Al Jazeera

By Enes Abuomer and Mahmoud Sayed

    US President Donald Trump has said Washington was having “productive discussions” with Iran and pledged not to attack the country before the November 3 midterm elections.

    Iranian media has reported “massive explosions” in the southern Strait of Hormuz, with Fars citing unnamed military sources as saying tankers using “unauthorised” routes may have struck sea mines.

    Oil prices rose about 4 percent, with Brent settling at $104.28 a barrel and WTI at $91.49, amid renewed concerns over the US war on Iran and risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

    US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would continue targeting “enablers” of Iranian oil sales after the Treasury imposed sanctions on 27 companies, six individuals and 22 vessels.

US Senator Chris Murphy accuses Pentagon of ‘cover-up’ over Iran war costs and damage

    US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has accused the Department of Defense of trying to hide the costs and failures of the war on Iran after he was denied access to US military facilities in the region.

    “The reason was made up,” Murphy said in an interview with CNN. He said officials told him it was unsafe, but argued that he had previously visited US positions in Iraq and Afghanistan during active fighting.

    “This was not a question of safety. This is a question of cover-up,” Murphy said, adding that Defense Department officials in the region also refused to brief him at the US embassy.

    Murphy said the State Department allowed him to inspect damage at the embassy, which he described as “extensive”.

    “The attack on the US embassy happened at night. Had it happened during the day, there would have been lots of Americans killed,” he claimed.

US Senator Chris Murphy speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on a funding request for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC, on July 21, 2026 [Eric Lee/Reuters]

Iran weighs US proposal as Tehran signals nuclear defiance and war readiness

    Iran has continued to balance diplomacy with Washington against displays of military resolve, from the Strait of Hormuz to its ability to sustain a prolonged war. Here are the main developments:

    Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran will respond to US proposals within the “next few days”, adding that negotiations are continuing through mediators. He said Iran had presented its seven-day plan and was now reviewing Washington’s position.

    Iran’s atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said Tehran would not give up uranium enrichment or hand over its stockpiles, calling enrichment an “inseparable part” of the nuclear process and rejecting US demands as “deception and lies”.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Moscow was ready to “do everything that is in our power” to help end the US-Israel war, saying Iran was making “real efforts” to bring the conflict to an end.

    Iranian media reported “massive explosions” in the southern Strait of Hormuz, with Fars citing unnamed military sources as saying tankers using “unauthorised” routes may have struck sea mines.

    Iranian defence officials said weapons production rose to 2.5 times pre-war levels and that current capacity was sufficient for a “sustained and prolonged war”.

Global stocks fall as oil jumps 4 percent on Middle East war concerns

    Global shares fell on Thursday as a sharp rise in oil prices and concerns over mounting corporate debt weighed on markets, Reuters reported.

    Wall Street’s S&P 500 fell about 0.5 percent, while the Nasdaq dropped nearly 1.3 percent. Chipmakers were among the weakest performers, despite strong earnings from major Asian semiconductor companies.

    Oil prices settled about 4 percent higher as concerns over the US war on Iran and possible supply disruptions from a hurricane approaching the US Gulf Coast boosted crude.

    Brent futures rose $4.08, or 4.1 percent, to $104.28 a barrel.

    European markets also declined, with the STOXX 600 falling 0.75 percent, while France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.5 percent amid continued concerns over government debt and inflation.

Democratic Senate candidate vows to vote against sending weapons to Israel

    The Democratic Senate candidate for Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has said he would not vote to send defensive weapons to Israel if it came under attack from Iran or other countries.

    El-Sayed, a former public health official, said during a debate against the Republican candidate Mike Rogers on Thursday that “Israel has pushed us to go to war in Iran”.

    “I do not want our tax dollars buying weapons for other countries,” El-Sayed said.

    “I do not consider an ally a country that takes us to wars we do not need to fight,” he added.

    Rogers, a former congressman, spoke in support of Israel, saying he supports “Israel’s right to defend itself in a difficult neighbourhood”.

How Gaza accelerated India’s shift towards Israel under Modi

    India’s relationship with Israel has become increasingly open and politically significant under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a sharp departure from New Delhi’s decades-long support for the Palestinian cause.

    That shift has become even more visible during Israel’s war on Gaza. While several Western governments have imposed sanctions or trade measures targeting Israeli officials, settlers and settlement-linked products, India has continued expanding ties with Israel, including in trade, defence and intelligence cooperation.

    Analysts say the relationship reflects both strategic interests and ideological convergence. Israel is viewed in New Delhi as an important defence and intelligence partner, while sections of India’s Hindu right have long expressed admiration for Israel’s security policies and its approach to questions of nationalism and identity.

    India still officially supports a two-state solution and has called for humanitarian aid and peace, but critics say Modi’s government has been reluctant to openly confront Israel over its conduct in Gaza, settler violence in the occupied West Bank or attacks on Iran.

Putin offers to help end the war on Iran in a meeting with Pezeshkian

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help end the war in the Middle East during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

    “We are ready to do everything that is in our power to contribute to the settlement of this situation,” Putin said during the meeting on Thursday, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

    Putin added that Iran had made “real efforts” to end the US-Israel war against Iran.

    Pezeshkian said that Iran would not “walk away” from the efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.

    “We are engaged in dialogue; however, every time we talk to the US, they launch new attacks. Nevertheless, we will not walk away from the negotiating table,” he said.

    The presidents of Russia and Iran met in Turkmenistan ahead of a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States that starts on Friday.

US State Department says Houthis profit from trafficking, recruit child soldiers

    The US State Department says human trafficking remains a lucrative part of Yemen’s war economy, “greatly benefiting” the Houthis, who it says also recruit African refugees and exploit migration routes for financial gain.

    In its 2026 Trafficking in Persons report, the department says Yemen remains a “Special Case” for the 11th consecutive year because of the war, humanitarian crisis and limited government control. It also says Yemeni armed forces and government-supported armed groups have been implicated in recruiting and using child soldiers.

    The report says migrants, particularly Ethiopians and Somalis travelling through Yemen towards Saudi Arabia and Oman, face forced labour, sex trafficking, physical and sexual abuse, forced marriage and abduction for ransom. It also accuses the Houthis of subjecting migrants to forced criminality, including drug trafficking.

    The State Department says Houthi “summer camps” are used for child recruitment, estimating that about 400,000 Yemeni youths may have attended them in 2024. It alleges children have been recruited through coercion, abduction, threats and financial incentives, and used in combat roles including guarding checkpoints, laying landmines and driving military vehicles.

A recap of recent developments

    Oil prices rose about 4 percent, with Brent settling at $104.28 a barrel and WTI at $91.49, amid renewed concerns over the US war on Iran and risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

    US President Donald Trump said Washington was having “productive discussions” with Iran and pledged not to attack the country before the November 3 midterm elections.

    Iranian media reported “massive explosions” in the southern Strait of Hormuz, with Fars citing unnamed military sources as saying tankers using “unauthorised” routes may have struck sea mines.

    The US Treasury imposed sanctions on 27 companies, six individuals and 22 vessels over Iranian oil sales.

    Iran’s Defence Ministry said weapons production rose to 2.5 times its pre-war level and that output was sufficient for a “sustained and prolonged war”.

    The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego after a deployment that set a record for consecutive days at sea during the Iran war.