international maritime navigation and global energy security.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Majed Al Ansari, advisor to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs, said, “The targeting of the Qatari vessel ‘Al-Rekayyat’ while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation, the security of global energy supplies, and a grave and explicit violation of international law, particularly the rules guaranteeing freedom of navigation & safe passage through international waterways.”

10:51 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Nato’s Rutte says the US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary’

“I think it was absolutely necessary. Iran is violating the ceasefire,” Nato chief said after he was asked for a response on fresh US attacks.

10:21 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Tehran targets Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes and limits Iran’s oil sales over ship attacks

Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren for a second time Wednesday after Iran claimed attacks targeting the island kingdom over earlier U.S. airstrikes on the Islamic Republic.

Bahrain urged the public to immediately seek shelter.

There was no immediate word on any damage in Bahrain or Kuwait, which was also targeted Wednesday by Iran

09:57 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Lebanese President to visit White House on July 21 amid Israel ceasefire push

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is set to visit the White House on July 21, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed White House official.

The report comes after Aoun told Lebanese media that he would travel to Washington this month to advance the US-brokered framework agreement with Israel aimed at ending months of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

09:27 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: ‘I was testing people’: Trump says he is ‘very disappointed’ with Nato response to Iran war

US President Donald Trump has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the response of NATO allies regarding the military conflict with Iran, revealing that he used the crisis as a test of alliance solidarity.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, the US President confirmed that his long-standing scepticism regarding the Western alliance had intensified following recent friction over strategic military cooperation.

For a considerable period, Trump has publicly questioned whether Washington’s closest international partners possess the strength, loyalty, or utility required to justify the American security guarantees they have depended upon since the conclusion of the Second World War.

The reluctance of specific allied nations to permit the use of their air bases for American strikes against Iranian positions, coupled with their refusal to deploy military assets to secure the strategic Strait of Hormuz, has shifted the US President’s traditional alliance scepticism into overt disapproval.

In the weeks following the outbreak of the hostilities, Trump has repeatedly targeted European heads of government, including those who previously anticipated that their personal rapport with the US President would shield them from public criticism. He recently mocked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, alleging she had “begged” him for a photograph at the G7 gathering, and subsequently shared a meme of her on social media platform X, captioned “Restraining order needed.”

09:23 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: ‘Nation where bin Laden hid out’: US Senator slams Pakistan’s ‘hypocrisy’ over Iran mediator role

US Senator Rick Scott has questioned Islamabad’s role as a mediator in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, accusing Pakistan of “hypocrisy” after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Tehran to attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Sharing a video on social media platform X, the US lawmaker highlighted footage of Sharif paying tribute to the 86-year-old Shia cleric, who was killed on 28 February during the opening day of the US-Israeli military conflict with Iran. The clip captured the costly Pakistani premier describing Khamenei as “a great scholar and leader whom millions of Muslims will remember”, while declaring that “Pakistan and Iran will march together under all circumstances.”

09:18 (IST) Jul 08

Iran war: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait in response to ‘US ceasefire violation’

08:53 (IST) Jul 08

IRGC says it downed US MQ-9 drone over Bushehr

According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its air defence systems shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Khormuj in Bushehr province.

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohbi, as quoted by Tasnim News, said the drone was brought down following what he described as aerial aggression by the US military.

08:45 (IST) Jul 08

Kuwait sounds air sirens as military intercepts ‘hostile’ missiles; Iran warns it’s ‘fully prepared’

Kuwaiti Army said its air defence systems were intercepting “hostile” missile and drone attacks.

According to Kuwait’s state news agency, air raid sirens sounded across the country.

“The Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks. The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defence systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities,” the military said.

Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaei, said US President Donald Trump intends to launch another attack and asserted that Iran is “fully prepared.”

08:29 (IST) Jul 08

The Nato summit was supposed to focus on defense spending. Trump’s strikes on Iran changed that

President Donald Trump surprised NATO leaders he is meeting with in Turkey by launching a series of strikes on Iran late Tuesday and revoking a license that allowed Tehran to sell its oil on the world market, a major twist for a summit that had been aimed at showcasing how alliance members were stepping up spending on defense and focusing on support for Ukraine’s war with Russia.

The strikes were retaliation after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, and underscored the fragility of an interim deal to end months of fighting between the two countries. Trump launched the attacks shortly after leaving a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan where the leaders of the alliance’s 32 member countries had gathered ahead of Wednesday’s talks meant to focus on progress made toward meeting NATO’s spending targets.

Trump did not directly address the strikes Tuesday night. It is rare for U.S. presidents to launch military action while outside the U.S., though in 2011 former President Barack Obama authorized strikes in Libya while on a trip to Brazil.

European allies and Canada had been wary that Trump might raise fresh grievances over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which they were never consulted about. Trump had demanded “loyalty” and branded NATO a “paper tiger” after some allies refused to grant open access to their bases for U.S. forces to attack Iran.

On Tuesday, during a meeting with Erdogan, Trump said he had been testing NATO allies when he asked for their help with the Iran war. “Italy turned us down and Germany turned us down and France turned us down,” Trump said. “And that’s OK. But, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they’re not there for us?”

08:21 (IST) Jul 08

‘We don’t fold’: Iran’s Ghalibaf says ‘era of bullying and extortion is over’

Iran’s top negotiator, Ghalibaf, said “the era of bullying and extortion is over” following the US strikes.

“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere,” he wrote on X. “We don’t fold.”

08:20 (IST) Jul 08

‘We don’t fold’: Iran retaliates to US strikes; air sirens blare in Bahrain

“The alarm siren has been activated. Citizens and residents are requested to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels,” Bahrain’s ministry of interior said in a social media post on X.

08:03 (IST) Jul 08

US official says latest attacks on Iran ‘4-5 times bigger’ than last strikes: Report

The United States has launched massive military strikes against Iranian targets, with an American official describing the operation to Axios as “four or five times bigger in scope and power” than the previous assaults launched ten days ago.

The official further warned that the ongoing operation could persist for several more hours, noting that these actions represent the most intense American attacks on Iran since the April ceasefire.

Underscoring the severity of the military action, a separate US official told CNN that the operation was intended as “punishment, not proportional” and indicated that the conclusion of the strikes was not imminent. The official remarked to the news network, “This is punishment. It won’t be over for a bit.”

According to the US military, the airstrikes targeted Iranian military installations located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The military stated that the strikes were initiated following renewed aggression against commercial vessels navigating the crucial waterway.

Detailing the operation, a US official revealed that the targeted sites comprised Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance infrastructure, surface-to-air missile positions, anti-ship cruise missile locations, drone launch facilities, and port infrastructure.

Following the bombardments, Iranian state media reported multiple explosions, specifically in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as blasts on Qeshm Island. The state media also reported fires breaking out at the Sirik pier and the Shahid Haqqani Port in Bandar Abbas.

07:51 (IST) Jul 08

US-Iran war: Iraq’s holy cities to host funeral processions for Khamenei

Funeral processions carrying the coffin of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei will pass on Wednesday through Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, home to Shia Islam’s most sacred shrines.

Iran began six days of public funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on Saturday, including a dedicated day to neighbouring Iraq, a Shia powerhouse with close ties to Tehran.

The Islamic republic hopes the marathon ceremonies will project strength and unity after the Middle East war, which started with US-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei and several relatives on February 28.

07:45 (IST) Jul 08

US-Iran war: Tehran threatens ‘crushing response’ after US strikes; asserts control over Hormuz

Iran’s Khatam-al-Anbiya Central Headquarters on Tuesday condemned the US strikes in southern Iran, describing them as a “blatant act of aggression” carried out while funeral processions for the late supreme leader were underway in Iraq.

In a statement, the military warned that Iran’s Armed Forces would deliver a “crushing response” to the US action.

The statement also asserted that Iran would not permit any external interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

“It is reiterated that the only safe passage for commercial ships and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is the route designated by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the military said.

07:06 (IST) Jul 08

US Iran war: Refueling, reconnaissance aircraft airborne as strikes hit Iran

More than a dozen US military aircraft, including refueling and reconnaissance planes, were airborne over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman early Wednesday as the US launched strikes against Iranian targets in response to recent attacks on commercial shipping, CNN reported.

Flight-tracking data reviewed by CNN showed at least 12 US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft and one US Navy P-8 Poseidon intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the region as of 8:40 p.m. ET. A UAE Air Force refueling aircraft was also seen.

Aerial refueling aircraft play a critical role in sustaining combat operations by enabling fighter jets and other military aircraft to refuel mid-air, extending their range and time on mission.

Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it was carrying out “powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping.”

CNN also reported that multiple geolocated videos showed explosions and large fires in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.

06:57 (IST) Jul 08

US Iran war: Several people wounded in US attack on Iran’s Sirik

Several people were wounded after being hit by shrapnel from an “enemy projectile”, which hit a commercial dock in the southern port of Sirik, Iran’s IRIB state broadcast reported.

It said the wounded were taken to the Minab Hospital.

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06:53 (IST) Jul 08

US Iran war: Iranian President Pezeshkian leaves Iraq for Tehran after US strikes

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has departed Iraq and is returning to Tehran, CNN reported, citing Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Pezeshkian had travelled to the Iraqi city of Najaf to attend the multi-day funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose body arrived in the city on Tuesday.

Pezeshkian left Najaf in the early hours of Wednesday (local time) after concluding his visit to Iraq, CNN reported, citing the state news agency IRNA.

Pezeshkian’s return came as the United States launched a series of military strikes against Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, “U.S. Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.”

CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after Iran allegedly attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

06:27 (IST) Jul 08

Iranian media reports explosions on Qeshm and Kharg islands

Iranian Press TV says there are reports of renewed explosions on Qeshm Island, several blasts heard on Kharg Island.

05:15 (IST) Jul 08

Pete Hegseth likely to visit Israel on Wednesday: Report

US ​defense secretary Pete ‌Hegseth ⁠is planning ⁠to ​visit ​Israel ​on ⁠Wednesday, ‌CNN ​reported ​citing three sources ⁠familiar with ​the ​matter.

04:41 (IST) Jul 08

Iran President Pezeshkian leaves for Iran after US strikes

Iranian President Pezeshkian leaves Iraq for Iran after US strikes on southern parts of Iran, according to reports.

04:22 (IST) Jul 08

US strikes on Iran to last for ‘hours’: Officials

US is hitting Iranian weapon launch sites, air defences and more in strikes expected to last for hours, US officials say.

03:53 (IST) Jul 08

Explosions in Iran’s Qeshm and Bandar Abbas

ranian state media reported the sound of explosions in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas after US strikes.

03:01 (IST) Jul 08

CENTCOM launches strikes on Iran after 3 British tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz

— CENTCOM (@CENTCOM)

03:00 (IST) Jul 08

Iran condemns US ending oil waiver license

Iran’s foreign ministry condemns US Treasury move to revoke temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales – statement

02:01 (IST) Jul 08

Despite Netanyahu’s opposition, Trump says F-35 fighter jets sale to Turkey ‘under consideration’

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said his administration will soon decide whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey despite a congressional ban, while also announcing that sanctions imposed over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system would be lifted.

“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said, arguing that many believe Turkey should be allowed to purchase the F-35 despite its acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 system.

Calling the F-35 “the best plane by far”, Trump said the proposed sale was “certainly something we will consider.”

US officials said Trump is expected to signal this week that he is willing to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, reversing a ban imposed during his first term that was later codified into law by Congress.

01:01 (IST) Jul 08

US revokes license authorising sale of Iranian oil

US revokes general license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil, Treasury Department says.

00:28 (IST) Jul 08

Khamenei’s casket brought to Iraq’s Najaf as week-long funeral ceremony continues

The ​coffin of ​Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah ​Ali Khamenei arrived in Iraq’s holy city of Najaf on ‌Tuesday, ⁠where ⁠Iraqi Prime Minister Ali ​al-Zaidi and senior Iraqi officials received it ​ahead of funeral ceremonies and a mass public ​procession, Iraqi state ⁠TV reported.

00:11 (IST) Jul 08

Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of attacking a Saudi tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Saudi foreign ministry says Iran targeted a Saudi tanker that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz: Statement

23:36 (IST) Jul 07

‘It soured my relationship with her’: Trump criticises Italy’s Giorgia Meloni for failing to help in Iran war

US President Donald ​Trump on Tuesday called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a “nice person” but criticised her for failing to ‌help in the conflict with Iran, his latest remarks in a diplomatic dispute that is straining bilateral ties.

Meloni was once seen as a close ally of Trump, but the relationship faltered last month when he told Italian TV channel La7 that she had “begged” him to take a photo with ​her at a G7 summit in France. She denied the claim and accused him of fabricating the story.

She ​had criticised him this year for lashing out at Pope Leo over his condemnation of the ⁠Iran war. That, in turn, prompted a blunt rebuke from the U.S. president, who denounced her for refusing to help ​re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said his relationship with Meloni “became a little bad because she refused to help us” with ​Iran.

“She refused to get involved so it soured my relationship with her a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump told reporters in Turkey where he was attending a NATO summit.

In March, Italy denied permission for ​US military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before heading to the Middle East because Washington had ​not sought prior authorisation from the government in Rome.

22:41 (IST) Jul 07

Netanyahu warns US F-35 sale to Turkey would ‘destroy’ Mideast power balance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that a proposed U.S. sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey would “destroy” the balance of power in the Middle East. Speaking to CNN, Netanyahu said Turkey has “aggressive aspirations”, adding, “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake.”

22:25 (IST) Jul 07

Israel PM Netanyahu tells CNN he and Trump align on big things over Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while he and US President Donald Trump have occasional disagreements over Iran, they see “eye to eye” on the bigger issues.

22:24 (IST) Jul 07

India-bound Qatar LNG vessel hit by suspected drone near Strait of Hormuz

An India-bound Qatari LNG carrier, Al Rekayyat, reportedly came under a suspected drone attack while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Initial reports said the vessel sustained damage and its engine room caught fire, leading to heavy smoke. The ship is continuing its voyage to Dahej, Gujarat, from Ras Laffan, Qatar. All 29 crew members, including four Indians, are safe, with no casualties or environmental damage reported.

21:53 (IST) Jul 07

Iran says Hormuz traffic normal, warns US against ‘provocative action’

Iran said maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues under its established arrangements, according to state broadcaster Press TV, citing officials. The officials also warned that any “provocative action” by the United States would be met with an “immediate and decisive response,” amid heightened tensions in the strategically vital waterway following recent attacks on commercial shipping.