Houthis deny planning to charge ships passing through Red Sea The Houthis have denied reports that they plan to impose fees on commercial ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. A Reuters report earlier this week had said the Houthis were considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the strait. But Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body said on Saturday that no such decision has been taken, and that passage through the strait remains free.

Kuwaiti army says air defence systems intercepting 'hostile drones' Kuwait's army says the country's air defence systems are intercepting "hostile drone attacks following the Iranian aggression". In a statement on X, the army said that any explosions heard are the result of air defence systems intercepting the attacks. The army urged the people to follow security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities. . . pic.twitter.com/SFew6rqXfz KUWAIT ARMY - (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) August 1, ..

UKMTO says explosion near tanker off Oman reported The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident 21 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab, where the master of a tanker saw a large splash and an explosion in close proximity to the vessel. No damage to the vessel had been reported, UKMTO said. Earlier, it reported a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, causing damage to the vessel's engine ..

Massive Attack members barred from Singapore after displaying Palestinian flag Two members of British band Massive Attack were barred from re-entering Singapore after displaying the Palestinian flag during Wednesday's concert, Reuters reported. Singapore police said Friday the band was being investigated for supporting a political cause and unfurling of a foreign flag and will no longer be allowed to perform in Singapore. Singapore does not allow the public display of foreign national emblems ..

'Driver of global instability': UN chief says Middle East fighting must stop UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said that fighting must stop on all fronts in the Middle East as it is increasingly becoming a driver of global instability, according to Reuters. The UN chief noted that trade through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed, energy markets have been upended, prices of food and key fertilisers have surged, and supply chains are buckling. The World Food Programme warned that as many ..

Projectile damages engine room of tanker off Oman, UKMTO says A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). UKMTO said the vessel's company security officer reported that the projectile damaged the engine room, leaving the tanker not under command. The regional coast guard has been informed. UKMTO said there were no reported casualties or environmental impact, advising vesselstransiting the ..

Iran will further tighten Hormuz if US naval blockade continues, top official says A top official of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has warned that if the US continues with its naval blockade on Tehran's ports, it will furtherseal the Strait of Hormuz and block other strategic passages, according to IRNA. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, the secretary of SNSC and a veteran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, said the escalation could cost the global economy, energy ..

Trump says Rubios anti-ICC campaign intended to shield Netanyahu US President Donald Trump has said that secretary of state Marco Rubio's campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) was intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "He's trying to defend Bibi and various other people," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at Camp David. Rubio told the meeting that "we've now begun an effort to really try to bring them to heel," adding that previous US attempts to push ..

Yemeni forces say eight Saudi tankers forced to reroute Yahya Saree, the spokesperson of Yemen's armed forces, has said eight Saudi Arabian oil tankershave been forced to reroute toward the Cape of Good Hope, IRNA reported. Saree said that Yemeni forces would persist in their blockade of Saudi targets and would strike the kingdom's vessels "whenever and wherever possible", according to IRNA.

Araghchi says US actions main causes of regional insecurity Irans foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has told his Indian counterpart that the US violations of the Islamabad MoU and continued military action against Iran were the main causes of insecurity in the region and the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA reported. During a phone call with Indias external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, Araghchi also listed the US-enforced naval blockade and attacks on Iranian commercial shipping as the aggravating ..

Saudi Arabia calls Trump's Gaza 'demilitarisation deal' historic Saudi Arabia has welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of "a historic agreement on the demilitarisation" of the Gaza Strip, praising his leadership and commitment in helping secure the deal. In a statement, the kingdom's foreign ministry also thanked Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, the United States, the Peace Council and other partners for their efforts. The kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the comprehensive ..

Kpler says Hormuz traffic drops sharply, remains steady through Bab el-Mandeb Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply, with vessel crossings falling 77 percent day-on-day to just five ships, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler. Kpler said all recorded transits used the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, indicating reduced operational confidence and limited routing options through the strategic waterway. By contrast, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb remained relatively ..

Trump threatens to hit Iran 'very hard' President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran "very hard," as US media reported he was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend, including against energy infrastructure targets. "We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore,'" Trump said at a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had ordered a fresh ..

The 'Board of Peace' announced a Palestinian body will take Hamas weapons. That's not what Trump said US President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters that the "Board of Peace" will be the one to collect Hamas's weapons as the group begins to disarm, even though the board itself had announced that a Palestinian technocratic body will assume that role. The details matter because the statements marked the first on-camera opportunity for the president to build confidence in the Board of Peace ..

UK, UAE discuss situation in the Middle East, Strait of Hormuz British Secretary of State Ed Miliband met the UAEs Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East andprotecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Miliband said: "We will take the UK-UAE partnership even further, to drive growth and prosperity in both our countries." Meeting @ABZayed today, we discussed reducing tensions in the Middle East and protecting ..

US Centcom says 30 commerical vessels redirected during Iran blockade US Central Command (Centcom)said it has redirected 30 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2 to ensure full compliance as of today. The US military has also permitted nearly 30 ships to pass through the blockade for humanitarian aid,"it said in a statement on X.

Qatar welcomes Hamass acceptance of draft peace deal Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the head of Hamas political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, that he welcomed the decision to accept a roadmap for implementing the second stage of the ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported. According to the Qatari foreign ministry, Sheikh Mohammed said in a phone call to al-Hayya that he hopes that by accepting the roadmap, it will put an end to the ..

US says Strait of Hormuz remains open The US military says the Iranian governments claim that the Strait of Hormuz is closed is false. The Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it. Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the past four months, the US militarys Central Command said in a post on X. Earlier, Iran said it had stopped two vessels seeking to exit the Strait of Hormuz and added that four other tankers were ..

Iraq to strengthen air defence, readiness after US-Saudi strikes Iraq has ordered that its air defences and intelligence activities be bolstered, a government spokesperson said on Friday, after US-Saudi strikes on militants accused of launching attacks in the region. Spokesman Sabah al-Numan said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi "issued strict and immediate orders... to raise alertness and readiness to the maximum across all camps and bases, particularly at the official bases of the armed ..

Lebanese elites have a long history of courting Zionism Submitted by Hicham Safieddine on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 18:02 Banker Antoun Sehnaoui's controversial dinner with Netanyahu this week is only the latest manifestation of an ongoing process Antoun Sehnaoui (with back to camera) hosts a dinner, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in attendance, on 27 July 2026 (Barak Ravid/X) On During his visit to Washington last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for ending ..

Settler raid in Nablus leaves 10 wounded, including children At least 10 people, including four children, were reportedly injured during a settler raid, accompanied by Israeli forces, in theJunaid neighbourhood west of Nablus. Tear gas was thrown at residents, leaving several suffering fromsuffocation. According to local media, dozens of settlers and Israeli forces stormed areas across theoccupied West Bank. The raids were accompanied by damage to Palestinian properties, attacks on residents as ..