Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has shared a series of AI-generated images on his Truth Social platform appearing to depict military action against Iran, including the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker and an air strike on the Kharg Island oil export terminal.
U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed back against reports suggesting the U.S. is facing shortages of munitions during its military campaign against Iran, insisting the country has ample supplies.
In comments to The Wall Street Journal, Trump said the United States possesses more munitions than any other nation and "far more than we need."
His remarks followed a report by the newspaper that General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had warned the White House about declining stocks of air defence interceptors.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using U.S. support to evade accountability over an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
In a post on X, Gharibabadi said Netanyahu was trying to undermine the ICC after the Israeli leader said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had reaffirmed Washington's intention to act firmly against the court.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and denies the allegations.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a phone call with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, to discuss regional developments and efforts to ease tensions.
During the call, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of all parties adhering to dialogue and diplomacy and implementing the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, including measures to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
He also reaffirmed Qatar's support for regional de-escalation efforts and for reaching a comprehensive agreement that would help achieve lasting peace.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa says Damascus is seeking to reach a security agreement with Israel with the participation of several countries, describing it as a potential step toward a broader and lasting peace.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, al-Sharaa said any successful security arrangement could pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement while preserving Syria's claim to the occupied Golan Heights.
He also said Syrian authorities had taken precautionary measures to counter any potential threats from armed factions along the country's border with Iraq.
Iran's military has accused Washington of lacking a clear long-term strategy, with army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia saying U.S. decision-making is in "a state of confusion and attrition."
Speaking to state television on Sunday, Akraminia said Iran had suspended its retaliatory military operations after the US halted strikes over the past two nights, stressing that Tehran's response has been based on a strategy of retaliation.
He added that the pause in U.S. attacks does not amount to a formal ceasefire and said Iran's future military actions would continue to depend on U.S. activity in the region.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the nation's top military general urged U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid a major escalation in the war with Iran during a high-stakes meeting on Friday, according to CNN.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Trump about a munitions stockpile shortage but said the US forces could pursue several options and succeed, while warning about the potential consequences, a source familiar with the matter told the news outlet. The official joined Vance in cautioning against a return to full-scale combat.
Military leadership warned that resuming major combat operations would likely result in massive civilian casualties and risks of regional escalation, according to CNN.
Officials reportedly cautioned the U.S. president that his threats to target civilian infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power plants, could leave millions of Iranians to suffer without electricity or food.
The broad range of concerns presented during the Friday meeting also included the potential for a massive refugee crisis and Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy and desalination infrastructure.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy urged U.S. President Donald Trump to curb Israeli policies toward Palestinians ahead of his planned meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, warning the Middle East is approaching a "moment of explosion." He said Washington bears particular responsibility for preventing further regional escalation.
Fahmy called on Trump to stop Israeli actions in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel's government of undermining peace efforts through settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinians. He also urged support for the implementation of Trump's 2025 Gaza peace initiative.
The Arab League chief further called for a return to U.S.-Iran understandings and renewed negotiations to reduce tensions, restore regional stability, respect the sovereignty of neighbouring states, and ensure safe navigation through the Gulf and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement, read out by a newsreader on Sunday (26 July), that Lebanon's "territorial integrity" was a primary condition for ending the war.
The comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump has paused attacks on Iran to allow more room for diplomacy, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told Fox News on Sunday.
Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their next round of U.S.-brokered talks on 4 August in Italy, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Wednesday (22 July), as the two countries begin implementing a plan for Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese army deployments in southern Lebanon.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said indirect message exchanges between Tehran and Washington are continuing, adding that mediation efforts by intermediary countries also remain ongoing.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not communicating with any party or person for “specific reasons,” his father-in-law said on Sunday.
Khamenei "is not communicating with any party or individual for specific reasons," Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said in statements carried by ISNA News Agency. He, however, did not give any further details.
Haddad-Adel said Mojtaba is like his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, “in every way,” expressing hope that he is “in good health.”
Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 36 years, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28.
Mojtaba has never been seen in public since he was elected Iran’s supreme leader following the death of his father.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Ministerheld a phone call with UAE National Security Adviser to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
The two officials reviewed diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions, with Qatar stressing the importance of dialogue, implementing the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate phone calls with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday to discuss regional and international developments.
During the talks, Araghchi said an alleged attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea "cannot go unanswered", according to a post on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Sunday that joint military operations with the U.S. have crippled Iran’s nuclear ambitions "quite a bit," pushing the program back several years.
"We knocked out 20 of their chief nuclear scientists in the two operations that we did with the United States," Netanyahu told Fox News.
He asserted that while Tehran's capabilities were severely degraded, the international community must remain on "constant watch" to prevent any attempts to restore the program.
The prime minister warned that if Iran targets Israel through direct strikes or proxies, the response will be "very, very forceful."
Netanyahu also expressed strong alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy of linking Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear needs to its entry into the Abraham Accords. He said he would be "delighted" to extend normalization to Riyadh, noting Tel Aviv previously had agreements with several Arab nations.
Netanyahu dismissed claims that Israel is becoming isolated, suggesting that many nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East are seeking Israeli technology and military cooperation.
The Israeli prime minister is scheduled to visit Washington next week to attend the funeral of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, where he is expected to hold discussions with the U.S. president.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel "cannot go unanswered".
His comments came in calls with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Araghchi posted on X.
The Lebanese army said the ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon hinder its deployment under existing agreements and prevent the return of displaced residents to their areas.
The Israeli army continues “its attacks and violations of existing agreements and international law through the systematic destruction and bulldozing of homes, and shelling and machine-gun fire in several southern areas," the army said in a statement.
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the negotiation process between Tehran and Washington with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Fidan held separate calls with Al Thani and Munir, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told Fox News on Sunday that President Donald Trump is giving Iran talks "some space."
"He's giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room," Mike Waltz told the broadcaster on Sunday.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday.
"Iran’s position remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United States," the source told Reuters.
"There is more scepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The prevailing view is that the pause is tactical rather than genuine," the source added.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy stopped six vessels over the past 24 hours after they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz “without authorisation and outside the designated shipping route,” Iranian state television reported Sunday.
According to the broadcaster, Iranian authorities did not allow the vessels to continue their voyage after they attempted an “unauthorised crossing” through the strategic waterway.
The report said IRGC naval forces fired warning shots before intercepting the six vessels, prompting them to alter course.
An unidentified projectile landed near a tanker in the southern Red Sea, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said on Sunday. The vessel and its crew remained safe.
The UKMTO said the tanker reported witnessing “a splash from an unknown projectile in close proximity to the vessel.”
It said there were no reports of injuries or damage to the vessel, while the environmental impact of the incident remains unconfirmed.
Iran says it has paused retaliatory strikes on Gulf states and U.S. interests after Washington halted attacks on Iran, according to the AFP news agency.
“Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations,” Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said.
No new attacks have been reported by either side for a second consecutive night, raising hopes of a temporary de-escalation.
Kuwait has reopened the Abdali border crossing with Iraq after it was temporarily shut following a drone attack on Thursday, Iraqi state media reported.
The attack caused material damage but no casualties, according to the Kuwaiti army. Abdali is a key crossing for passenger and commercial traffic between the two countries.
Qatar has announced the full resumption of maritime traffic after lifting restrictions introduced during the recent escalation between the U.S. and Iran.
The Transport Ministry said "activities can now resume fully for all types of maritime vessels and ships" from Sunday, urging operators to follow maritime regulations to ensure "the highest levels of safety and security" on all voyages.
Anti-war protesters gathered outside RAF Fairford on Saturday, urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to end the use of UK military bases for U.S. operations linked to the conflict with Iran.
Campaigners from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) claimed a US B-1 bomber based at Fairford had taken part in strikes on Iran.
Iran says its recent military action in the Strait of Hormuz was taken to "assert its rights" after accusing the U.S. of violating a June memorandum of understanding by attempting to establish an "illegal" shipping route.
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Akraminia said Iranian operations also targeted U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, describing them as key military facilities in the region. His remarks come after reports that President Donald Trump has paused U.S. strikes on Iran to allow space for diplomacy.
Iran and Oman held discussions in Tehran over the weekend on the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.
A spokesperson said technical and political consultations between the two countries are ongoing, without providing further details.
“The two sides exchanged views on common principles and operational mechanisms for the safe passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” Iranian Mininistry of Foreign Affairs Esmail Baghaei said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Kuwait has condemned the Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, describing Saturday's strike on the Saudi vessel NCC MASA as a "flagrant violation of international law" and "a direct threat to the security and freedom of maritime navigation".
The Foreign Ministry also expressed its "full solidarity" with Saudi Arabia, backing "all measures" taken by the Kingdom to protect its security following a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to pause plans for further strikes on Iran after 13 consecutive days of attacks, according to The New York Times and Axios.
Both outlets, citing anonymous sources, said the decision followed a White House meeting on Friday and was driven by concerns over depleting U.S. air defence stockpiles and creating more space for diplomacy.
However, officials are reportedly keeping plans ready should major combat operations resume.
Iran has accused Ukraine of attacking one of its commercial vessels in the Caspian Sea, claiming the strike killed one sailor and injured another.
Tehran summoned Ukraine's Chargé d'Affaires in protest, describing the alleged attack as "hostile and criminal".
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the success of long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea targeting vessels carrying military cargo, but did not identify the ships involved.
“We also achieved very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship. Thank you for these results! Glory to Ukraine,” he said on X.
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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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