The four Iranian nuclear plants in Trump’s sights after president’s threat to hit Pickaxe Mountain

With the US-Iran ceasefire in tatters, Donald Trump has issued new threats against Tehran’s nuclear facilities in what would represent a significant escalation in the conflict.

Named Operation Midnight Hammer, the countries launched a series of attacks on several nuclear and military facilities more than one year ago. as part of a long-running ambition to thwart Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 21:00

Watch: American forces resume strikes after attempted Iranian attacks

Maira Butt30 July 2026 20:30

US denies its aircraft were struck in Iranian attacks

The US military said on Thursday that no US aircraft were destroyed or damaged in recent attempted Iranian attacks, denying a claim it said was made by Iran's Revolutionary Guards that three US F-35 jets and three other aircraft were destroyed.

In a statement, US Central Command also said the commercial vessel M/T Nora had not broken through America's blockade of Iranian ports, denying a claim it said was made on Iranian state media.

Alex Croft30 July 2026 20:02

‘Exasperated’ Trump battles with White House officials ‘over Iran strategy’

President Donald Trump is “exasperated” by the lack of progress in ending the Iran conflict and the lack of consensus on strategy among his top military advisers, according to a report.

An unnamed ally of the president has told NBC News: “The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal.

“There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint… He did not intend this to be a long, drawn-out war.”

Maira Butt30 July 2026 19:30

Beyond the Strait of Hormuz: How Gulf countries are preparing for life without the waterway

Port operator DP World is in talks to develop new facilities in the coastal area of Fujairah to take pressure off its flagship Jebel Ali port, according to the Financial Times.

Jebel Ali, built in 1977, has made the UAE a hub of finance and trade, but weeks ago it was set alight by a piece of fallen debris from an Iranian missile. Since then, Dubai International Airport, US military bases and other facilities have come under direct attack.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 19:00

Watch: Netanyahu denies persuading Trump on Iran war, asserts 'it's his decision'

Maira Butt30 July 2026 18:30

Mapped: All of the countries dragged into Trump’s war in Iran

War has spread across the Middle East, threatening to become a regional conflict as fighting between the US and Iran enters its sixth month.

Ever since US-Israeli strikes took out supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February, several countries have been affected by Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. Meanwhile, a US and Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has led to disruptions in supply chains that have impacted the global economy.

After an intense period of fighting in March and April, the war entered a stalemate with a tenuous ceasefire agreed that collapsed earlier this month following disagreement over the Strait of Hormuz.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 18:00

Kuwait's chief of staff meets defence coalition in Saudi Arabia

Kuwait’s chief of staff is meeting with a defence coalition for preserving freedom of navigation in the Bab El-Mandeb strait, according to the state news agency.

The Houthis have in recent days threatened to block the vital shipping route, which would cripple the region already deeply disrupted by blockades in the Strait of Hormuz.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 17:30

Yemen's Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia from Iraq, sources say

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia this week from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to assessments by Saudi Arabia and regional partners, reflecting growing coordination among Iran-aligned militias, two officials in the region told Reuters.

The assessments, which differ from official accounts, indicate that members of Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance have deepened their ties and ability to inflict damage to US allies in the region despite years of US and Israeli strikes on them from Lebanon to Iran after Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel.

The attacks included strikes on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's eastern province, the kingdom's main crude hub.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 17:00

Strait of Hormuz shipping hits ‘crisis-era lows’ as conflict risks spreading

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has hit “crisis-era lows”, a UK-based maritime data firm has reported as a brief pause in fighting was shattered by fresh clashes in the Middle East.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence said amid the worsening security situation “a near-term recovery in traffic” through the strategic waterway was unlikely.

The disruption to trade through the Gulf channel, which is a vital oil and gas supply route, has driven up fuel and food prices.

Maira Butt30 July 2026 16:30