Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retaliation for recent U.S. strikes.
Iran's response plan would target critical infrastructure in Israel as well as U.S. energy infrastructure across the region, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, which cited a senior security official.
The official's comments come amid reports that the United States and Israel are considering strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, further raising the prospect of an escalation targeting strategic energy assets across the Middle East.
The United States and Israel are planning a bombing campaign targeting Iran's energy infrastructure, with strikes potentially taking place over the weekend, CBS News reported on Friday, citing sources.
According to the report, the proposed operation would focus on energy facilities as tensions between Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran continue to escalate. Neither the White House nor the Israeli government immediately commented on the report.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. naval forces continue to enforce the blockade against Iran, with the guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) operating in regional waters.
According to CENTCOM, as of 31 July, U.S. forces have redirected 30 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two to ensure compliance with the blockade.
The military added that it has also allowed nearly 30 ships carrying humanitarian aid to transit the blockade.
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Friday after Iran said it had stopped two vessels attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz and that four other tankers turned back following intervention by its forces, heightening concerns over global energy supplies.
Shipping data from Kpler showed that two large oil tankers and two other commercial vessels transited the strait, although the platform does not track ships sailing with their transponders switched off.
The Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about one-fifth of global energy shipments, has faced major disruptions during the conflict.
Benchmark Brent crude was on track to gain 23% in July, with analysts expecting prices to remain elevated as regional tensions persist.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel was "very happy" with an agreement reached by his so-called Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Calling the agreement a "major breakthrough", Trump said the deal would be implemented in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament progresses and an International Stabilization Force working alongside a new Palestinian police force to help secure the enclave.
Trump described the agreement as a key step towards ending the war in Gaza, adding that few had believed Hamas could be disarmed.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is searching for Iranian assets "all around the world," adding that any recovered funds would ultimately "go to the Iranian people."
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran is doing "very poorly," in comments to his cabinet at Camp David in Maryland.
"They’ve been very dishonest and dishonourable to deal with, but they’re doing very poor," Trump added.
Donald Trump has dismissed reports in U.S. media that a cyberattack targeting water systems in the American state of Minnesota was related to Iran.
"I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent, not Iran. Iran has got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota," Trump told a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland.
One of the world’s largest illegal gambling networks sends millions of dollars worth of crypto through an office in Dubai, part of a $4 billion Iranian sanctions evasion operation.
The office, above a budget hotel in an unfashionable neighbourhood, is the listed address of Shelbit, an unlicensed crypto exchange run by an expatriate Iranian, according to data shared by two crypto investigative firms and an independent analyst, and reviewed by Reuters.
Kuwait's army has destroyed drones that entered its airspace, the armed forces said on X, adding that there was material damage due to falling debris, but no casualties.
The army said "Iranian aggression" had targeted a number of vital and military installations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has stopped two tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz and forced four other vessels to change course, Iran's IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency has reported.
U.S.-Saudi airstrikes targeting pro-Iran Shia militants in Iraq were carried out without Baghdad's prior knowledge, an Iraqi government spokesperson has said, Iranian state news agency IRNA reports.
Haider al-Aboudi said the Iraqi government wasn't told beforehand about the attacks on the Popular Mobilization Forces.
“The government had no prior knowledge of the attacks carried out on Iraqi territory,” Haider al-Aboudi told the state-owned Iraqi News Agency late on Thursday, according to IRNA.
An Iranian strike that hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in Kuwait did not affect Chinese citizens, Beijing's Foreign Ministry has said.
China has urged Kuwait to take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions, Mao Ning, a Spokesperson for the Ministry, added at a press briefing.
Türkiye appears set to join a Saudi Arabia-led multinational maritime defence coalition aimed at protecting commercial shipping and energy routes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
It comes after Yemen's Houthis stepped up attacks on vessels and threatened a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials said representatives from 43 countries and the EU attended talks in Riyadh, with 14 countries, including Türkiye, expressing formal support for the initiative.
The coalition is expected to focus on maritime security, intelligence sharing and the protection of critical sea lanes, rather than offensive operations.
Oil prices declined on Friday as shipments increased through key maritime routes despite stalled Iran-U.S. talks.
Brent crude futures fell $1.03, or 1.2 per cent, to $88 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped $1.50, or 1.8 per cent, to $82.09 a barrel.
Despite the daily decline, both benchmarks were set to record monthly gains of around 20 per cent.
The Iranian military said the operation hit facilities including power generators, navigation systems and administrative support buildings.
According to the army’s statement, the strike was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, a Su-24 pilot.
Iran described Sheikh Isa Air Base as a strategically important U.S. military installation in the Gulf, serving as a hub for reconnaissance aircraft and logistics operations.
Iran’s army said it targeted strategic U.S. military facilities at Kuwait’s Ahmed Al-Jaber airbase with drones, calling the operation a response to recent U.S. strikes.
In a statement reported by Tasnim news agency, the army said the attack hit hangars, satellite communication systems and equipment warehouses at the base.
According to the statement, the strike was carried out in retaliation for a U.S. attack on a residential area on Qeshm Island.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed regional de-escalation efforts and bilateral relations during a phone call.
During the conversation, the Syrian president condemned what he described as an attempted attack by Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Saudi oil facilities, reaffirming Syria’s unwavering support for the kingdom’s security and sovereignty.
Drones targeted sites in the northern Iraqi cities of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah early Friday, triggering fresh explosions, according to local media.
The latest attacks come as northern Iraq continues to grapple with a deepening fuel crisis triggered by earlier strikes that disrupted energy production, leaving motorists waiting hours at filling stations, slashing electricity supplies.
Across Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok, motorists are spending hours outside filling stations, with some waiting overnight, as fuel shortages continue to ripple through the region.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that authorities are continuing to investigate the drone attack that targeted two gas vessels at Damietta Port.
His remarks came during a phone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, marking Sisi’s first public comments since Wednesday’s attack, for which no group has claimed responsibility.
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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.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
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”.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
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”.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two key maritime chokepoints in the region, decreased significantly from the previous day, according to shipping data.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
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