ByDavid Brennan and Nadine El-Bawab
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange relatively limited strikes despite the signing of the memorandum and amid the continuation of peace talks, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.
Key Headlines
- 30 minutes ago
- 2 hours and 34 minutes ago
- 3 hours and 35 minutes ago
- 4:23 AM CST
- Jul 14, 2026, 5:29 PM CST
Trump says he wants Israel to 'redeploy' out of Lebanon, floats tasking Syria with confronting Hezbollah
President Donald Trump said that he wants to see Israeli forces get out of southern Lebanon and floated tasking the new Syrian government with confronting Hezbollah during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
“Well, redeploy. It's another word because, we're getting along very well with Lebanon. Israel is dealing with them very nicely,” Trump said during the interview.
The president added that getting out of Lebanon would free up the U.S. and Israel to focus on Iran.
“It would be good to get out, I think. And I think you might see things get a little bit calmer because we have to focus our energy on the big leagues. The big leagues are Iran,” he said.
Trump then proposed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa could possibly go and deal with Hezbollah — noting that he thinks Syria would be more precise than the Israelis.
“He would go in and take care of Hezbollah, and he'd do it in a different way. He wouldn't knock down buildings. I hated to see buildings knocked down,” Trump said of al-Sharaa, a former leader of a Syrian affiliate of the U.S.-designated terror group, al-Qaeda.
Just last week, the U.S. removed Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism for the first time since 1979
“I think it'd be more precise, yeah, I think. And I can tell you. I know he'd like to do it,” Trump said.
CENTCOM completes 90-minute wave of strikes in Iran
CENTCOM said in a post to X that it had completed a 90-minute wave of strikes on Iran, which targeted what it said were "coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island."
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
Bahrain reports interceptions of Iranian missiles, drones
The Bahrain Defence Force announced on Wednesday that "Iran continues its systematic hostile approach through unlawful missile and drone attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain."
The BDF said that its forces intercepted "several" aerial attacks on Wednesday morning.
-ABC News' Morgan Winsor
30 people killed in attacks on southern Iran, official says
More than 30 people have been killed in "recent" attacks on Iran's southern regions, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a social media post Wednesday morning, without elaborating.
Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said in a separate social media post earlier Wednesday that more than 260 people have been wounded across the country in the latest wave of attacks, without specifying how many people had been killed.
-ABC News' Morgan Winsor
CENTCOM announces new wave of strikes on Iran
In a post on X, U.S. Central Command said it began launching "a wave of strikes" against Iran at around 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
"The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the post said.
-ABC News' Lauren Minore
IRGC claims targeting of US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have targeted U.S. military bases and assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in strikes launched in the early hours of Wednesday.
Bahrain reported that its alarm sirens were activated, while Kuwait said its air defenses intercepted six missiles and 33 drones. Jordan said its air defenses intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor and Guy Davies
Jordan intercepts 3 ballistic missiles fired from Iran, state media says
The Jordan News Agency reported that the country's military intercepted three ballistic missiles that entered national airspace from Iranian territory in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The military reported no damage or casualties, the agency said, citing a source in the armed forces' General Command.
US completes latest round of strikes: CENTCOM
U.S. forces completed another round of strikes against Iran, U.S. Central Command said in a statement late Tuesday night.
The statement says the U.S. hit "dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas" during what it described as a "seven-hour wave" of attacks "to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews."
The strikes took place the same day the U.S. reimposed a naval blockade against vessel traveling to or from Iranian ports, CENTCOM said.
Trump says US strikes will continue, threatens Iran’s bridges and power plants
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said U.S. strikes on Iran will continue until he says “it's enough,” threatening to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants as soon as “next week.” The president also did not rule out the possibility of a ground campaign in Iran.
During the interview, Trump delivered mixed messages over the state of negotiations with Iran, saying “I don’t want to negotiate,” while also saying the strikes will continue “unless” Iran negotiates. Trump also claimed that U.S. negotiators had communicated with Iran earlier this afternoon and demanded they make a deal.
Regarding U.S. strikes and what's next for the war, Trump said: "They'll continue until I say it's enough … You know the word the military likes to use is degrade. They've been degraded to a very low level,” Trump said.
When Trump was asked if his objectives could be completed in an air campaign alone, he claimed his objectives were already “completed.”
But moments later, Trump notably did not rule out a ground campaign.
Fox News' Trey Yingst asked: "Are you ruling out a ground campaign in a limited capacity?"
Trump replied: "Well-- I don't want to say that either. But I would say no -- if I, if I thought it was appropriate. Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us."
Iran attacked 7 ships in last week, CENTCOM commander says
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said Iran attacked seven commercial ships over the past week.
In a statement posted on social media, Cooper said the attacks resulted in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, injured or missing.
"Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries," Cooper said in the statement. "U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives."
The U.S. has launched several rounds of retaliatory strikes in response to the Iranian attacks, U.S. officials have said.
Trump administration slaps sanctions on 50 people, firms associated with Iranian oil industry
The Trump administration is increasing financial pressures on Iran by slapping new sanctions on an Iranian oil tycoon and more than 50 other people, ships and companies linked to him on Tuesday.
The new sanctions hit "more than 50 individuals, entities, and vessels that enable Shamkhani and the Iranian regime to continue profiting," according to the Treasury Department.
"The Iranian regime survives on deception, and the Shamkhani network is one of its most profitable engines. Treasury is shutting down the financial infrastructure that allows the regime to continue its threats to U.S. national security and global shipping," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release Tuesday.
As the U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping action is back in effect, the action targets at least eight oil tankers that Treasury said are linked to Iranian oil businesses.
The action also targets individuals and firms that the government says supports financial services that allow Iranian agencies to evade sanctions.
US resumes blockade, CENTCOM says
U.S. forces have resumed a naval blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command announced. The blockade went back into effect at 4 p.m.
US launches more airstrikes against Iran, official says
A U.S. official confirmed that U.S. forces are currently conducting airstrikes in Iran.
The official said the airstrikes had been underway for the last couple of hours.
At 3 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes are taking place as American forces prepare to resume the naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade goes into effect at 4 p.m. ET.
Netanyahu warns that if hostilities continue with Iran Israel would be more aggressive
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran that if hostilities continue Israel will be more aggressive, he said in a message to Iran's leaders at the Negev Conference.
"We are prepared for any scenario. I can tell you only one thing, and I will say this to the leaders of Iran: Do not count on it being quiet if you attack us. Do not count on a rerun. Because it will not be a rerun, and that was already powerful enough. This will be a different event, much more powerful," Netanyahu said.
Oman says 3 Liberia-flagged tankers attacked off its coast, crews evacuated
Three Liberia-flagged oil tankers were attacked in separate incidents off Oman’s coast on Tuesday, leaving three crew members missing and six injured, Oman’s Maritime Security Center said.
The tanker AL BAHYAH, owned by UAE-based AL BAHYAH INC, was attacked off Oman’s Musandam governorate. Eighteen crew members were evacuated by nearby vessels, while three remained missing, Oman’s military media authority said in a statement.
In a separate incident, the Liberia-flagged tanker MOMBASA B was attacked off Musandam, causing it to lose propulsion, the center said. All 21 crew members were evacuated by nearby vessels, including six who suffered injuries of varying severity.
A third Liberia-flagged tanker, STOLT MAGNESIUM, was attacked off Oman’s South Al Sharqiyah governorate, outside Omani territorial waters. The attack caused a fire in the vessel’s engine room. All 23 crew members aboard had been evacuated and were in good health, according to Oman.
The statements did not identify the cause of the attacks or attribute responsibility. An Omani navy vessel was monitoring developments in the incidents off Musandam, according to Oman.
Kuwait says they are confronting hostile missiles and drones
Kuwait said its air defenses are currently confronting missile and drone attacks, with explosions being the result of interceptions.
Trump backs down on 20% toll, says it will be replaced with 'trade and investment deals' from Gulf states
President Donald Trump backed off from his threat to impose a 20% toll on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, claiming it would be replaced by future trade and investment deals with Gulf allies.
The announcement comes just a day after Trump initially announced the 20% fee, throwing more uncertainty into the global oil market. U.S. oil was trading up over 3% Tuesday morning, and global oil up over 4%.
Trump wrote on social media that the decision came after "highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership," and would include “massive” investments into the U.S., though he did not offer any specifics on the deals.
“As everyone is aware, we have the largest Dollar Investment into the United States, of any Country in History, but these new Investments will make that Number even larger,” Trump said.
The president also again asserted that the Strait of Hormuz was open to “ALL Ship traffic except for Iran” as the U.S. reimplements the naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports, as the country has continued to strike commercial vessels moving through the strait, claiming it is closed to traffic.
“That is because of their lying, violent, malicious leadership, which is taking them down the path of TOTAL DESTRUCTION,” Trump said of the renewed blockade. “We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo.”
-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your love