Main Points
- ‘This tit for tat needs to stop’: UN spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, urged all parties involved to resume negotiations
- Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed
- The Irish Government is prepared for all scenarios should the renewed conflict between Iran and the US affect energy prices, the Tánaiste has said
- Earlier, US forces fired at 90 Iranian military targets in a second day of attacks along Iran’s coastline, US Central Command said
- Jordan said it had intercepted eight missiles as Iran targeted US bases in the Gulf in retaliation
Best Reads
- Global Briefing: Trump says Iran ceasefire is ‘over’. But is it?
- No strait answer as US and Iran stuck in cycle of strikes
- Analysis: What next for Iran after Ali Khamenei?
That is all for this evening, good night.
Reuters reports that an Iranian Navy site in Konarak was attacked by “enemy,” according to Iran’s official news agency, citing a local official.
Netanyahu and Trump agree to continue coordination in phone call
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump held a call on Thursday and agreed to continue coordination between their countries on various fronts, Netanyahu’s office said.
It added in a statement that Trump updated Netanyahu on “American moves in the Gulf.” - Reuters
Shipping through Strait of Hormuz grinds ‘to a halt’
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz waterway has plummeted following clashes between Iran and the US, according to a UK-based maritime data firm.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported transit by traceable vessels through the US co-ordinated sea lane off Oman “effectively grinding to a halt” in response to the latest violent confrontation.
Lloyd’s List in a post on X said: “Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply following the latest escalation between the US and Iran, with traceable vessel transits through the US-co-ordinated Omani lane effectively grinding to a halt.” - PA
Explosion noise caused by air defence response
In an update, Iranian state TV denied reports of explosions in Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s IRNA said the explosion sound in the city was caused by an air defence response.
CNN reported that the US was not conducting new strikes on Iran as of an hour ago. - Reuters
Explosions heard in southern Iran
Several explosions were heard in southern parts of Iran including Bushehr, where one of Iran’s nuclear plants is located, Konarak and Choghadak, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported. - Reuters
‘This tit for tat needs to stop,’ UN says
UN spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, urged all parties involved to resume negotiations.
“This tit for tat needs to stop,” he said at a regular briefing when asked about the recent flare-up in the conflict.
“A return to diplomacy is urgently needed for the sake of stability in the region, for the sake of global stability.”
He added that “all of the parties involved need to understand that the best way to end this conflict is a return to the negotiating table.”
A US defence official said missiles and drones fired by Iran caused no significant damage or injuries to US personnel.
The Iranian missiles and drones “were intercepted or failed to cause major damage”, the official said, adding that there were “no US injuries”.
Israel ready to attack Iran ‘if necessary’
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so “with even greater force”.
“The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of fighting, in order to regain air superiority and strike again ... in Iran, to eliminate threats, including a third time if necessary. If we have to go back, we will go back, with even greater force,” he said at a military ceremony. - Guardian
Irish Government prepared for ‘all scenarios’ following escalation of Iran war
The Irish Government is prepared for all scenarios should the renewed conflict between Iran and the US affect energy prices, the Tánaiste has said.
US forces hit around 90 targets across Iran overnight, while Tehran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday, Simon Harris said economists in his department had previously mapped out a number of possible scenarios.
If the war was to escalate, he said even in the most severe scenario the “Irish economy continues to grow” and added “we’re prepared for all scenarios is the truth”.
Asked if the Government is considering new supports, Harris responded its decision not to end temporary excise cuts “immediately” was “the right one”.
“It was the right one at the time, it’s even more right now” he said, “to provide people with more breathing space”.
In March, the Government announced 250 million euro worth of measures in response to the fuel crisis sparked by the Iran war and the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz trading route.
Three weeks later, in the wake of nationwide fuel protests, the Government announced a further reduction of duties on fuel.
Those measures are due to expire on July 31st, but last week that date was extended until August 31st, and higher rates will be reintroduced in a phased process between September and December.
Final stage of funeral procession for Iran’s supreme leader
The final stage of the funeral procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, set off through the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday afternoon, after days of public ceremonies that drew hundreds of thousands of mourners in Iran and Iraq.
The procession in Khamenei’s hometown began hours later than scheduled and unfolded against the backdrop of renewed strikes between the United States and Iran.
Tens of thousands of mourners gathered to watch the truck carrying Khamenei’s coffin as it traveled through Mashhad to the sprawling Imam Reza Shrine where his body will be buried.
Many of the mourners had been there since before dawn, filling streets, mosques and the gold-domed shrine. Some waved flags bearing the Ayatollah’s portrait and carried huge signs with slogans vowing to avenge his killing. Overhead sprinklers sprayed water into the air to cool the crowd in the scorching heat.
Iran has sought to present the funeral as a show of unity and defiance against the United States.
The gatherings in Mashhad underscored the religious and political significance of Khamenei’s death. Pilgrims and mourners had traveled not only from across Iran but from countries with large Shiite populations, including Iraq, Pakistan and India, as well as Senegal and Nigeria. For many, the funeral marked the passing of one of the most influential figures in modern Shiite Islam. - New York Times
‘It was back-to-back explosions’: Iranians recall 48 hours of terror after US attack on port cities
Residents in southern Iran have described two nights of fear this week after explosions shook coastal communities as the US launched fresh strikes on targets including the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik.
US central command confirmed the attacks, saying they were carried out to “further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the strait of Hormuz”.
For residents in Posht-e Shahr, Bandar Abbas, back-to-back explosions marked another night of terror as they scrambled to check on friends and family. Noor, a teacher who lives near the fishing pier, said this week’s strikes were stronger than most in recent months.
“Right now there’s calm, but last night and the night before were terrifying. It was around 1am or so that I heard back-to-back explosions – at least 10. There were perhaps also the sounds of the air defences. We have a little cat at home. He was so scared and hid under the bed,” said Noor, who like the other residents, asked to use a pseudonym.
The 40-year-old said fear is growing that the attacks may continue. At sunset, she feels increasingly unsettled about what the night may bring. “My biggest fear is for the fishermen. I live very close to the pier, and I know there were so many boats there with just fishermen trying to start early because it’s getting hot early in the morning.”
“I found out that many more have been injured in last night’s strikes, and several are dead. I am really worried that this time the impact will be worse for civilians,” she said.
Iranian authorities say at least 14 people have been killed in attacks over the past two days, with more than 78 injured. The fresh strikes also hit Sirik, another port city about 180km from Bandar Abbas. - The Guardian
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi held separate phone calls with his Omani and Turkish counterparts on Thursday and discussed latest developments in the region, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian foreign ministry said.
The parties stressed the need to use diplomatic channels to prevent escalation, a ministry statement said. - Reuters
Iran rushes out oil tankers carrying 11 million barrels of crude in past 24 hours
Iran has rushed out oil tankers carrying roughly 11 million barrels of crude in the past 24 hours as tensions flare again with the US and president Donald Trump threatens to reimpose a blockade on its ports.
Five supertankers and one Suezmax were observed leaving Iranian ports, with four of the vessels signaling positions in the Gulf of Oman and another transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to tanker-tracking data.
The flotilla emerged as the US military struck Iran for a second day in response to Tehran’s recent attacks on vessels, threatening to unravel a shaky peace deal between the two countries. The renewed instability has instilled caution among other shippers and brought most other visible traffic through Hormuz to a halt.
The fresh disruption roiled oil prices, which traded near $79 a barrel in London on Thursday, up almost 9 per cent this week.
Eleven million barrels is roughly equivalent to a week of Iran’s pre-war exports, although it’s unclear whether there will be buyers for the shipments. Earlier this week, tens of millions of barrels of Iranian oil were left effectively in limbo on tankers after the US walked back a waiver that had allowed the Islamic Republic to sell the crude. - Bloomberg
Iran fires ten ballistic missiles on Jordan’s Azraq military base
Iran fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base on Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by state media.
Jordan said earlier on Thursday that it had intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran, with no casualties or damage reported, according to the state news agency.
The Revolutionary Guards said US bases in the region would be targeted if “US aggression” was repeated. - Reuters
Oil tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz at near standstill
Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill on Thursday as shipping risks escalated after the US renewed airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf.
Just two tankers had so far sailed through the strait in the early hours of Thursday. They included the crude supertanker Berg 1, which had loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island and is subject to US sanctions, according to analysis from Kpler.
The Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker Well Sail, also transited the strait, Kpler analysis showed.
Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public AIS tracking transponders, making it harder to see all of the ships crossing.
“Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right now than any statement from Washington or Tehran,” Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, said.
The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war erupted on February 28th with US and Israeli strikes against Iran.
Daily traffic in the past two weeks had risen to its highest levels since the war’s outbreak, averaging 40 ships transiting the strait, which was still far off the pre-conflict average of 125 to 140 daily sailings.
EU ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts to discuss situation, says Helen McEntee
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee has said the events of the past 48 hours underline the “fragility of the truce” in the Gulf.
McEntee said the exchange of fire between Iran and the US risks undermining the agreement on a ceasefire and a process of talks to address the issues that led to this conflict.
“Iran’s latest attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain are unacceptable, as are its attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
“Freedom of navigation must be upheld, in accordance with international law. I urge parties to uphold the ceasefire and to meet their commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between Iran and the US.”
The Fine Gael TD added that EU Ministers will meet with Gulf counterparts in Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation.
“As I emphasised in my visit to the Gulf, only dialogue and diplomacy can bring lasting stability and security to the region,” she said.
At least 14 people killed in latest US airstrike
The US launched airstrikes against Iran overnight on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, while Tehran responded by hitting Gulf countries in the most intense exchange of fire since a shaky ceasefire was extended last month.
The tit-for-tat strikes on Thursday were the largest since Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17th aimed at extending the ceasefire and giving space for negotiations for a permanent truce.
Sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, where the US navy’s fifth fleet is headquartered, while Iranian missiles also targeted Kuwait and Qatar. There were no immediate reports of any damage.
The attacks came hours after Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding was “over” because of Iranian attacks on ships in the strait of Hormuz.
After the strikes, the US president posted videos of explosions in Iran and threatened the country once again.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Hours before, he had promised that strikes would not lead to long term fighting but would be “very-fast”.
His comments and the exchange of fire prompted worries that the ceasefire could break down and raised concerns about the long-term prospects of negotiations. Significant gaps remain between the two countries over issues such as Iran’s control over the strait of Hormuz, as well as inspections of nuclear facilities.
Back-and-forth attacks have happened since the MOU was signed, but Thursday’s strikes were the most intense in weeks.
The US military said it hit about 90 targets in Iran, showing footage of strikes on missile launchers and a runway. It said the strikes were meant to degrade Iran’s capacity to “threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas.
Iran accused the US of war crimes after it said two bridges in the eastern provinces leading to the city of Mashhad were targeted, the city where the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was slated to be buried on Thursday. The bridges constitute key infrastructure for Iran’s cross-border trade with China, which has dramatically increased since the US war with Iran started.
Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried on Thursday in the Iranian holy city Mashhad, his birthplace, in a ceremony that will mark more than just the culmination of his days-long funeral.
It will also signal the symbolic end of a nearly 37-year era in which Khamenei was the towering figure who shaped and held together the Islamic republic.
But what next for Iran after Ali Khamenei? You can read more here.
Iran’s slain supreme leader to be buried on Thursday
Iran buries its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday at the country’s holiest shrine, with his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei still hidden from public view after being disfigured in the strike that killed his father.
The burial in Mashhad in northeast Iran follows a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies that has coincided with a renewed burst of conflict with the United States following weeks of truce.
Crowds marched through Mashhad on Thursday morning, the golden onion dome and minarets of the Shrine of Imam Reza glinting in the morning sun, as they waved Iranian flags, photographs of the late Khamenei and placards with revolutionary slogans.
As Khamenei’s body was transported around Iran and Iraq over the past week, the Islamic Republic’s clerical leaders encouraged huge crowds to attend in an effort to vaunt the might and ideological fire of their theocratic state.
However, despite it having survived a months-long blitz by its strongest enemies, the United States and Israel, Iran faces huge internal challenges and the legacy of Khamenei’s 37-year rule is bitterly disputed.
The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, proclaimed Supreme Leader by a clerical assembly a week after his father’s death, has remained a mystery to Iranians. He has not appeared in public since the war began with the strike that killed Ali Khamenei on February 28th, and while he has issued written statements, no image or video or voice recording of him has been issued.
He suffered debilitating injuries in that same strike, his face disfigured and limbs badly wounded.
Senior sources in Tehran have said he is recovering but that he has not yet been well enough to manage public appearances and state security services are also trying to limit his exposure in case of more US attacks.
As crowds jostled in Mashhad awaiting Khamenei’s funeral cortege, the crowd chanted slogans demanding revenge on US President Donald Trump for his killing.
Qatar tells Iran all parties should commit to diplomacy
Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Iranian foreign minister in a phone call on Thursday that Iran and the United States should commit to diplomacy.
Al-Thani added that Washington and Tehran should implement the signed memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, the Qatari foreign minister said.
Iran launched drones towards a site in Qatar earlier on Thursday, and a Qatari tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week. Al-Thani condemned the attack in the call, the foreign ministry said.
US military claims to have hit 170 Iranian targets in 48 hours
Iran was pummelled with a volley of missiles for a second consecutive night, with the US military claiming to have struck 170 Iranian targets in the last 48 hours.
US central command (Centcom) said the intense bombing aimed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz”.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several cities, most of them concentrated in the south of the country, as its army responded with retaliatory strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
The regional crossfire sparked by a battle to control movement in the narrow and strategic shipping channel threatens to unravel an interim truce between the US and Iran.
Both sides have vowed to escalate retaliations should provocations continue, with Trump warning that worse could come, while Iran has threatened to expand its attacks against US bases in the region.
During the Nato summit, Trump said: “I don’t want to deal with them.” Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, vowed that Hormuz would remain under Iranian management.
“The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through US threats,” he wrote on X.
The fresh strikes came as Iranians prepare to bury their late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in his hometown of Mashhad in northeast Iran. The burial follows a multiday funeral ceremony that attracted millions of mourners across various cities in Iran and Iraq.
The US military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
The latest round of attacks, which the US said was carried out in response to Tuesday’s assault on three cargo ships travelling through the strait, came hours after Trump said he believed an interim ceasefire with Iran to be “over.”
“US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcom, the US military’s Middle East command, wrote on X.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
The US strikes rattled several cities along Iran’s southern coast and left some areas without power. Iran responded with a second day of attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to US military bases.
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said it was intercepting missiles and drones, while Qatar briefly issued an “elevated security threat” alert before later giving the all-clear.
Control of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil supplies passed before the war, has given Tehran immense leverage, effectively allowing it to force a stalemate with the world’s most powerful military. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the ship attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.
The latest exchange of strikes appeared to dim hopes of turning a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17th into a permanent deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28th.
Asked before the Nato summit on Wednesday whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump replied: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them ... If we make a deal with Iran, I’m not sure that will stick. I found them to be very dishonourable people.”
But Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to escalate military action before backing off, said he did not expect a return to full-fledged war, and that it was not clear whether the negotiations on reaching a permanent deal would continue.
Also on Wednesday, the US president said he did not think the war would restart: “Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly ... and will only make it safer, including for oil.”
Trump denies security concerns behind plane swap
Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran, according to people briefed on the plans, who said the change came at the urging of the US secret service.
Trump denied security fears were behind a brief stop at RAF Mildenhall on his way home from the Nato summit in Turkey.
The swap deepens questions about whether the new plane, which the president had pressed to be ready as soon as possible, was retrofitted with sufficient security measures over the last year. Some politicians and officials have raised concerns about whether the expedited timeline allowed for the addition of an advanced missile defence system and other modifications used to protect the president.
Asked by reporters at Mildenhall if he was aware of credible threats to the plane, Trump replied: “I have a threat all the time. I’m number one of their list.”
He repeated his earlier comments on social media that the new plane was sent to RAF Mildenhall to allow US service members to see it.
The trip to Ankara was the first international trip for the new plane.
He later posted a picture of service members in front of the plane and described them as “very excited”.
Trump earlier said he flew from Turkey to the UK on board the previous Air Force One “for old time’s sake” with reporters asked to keep the window blinds drawn during the flight.
The president, who said he was not asked to keep blinds closed in his compartment, said the request was probably because of “sleazebags over here” in an apparent reference to Iran.
Iraqis turn out in droves to mourn Iran’s Khamenei
Hundreds of thousands of mourners filled the streets of the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, chanting, praying and weeping for Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as they pushed their way to the convoy carrying his coffin.
It was a frenzied outpouring of grief for another nation’s ruler – one who, as a preeminent Shia Muslim cleric and political strategist, spent decades extending Iran’s influence deep into Iraq, and across the Middle East.
“He was our guardian and protector, and we are here today to return the favour,” said Rabab Jassim (45), who arrived in Najaf at 3am from Baghdad to join the ceremony.
“My heart is on fire,” she said, bursting into tears.
The procession followed five days of funeral services and mass mourning inside Iran for Khamenei, who was killed in the first US-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Iran in February. His body was set to be flown back to Iran after the commemorations, and he was expected to be buried on Thursday in his hometown, the northeastern city of Mashhad.
As supreme leader, Khamenei oversaw brutal crackdowns of opposition to his clerical rule at home, and he also leaves behind a divisive legacy in Iraq.
The country is home to the Middle East’s second-largest Shia Muslim population, after Iran. Some Iraqis praise Khamenei for providing Iranian support to Iraq’s Shia militias, who fought against the eight-year US occupation. Others blame Iran’s intervention for stoking 20 years of sectarian bloodshed with Iraq’s Sunni minority that has only recently ebbed.
‘I don’t want to deal with them any more. They’re scum’
Trump has again claimed the US has won the war with Iran, which was launched by the US and Israel on February 28th.
Asked about the status of the interim ceasefire deal, Trump replied: “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more. They’re scum. They’re sick people ... And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.”
He said he would allow negotiations to continue.
Speaking on Air Force One, after a brief stop to change planes at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on his return flight from the Nato summit in Turkey, Trump said the US had “won militarily” and that Iran wanted to make a deal.
“They want to make a deal so badly – I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal,” he said.
“I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal. That’s the problem.”
Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that Trump’s remarks “are not a sign of power but an admission of the failure”.
In a post on X, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said: “The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”
Trump says situation ‘will get much worse’ for Iran
US forces said they hit about 90 targets across Iran on Wednesday with Trump warning the conflict could “get much worse”.
Iran responded to a second day of renewed attacks by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar early on Thursday.
US central command said the strikes were aimed at hitting Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” through Hormuz.
Renewed hostilities broke out on Tuesday after Iran targeted three tankers in the vital waterway, which remains a flashpoint in the fragile truce.
“US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the commander in chief,” noted the central command statement.
They said the targets included more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard small boats.
Iranian state media reported explosions in Bushehr, home to the country’s nuclear power plant complex, and the southern ports of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Sirik.
Bahrain – home to the US navy’s fifth fleet – Kuwait and Qatar all sounded sirens early on Thursday amid retaliatory Iranian fire. Kuwait said it was intercepting drones and missiles.
Trump also reposted on his Truth Social platform a picture of buildings in flames, billowing thick black smoke, purportedly in Iran, with the message: “This is retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships. If it happens again, it will get much worse.”
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