U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
Iran's state broadcaster reported that an explosion was heard on the southern coast of Qeshm Island on Thursday.
No immediate information was available regarding the cause of the explosion, possible damage, or casualties.
Iran's state broadcaster reported that an explosion was heard west of the port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday.
No immediate details were provided on the cause of the blast, its exact location, or whether there were any casualties or damage.
The U.S. military said it began launching a new round of strikes against Iran on Thursday evening, marking a further escalation in the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.
No immediate details were provided on the targets or scope of the operation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said any damage caused to ships, cargo or related assets would be compensated using Iranian funds held and controlled by the United States.
In a statement, Trump said: "From this point forth, any and all damages done to ships, cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian money that the United States has in its possession and controls."
He added that the damages "may be very substantial" but argued that using Iranian funds would be "the fair and equitable thing to do."
Kuwait's military said its air defence systems are currently intercepting what it described as "hostile" Iranian drone threats.
The Kuwaiti army said defensive operations were ongoing and that air defence units were actively responding to the drones. No immediate details were provided on the number of drones involved, their targets or whether any damage had been reported.
Britain says its armed forces are ready to defend the country against any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned against allowing U.S. bombers to operate from UK bases.
"Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it's on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself," a government spokesperson said.
"This includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defence, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our NATO allies," they added.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and his UK counterpart, Ed Miliband, discussed efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz during talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Manila.
Seven core OPEC+ members are expected to consider raising their September output target by about 188,000 barrels per day when they meet on 2 August, despite the U.S. war with Iran limiting production among some members, sources say.
The U.S. State Department has urged American citizens in the Middle East to prepare for possible flight cancellations and travel disruptions as tensions with Iran escalate, following President Donald Trump's threat of a "massive attack" on Tehran.
Axios reports that U.S. President Donald Trump says he is "close" to deciding whether to launch a military strike against Iran, adding that any operation could be "bigger than ever".
The remarks come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate following days of military exchanges and growing speculation over possible U.S. involvement.
Several paramedics were wounded after an Israeli drone struck a Civil Defence vehicle in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA).
Trump says he is 'close' to launch biggest strike on Iran, Axios reports
The U.S. Senate has voted 49–47 to block a Democratic-led resolution seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war against Iran without congressional approval.
Saudi Arabia and the United States are expected to ask the UN nuclear watchdog to oversee verification under their proposed civil nuclear cooperation deal, with the International Atomic Energy Agency saying it is aware of the plan but has not yet received a formal request.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios he is seriously considering expanding military operations against Iran, saying Tehran "hasn't received enough pain yet," though he added no final decision has been made.
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives voted 214–208 on Thursday to approve a symbolic war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to halt U.S. military action against Iran unless authorised by Congress.
Four Republicans joined Democrats in backing the measure, which comes as Trump intensifies strikes on Iran.
The Senate is expected to vote on a similar resolution later the same day.
Qatar condemned the Houthis' attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as "a serious violation of international law", reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia and warning of the importance of protecting navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key global oil shipping route.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the UK for allowing the U.S. to use British bases in strikes on Iran, calling it a violation of international law and warning that such support "could constitute participation in an act of aggression against Iran", adding that any country assisting the attacks "will bear the consequences".
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted the Al-Adiri base in Kuwait, according to state media.
Oil prices surged more than 6%, with Brent crude topping $100 a barrel for the first time since May, as fears of wider disruption to Middle East oil shipments intensified after Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
Saudi Aramco is offering additional spot crude cargoes from Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal, signalling a possible shift in export routes as Houthi threats increase risks to shipping through the Red Sea.
President Donald Trump warned the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for any future Houthi attacks after the Iran-backed group said it had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening "major military punishment."
France condemned the Houthis' attacks on Saudi oil tankers as a "serious escalation," urging the Iran-backed group to halt strikes that threaten to disrupt global energy supplies.
“Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers are irresponsible and a serious escalation,” a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has accused the U.S. of sacrificing humanitarian law to its desire for war in a post on X.
"The U.S. ruling establishment intends to sacrifice whatever remains of international humanitarian law and the foundations of human ethics and civilization to its insatiable appetite for war and slaughter," Baghaei wrote.
"A policy that calls for the destruction of bridges and power plants is manifestly unlawful and criminal. It constitutes reprisal and collective punishment—both of which are explicitly prohibited as war crimes under international humanitarian law and U.S. domestic law alike," he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has arrvied in Iran. A video shared by the government-alligned Tehran Times shows Iranian President Masoud Pezeshian greeting al-Zaida in Tehran.
The Kremlin has declined to comment on a Reuters report that U.S. intelligence analysts were investigating possible Russian assistance in Iranian drone attacks on CIA bases in the Gulf.
Four people familiar with U.S. intelligence told Reuters that the officials had not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited the strikes' effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia's broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence.
Oman has said it is coordinating with Saudi Arabia, Yemeni parties and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen to resume the political track aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
The Ministry also stressed the need to avoid escalation and any threats that could worsen the situation in the Red Sea and endanger freedom of navigation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes Yemen’s Houthis will reduce tensions, claiming the group was misled by Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pressure on Iran would continue to rise each night until Tehran changes course.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran does not appear ready to reach an agreement and warned that Tehran would “pay the price.” His remarks came amid ongoing tensions over nuclear talks and regional military escalation.
A missile defence radar was destroyed during Iranian strikes on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has said, as reported by Tehran's state-funded Press TV.
"In response to repeated US aggression against Iran, IRGC carried out swift strikes on US bases, destroying a THAAD missile defense radar at the targeted site," the IRGC said, according to Press TV.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will arrive in Iran later on Thursday for a two-day visit. Official sources said the trip was aimed at fostering Tehran-Baghdad bilateral relations. However, unconfirmed reports said the Iraqi premier will also mediate between Iran and U.S. al-Zaidi visited Washington last week.
U.S. military bases in Kuwait and have been attacked, Iran's army and the country's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have said.
The IRGC said it had targeted Kuwait's Camp Al-Adiri and the Ali Al Salem Air Base.
Iran's army said it had attacked the Arifjan and Doha Camps in Kuwait.
A U.S. strike on an Iran's Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq has killed two people, Iranian officials have said. The attack was part of Washington's 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran.
Elsewhere, Yemen's Houthis said they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Saudi news agency SPA later confirmed that one of the two vessels was set on fire during an assault, but didn't say who had targeted the ship.
In a statement, the Houthis said they attacked two tankers, the Encelia and Layla, saying the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed by the Iran-aligned group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
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Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing to deploy additional North Korean forces on its territory and has received more ballistic missiles from Pyongyang, arguing that their growing military cooperation poses a threat beyond Ukraine.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
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