Al Jazeera

By Caolán Magee and Stephen Quillen

    Kuwait’s ⁠army ⁠says it detected and ⁠destroyed hostile drones ⁠in the country’s airspace, in what it ‌described as an Iranian attack against several vital facilities.

    The commander of Iran’s top joint military command has said the US actions against Iran increasingly risk igniting widespread regional conflict, warning regional countries against being “consumed by the flames of war”.

    A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles (equivalent to about 20km) northeast of Limah, Oman.

    Yemen’s Houthis say they forced eight Saudi ships to change course, without specifying when.

Israeli drone attack kills two in Gaza City

    An Israeli drone attack has killed two people in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, according to the Wafa news agency, citing al-Shifa Hospital where the casualties were taken.

    Others injured from the attack were also brought to the hospital, it reported.

    The attack follows our reports of several earlier deadly air strikes in the enclave, including one that killed a person in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood and another that killed a second person on Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza.

Kuwait reports damage, but no casualties after drone attack

    Kuwait’s military says it has “intercepted and destroyed” hostile drones that entered the country’s territory, after earlier reporting activating its air defences due to “Iranian aggression”.

    A government facility in ⁠northern Kuwait and ⁠civilian property belonging to a company ⁠on Bubiyan Island ⁠were hit, ⁠it said, adding that falling shrapnel caused material ‌damage but no casualties.

Iran says regional countries should reconsider ‘alignment’ with US

    Iranian Major-General Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s top joint military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said the US actions against Iran increasingly risk igniting widespread regional conflict.

    In comments carried by Iran’s IRIB broadcaster, Abdollahi said regional countries should understand that the US intends to use their wealth, infrastructure and resources “as a defensive shield from its weakened military”.

    He said those countries should reconsider their “cooperation and alignment” with the US, warning that any country serving as the US’s “defensive shield” will be “consumed by the flames of war”.

Ongoing attacks erode confidence in ceasefire

By Hani Mahmoud

Reporting from Gaza

    The word “ceasefire” has become disconnected from the daily reality of people’s lives here. The word is meant to mean safety, but that’s not the experience here. It’s almost been the case for the last three years.

    Last night, there were a series of attacks across Gaza on residential buildings and a medical supplies building needed for kidney patients.

    According to medical sources, shortages and attacks on health facilities are limiting how doctors can treat patients.

    People are seeking shelter. People are worried about the next few hours. People can’t plan ahead amid the ongoing attacks.

    Every time we talk about an agreement, all of this erodes any sense of confidence that it can succeed.

Netanyahu signalling he’s ‘not quite ready’ for new Gaza roadmap: US ex-official

    Former US Deputy National Security Adviser Mark Pfeifle says Israel’s latest attacks in Gaza, following the announcement of a new roadmap for Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal, could be a troubling message from the Israeli leadership.

    “I think what Benjamin Netanyahu is doing is sending a signal that he’s not quite ready yet to come to this framework,” Pfeifle told Al Jazeera. “He still has some issues with it.

    “But I think what Trump and the Americans are trying to do is say let’s put together a framework, a roadmap – and that’s diplomatic speak for pressure on both sides to come to an agreement,” added Pfeifle.

    However, Pfeifle cautioned that both Israel and Hamas could still “put a wrench into this mechanism”, causing it to potentially “fall apart”.

New roadmap pushes Israel to finally ‘give up land’ in Gaza: US ex-official

    Mark Pfeifle, former US deputy national security adviser, has said the newly announced Gaza roadmap, calling for disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave, puts renewed pressure on Israel.

    “Israel has been very good at talking about what the challenges, what the security problems are,” Pfeifle told Al Jazeera. “What they’ve not been good at is talking about what are the actual solutions. How are you going to have a long-term situation in Gaza that can bring peace to the area ”

    He said the roadmap would give Hamas a concrete time period to “decommission the tunnels and put together a weapons storage system”, after which “the Israelis have to give up that land.” The US could use diplomatic pressure or leverage military assistance to push Israel to meet its obligations, Pfeifle added.

    “The Israelis do not have a lot of friends left internationally,” he said.

Israeli forces arrest seven Palestinians in occupied West Bank

    At least seven Palestinians, including two 16-year-old children, have been arrested by Israeli forces during raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

    The Palestinian agency reported that a 16-year-old was arrested on Saturday morning after troops raided his family’s home in the town of Tammun, southeast of Tubas city. Four other Palestinians were arrested during predawn raids in the villages of Urif, Einabus and Burqa in the Nablus governorate.

    Wafa also reported that Israeli forces arrested another 16-year-old during a raid on the village of Wadi Fukin, west of Bethlehem city, and one more Palestinian person at a military checkpoint northeast of the city.

    Separately, according to Wafa, Israeli forces raided dozens of homes in the town of Asira ash-Shamaliya, north of Nablus city, rounding up dozens of residents inside a house that was turned into what the agency described as a field interrogation centre.

US unable to eliminate Iranian threat in Strait of Hormuz

    Wolfgang Pustai, security policy and defence analyst, has told Al Jazeera from Vienna, Austria that “there is certainly no way that the United States is able to end the threat to maritime vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and in the northern Arabian Sea.

    “What they can do is that they can limit the number of attacks by striking the assets that Iran uses to attack these ships,” he said. “What we see now is a hot and cold approach by the United States. Whenever Iran attacks the ships in the region, the Americans are striking back in force.”

EU maritime mission says merchant vessel, protected by Italian frigate, transited Red Sea

    The EU’s maritime security operation in the Red Sea, European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Aspides, has said a merchant vessel safely transited the sea under the protection of an Italian frigate.

    Launched in February 2024, EUNAVFOR Aspides describes itself as an operation “to safeguard freedom of navigation in relation to the Red Sea crisis”.

    It aims to “accompany vessels”, “ensure maritime situational awareness” and “protect vessels against multi-domain attacks” in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, according to the mission.

Kuwaiti army says intercepting ‘hostile drones’

    The Kuwaiti army says its air defences are currently countering “hostile drone attacks”.

    In a statement, the army blamed the attack on “Iranian aggression” and warned that any upcoming explosions would likely be caused by air defence interceptions.

Heavy explosions rock southern Lebanon as Israeli forces conduct patrols

    Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) says southern villages and towns – particularly those in and near the Israeli-imposed “Yellow Zone”, including al-Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and Haddatha – are in a state of high tension following huge explosions carried out by Israeli forces overnight.

    The blasts resonated across the entire southern region from after midnight through this morning, it said.

    In the area stretching from Saf al-Hawa to Bint Jbeil, Israeli forces opened fire with heavy machineguns and deployed mechanised patrols along the roadsides.

    Residents reported widespread tension as the activity continued throughout the morning, according to the NNA report.

Iran ‘won the war’ but must secure long-term stability, speaker tells council

    Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran has won the war, but it must consolidate and cement this victory.

    The nation must maintain hope for a bright future, he added.

    Ghalibaf made the remarks at the Iranian Parliament Coordination Council, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

    He emphasised that Iranian officials must first and foremost expand the executive authority and capacity of the supreme leader, noting that any efforts to build a strong Iran must begin at this point.

UKMTO receives report of explosion near tanker off Oman

    A tanker has reported an explosion and a large splash in close proximity, 21 nautical miles (equivalent to about 39km) northeast of Khasab, Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports.

    No damage to the vessel has been reported at this time. UKMTO said authorities are investigating, and vessels in the area are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

President Aoun says only Lebanese army should bear arms

    In a message on the occasion of Army Day, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says the Lebanese army should be the country’s sole military force.

    There should be “no legitimacy for any weapon outside the legitimacy of the state”, he said.

    “The army alone possesses the decision-making authority, the strength, and the legitimacy to be the state’s exclusive military arm,” Aoun said.

    He added that the military would expand its deployment in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw, saying the next phase requires “the exclusive extension of the state’s authority over its territories” and that the army alone is capable of protecting the country’s sovereignty.

Israeli forces arrest four people in raids near Nablus: Palestinian news agency

    Israeli forces have raided towns around Nablus in the occupied West Bank, arresting four people in Urif, Einabus and Burqa, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

    They also raided the nearby town of Asira ash-Shamaliya, storming dozens of homes and converting one into a field interrogation centre, reported Wafa.

    As tensions rise from Jordan and Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, we examine whether the US and the Middle East are approaching a broader regional war – and what it could mean for global energy markets, the US, and international security.

    Iran’s missile strike on US forces in Jordan, expanding proxy attacks in Iraq and Yemen, and growing threats to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb have heightened concerns.

    Al Jazeera’s Alex Marquardt examines Tehran’s evolving strategy, US President Donald Trump’s response, the challenges facing US diplomacy, and why these developments could have consequences far beyond the Middle East.

Houthis claim forcing eight Saudi tankers to change course

    Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the Yemeni group has forced eight Saudi oil tankers to change course, without providing a timeframe.

    “The armed forces confirm that they are continuing the siege operation against the Saudi enemy and that the hand of the armed forces will reach its ships, God willing, wherever it is able to do so,” he added.

    The Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20, and recently rejected reports that they would be imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

If you’re just joining us

    Here’s what you need to know:

    An unknown projectile struck a tanker about 20km (12 miles) northeast of Limah, Oman, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reports. It says the strike damaged the engine room, leaving the vessel unable to manoeuvre.

    Yemen’s Houthis deny reports that they would impose fees on commercial ships sailing through Bab al-Mandeb.

    The Palestinian Information Center reports that an Israeli air strike on a structure west of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah has caused widespread destruction, damaging tents housing displaced Palestinians.

    Israel has demolished a Palestinian home that dates back 40 years before the declaration of the state of Israel, after the Nakba – Palestinians say this is an accelerating campaign to wipe out their heritage.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned the UK decision to label the IRGC a state threat and criticised British involvement in US-Israeli attacks on Iran, in a call with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

    Iran’s National Security Council has warned that if the US continues with its naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports, Iran’s hold on the Strait of Hormuz will be further tightened and other straits could also be closed.

UAE welcomes Trump’s Gaza disarmament agreement

    The United Arab Emirates has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the Gaza Board of Peace reached an agreement to disarm Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza under his 20-point peace plan, calling it a major step towards ending the conflict.

    In a statement issued by the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry and carried by WAM news agency, the ministry said the deal “represents an important development towards ending the conflict, enhancing security and stability, and creating the necessary conditions to launch a political track leading to a sustainable peace”.