Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The United States is conducting air strikes in Iran, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing a U.S. official.
The Pentagon increased its long-term Patriot missile order to nearly $59 billion, highlighting the U.S. military's growing demand for the air defense system following the Iran war, local media reported Wednesday.
The revised Army contract with Lockheed Martin is valued at up to $53.9 billion, supplementing a $4.7 billion Patriot missile order awarded in April.
The Pentagon also granted the company a preliminary $35 billion multiyear contract for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors designed to counter ballistic missile threats.
In April, the Defense Department said it reached a framework deal with Boeing and Lockheed Martin aimed at tripling the production capacity for critical missile components.
The seven-year agreement focuses on increasing output of seekers used in the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE), a key interceptor in the nation’s layered missile defense system.
Supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement are set to demonstrate in Sanaa on Friday, calling for an end to air and sea restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Houthi-controlled areas.
The rally comes amid heightened regional tensions following recent military escalation involving Saudi Arabia, the United States and Iran-backed groups in the region.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss efforts to reduce tensions across the Middle East, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. Abdelatty stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law, as regional security concerns continue to mount.
The call came after a drone struck a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, according to maritime security firm Ambrey. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier he had been briefed on the incident.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met on Wednesday with Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected head of Hamas' Political Bureau, and a Hamas delegation, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
During the meeting, Fidan congratulated al-Hayya on his appointment. Al-Hayya briefed him on the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel of intensifying settlement activities and attacks on holy sites in Jerusalem. He also said Hamas remains committed to peace negotiations and updated Fidan on Palestinian reconciliation efforts.
Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for the Palestinian cause, saying Ankara will continue working to keep the situation in Gaza and the West Bank on the international agenda, increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, and support the peace process. He also expressed appreciation for Hamas' role in those efforts.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance reportedly met Wednesday with Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, according to a CNN report.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported that the meeting took place in Washington.
The meeting comes shortly after Tuesday night's precision strikes by U.S. and Saudi forces against targets linked to Iranian-aligned groups in Iraq. CENTCOM said the operation targeted sites connected to attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to build an international coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, according to two people familiar with the deliberations.
The move comes as the Iran-backed group steps up threats against vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising concerns over the security of one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would like the ability to impose tariffs on Iran added to Russia sanctions legislation that was being pushed by Senator Lindsey Graham before he died recently.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would hit Iran very hard after an attack on the U.S. military in Jordan.
"So it's our turn," Trump told reporters at the White House. He said Washington would see if there was an agreement at some point, "but we're going to hit them very hard."
Trump also said he was briefed on a drone attack on tankers off Egypt.
The U.S. military says it has redirected 20 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two as part of its naval blockade targeting Iran.
CENTCOM said the operations were carried out to enforce the blockade and ensure compliance by ships attempting to transit to Iranian ports.
Four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in overnight U.S.-Saudi airstrikes in Iraq’s northern Diyala province, according to Iranian media on Wednesday.
Mehr News Agency identified the four as Ali Asghar Astaneh, Abolfazl Motaqi, Morteza Akbari and Amir Abbas Darhamforoush, saying they were all from the central Iranian city of Kashan.
The agency said they were killed in a U.S.-Saudi attack in Diyala, but did not provide further details about their role or the circumstances of the strike.
The report came hours after Iranian media reported that several Iraqis wounded in the same strikes had been transferred to Iran through the Khosravi border crossing for medical treatment.
Egypt's Petroleum Ministry said a fire broke out on regasification and storage vessels at Damietta port, confirming earlier reports of an incident at the Mediterranean LNG terminal.
The ministry said no injuries or fatalities had been reported. Authorities did not immediately provide details on the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage.
The incident comes after reports of an explosion and fires involving gas vessels at the port, one of Egypt's key energy export hubs.
An explosion struck the LNG terminal at Egypt's Damietta port during cargo discharge operations, according to shipping services company Inchcape.
Inchcape said vessels involved in the incident have been moved outside the port, while operations at other berths and terminals are expected to resume later on Wednesday night.
Two Egyptian security sources said gas storage tankers at the port may have been targeted by drones. Maritime security firm Ambrey reported that a U.S.-owned and operated, Marshall Islands-flagged LNG floating storage facility was hit by at least one unmanned aerial vehicle while docked at Damietta.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Ambrey said there were no reported casualties and no damage to port infrastructure, while Inchcape reported that two gas tankers caught fire following the explosion.
A response to the U.S.-Saudi attacks carried out overnight is "inevitable," Iraq's Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militant group has said.
The Shia paramilitary group said that a response could target what it described as U.S. "tools" in Saudi Arabia, adding that it will give the Iraqi government until 6 August to show it can defend the country's sovereignty.
Four Iranian Revolutionary Guards military advisers were killed in overnight U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iraq, Iran's Hamshahri newspaper has reported. Iranian authorities haven't confirmed the losses.
Iraq's National Security Council has directed the country's Foreign Ministry to pursue legal action over U.S.-Saudi strikes, the Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister has said.
Only Iraq has the authority to respond to attacks on its own territory, the Prime Minister's Office noted, while urging all parties against escalation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to hit Iran hard after the U.S. military said it had intercepted multiple ballistic missiles launched by Tehran towards American forces in the Middle East, according to an interview with Fox News.
The phone interview was not broadcast, but a Fox reporter summarised Trump's response.
A Norwegian teenager has been convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in Britain having been recruited by a Swedish organised crime group which prosecutors said was used by the Iranian government.
Johannes Natland, now 19, was arrested in a hotel room in Huddersfield in northern England in March last year in possession of two firearms and ammunition.
Prosecutors said Natland had been recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organised crime group used by the Iranian state which has been sanctioned by Britain and the U.S.
The U.S. military is considering confiscating mobile phones from some troops in the Middle East after warning that videos shared online could help Iran identify and target American bases, according to Reuters.
Iraq's Iran-backed Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba militia has threatened the United States and Saudi Arabia with consequences after the two countries carried out joint strikes against armed groups in Iraq overnight.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has cancelled a planned visit to Saudi Arabia after pro-Iran Iraqi militias attacked the kingdom, leading to overnight retaliatory strikes by U.S. and Saudi forces on Iran-backed groups in Iraq.
The Israeli military says Hezbollah launched a drone at a vehicle in the Ali al-Taher ridge area of southern Lebanon on Wednesday, calling the incident a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire agreement. It said no Israeli troops were injured.
Yemen's Houthi group is considering charging commercial vessels to transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to regional sources, in a move that could further disrupt global shipping and increase pressure on the United States and its allies.
A U.S.-backed plan linking Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah's disarmament is progressing slowly, with officials warning it could take more than a year to complete as negotiations remain difficult and Hezbollah refuses to give up its weapons.
China urged the relevant parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation and promote de-escalation in the Red Sea.
Beijing is "closely following developments in the Red Sea," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular news conference in Beijing.
She said the sovereignty and security of regional countries should be respected, while safe and unimpeded passage through international waterways should be jointly safeguarded.
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 others wounded in overnight U.S.-Saudi airstrikes targeting the group's headquarters in several provinces across the country.
In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the PMF said the strikes hit its facilities in the provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala, causing extensive damage to its headquarters, military vehicles and equipment.
It said specialised committees are continuing field assessments to determine the full extent of the damage.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security following overnight Saudi-U.S. airstrikes on the country, the Security Media Cell said.
In a statement, the Security Media Cell said al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, instructed the council to convene urgently in response to "security developments and the aerial bombardment the country was subjected to at dawn today."
It said a detailed statement outlining the developments and decisions taken during the meeting would be issued afterward.
European Union Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas said she discussed the situation in the Gulf and Iran’s military support for Russia during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Kallas said the pause in fighting in the Gulf could give mediators time to seek a diplomatic solution and avoid a return to a wider conflict.
Jordan's armed forces said Wednesday that its air defences intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran that were heading toward the Kingdom.
According to the official Petra news agency, the missiles were detected by the military's surveillance and monitoring systems and intercepted and destroyed in accordance with the armed forces' approved rules of engagement.
Tehran has ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it has no chance of success, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are trying to pressure Oman to advance their "unrealistic plans" regarding the strategic strait, the official added.
Iran's ambassador and deputy representative to the United Nations, Gholamhossein Darzi, stated on IRNA that "the United States is the aggressor," adding the actions by U.S. and Israel pose a serious threat to regional and international peace, stability, and security. He added that the U.S. has "violated the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law."
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed it carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq in coordination with U.S. Central Command, saying the action was in response to drone attacks targeting Saudi territory.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the timing of the attacks was "unfortunate" as Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan were working to reduce tensions during a five-day pause in hostilities.
It accused "Iran-affiliated terrorist militias" of choosing an "irresponsible escalatory" path and said Riyadh reserves the right to defend itself and respond at a time it deems appropriate.
In a statement, the IRGC said the vessels were intercepted "a few hours ago" but did not provide details on the tankers' identities, ownership, locations or the nature of the alleged violations.
"The IRGC Navy once again warns that the illegal interventions and orders of the U.S., a child-killing army, will not go unanswered by vessels in the region," it said.
Iran appeared to launch missiles toward U.S. military bases in Jordan early Wednesday, according to local and Iranian media reports.
The reports said missiles were fired toward American installations in the country, with air defence systems trying to intercept the incoming projectiles
The U.S. military said it conducted strikes with Saudi Arabia's armed forces in Iraq against militant groups aligned with Iran.
"U.S. Central Command and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces conducted precision strikes in Iraq, 28 July, against Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
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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.
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.
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.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
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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