Latest war news. Ship hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. Houthis: ‘Saudi refinery attacked’

The US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Jared Kushner, described the meeting with Hamas as very cordial, whilst emphasising the need to verify, through concrete actions, the group’s willingness to reach an agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Hamas to hand over its weapons to the International Stabilisation Force in Gaza, under US supervision, as a first step. Israel and the Board of Peace have agreed that the disarmament and demilitarisation of the Strip must be completed before reconstruction can begin. During the meeting between Netanyahu and Kushner, two working groups were also set up, dedicated respectively to disarmament and public health. Disagreement remains over the roadmap for a ceasefire, which has been accepted by Hamas but rejected by Israel, which is demanding complete disarmament before any withdrawal from the Strip. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries have criticised the Israeli position and called for concrete measures to facilitate the implementation of the plan.

The Board of Peace is considering abandoning the gradual approach to the disarmament of Hamas in favour of a single-phase, complete handover of weapons, to be followed by Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip. This is according to Ynet. A source from the Peace Council stated that, in this way, “We want a complete dismantling, with no compromises on this issue, and we do not intend to allow any kind of manoeuvre,” said a source from the Board of Peace. According to the Times of Israel, the shift to a plan for the complete handover of weapons might be sufficient to secure Israel’s support, but risks losing Hamas’s backing, after the Peace Council spent months persuading the militant group to accept the phased disarmament plan. The original roadmap for disarmament, approved by Hamas on 30 July, divided the approximately 47 per cent of the Gaza Strip still under Hamas control into five sectors and provided for each sector to be progressively demilitarised, a source told the Times of Israel.

The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States complies with the terms of the interim agreement with Iran, which provides for the lifting of the naval blockade and oil sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and an end to threats and military operations on all fronts: this was stated by Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Ghalibaf, who is also Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, further warned that internal disputes would weaken the country and embolden foreign adversaries. He also stated that Iran’s adversaries are seeking to foment unrest, combining this with military operations, assassinations and separatist activities.

“The Prime Minister and Chairman of Likud, Benjamin Netanyahu, is very pleased with the results of the Likud primaries and congratulates those who have been selected for the list.” This was announced by Likud in a statement following the conclusion of the vote count for the party’s primary elections held yesterday ahead of the 27 October general election. “The new Likud list reflects a renewal and the integration of new forces at the top. Together with the reserved seats to be appointed by the Prime Minister, which will further strengthen the list, the Likud team led by Netanyahu will secure a resounding victory and form a broad national government immediately after the elections. This is the only way to prevent a left-wing government led by Eisenkot, Golan, Liberman and the Arab parties,’ the statement adds. “Prime Minister Netanyahu thanks the Likud members who voted with common sense rather than on the basis of backroom deals, and extends his appreciation to those who did not make it onto the list, whom he intends to involve in the efforts to secure a Likud victory,” the statement concludes.

The Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis have targeted an oil refinery on the southern coast of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, as the militant group steps up its attacks against the kingdom. This is according to local media reports. The Houthis “targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with several drones… in response to airspace violations” over the Yemeni provinces of Saada and Hajjah, the Houthi news agency Saba reported, citing a military source.

Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump played down reports concerning conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier has been at the centre of growing concerns over the mental health and supply issues faced by American sailors, who have been on a mission at sea for almost nine months. Trump described the period as “a good length of time”, but added that “over the years, we’ve kept them at sea for much longer”. The ship has set a record for uninterrupted time at sea, exceeding 240 days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israel of actively sabotaging diplomatic efforts, describing the country as the main obstacle to reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement with the United States. This was reported by the IRNA news agency. “The Zionist regime has been and remains the main opponent and obstacle to the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. They have done everything possible to prevent such an agreement from being reached, everything possible to make it fail and everything possible to prevent its implementation,” he said. Araghchi added that Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender” from Iran did not materialise, as Tehran ultimately accepted a ceasefire and conducted negotiations with the United States on its own terms. According to the agency’s report, Araghchi stated that those who “were seeking an unconditional surrender, shortly after the war began, were begging to negotiate”. “It was we who said that we would not accept a ceasefire and that we would continue the war until they agreed to a ceasefire and negotiations on Iran’s terms,” he said.

Il ministro degli Esteri iraniano Abbas Araghchi, al centro, è circondato da agenti di sicurezza mentre cammina durante la commemorazione dell’Arbaeen a Najaf, in Iraq, lunedì 3 agosto 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baghaei, has stated that the 60-day deadline for reaching an agreement, as set out in the memorandum of understanding with the United States – which expired yesterday – is now “null and void” due to Washington’s “breaches”. This is according to France 24.

US President Donald Trump has dismissed reports of dwindling supplies and low morale aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, describing CNN’s recent coverage of the matter as “fake news”. The US broadcaster itself reported this, recounting what took place during an exchange between Trump and the press in the Oval Office. The President also disputed rumours regarding intermittent shortages of food and medical supplies on the Lincoln, refuting the accounts given to CNN by sailors and their families. “The Lincoln has been on a mission for some time, quite a long time,” said Trump, “but over the years we’ve had them on missions for much longer.” Since leaving its home port of San Diego last November, the aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected to the Middle East to support US operations in the war with Iran, which is now entering its sixth month. The Lincoln could break the record for the longest deployment away from its home port by a US aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War. During his exchange with the press, Trump referred to a meeting with a retired admiral over the weekend. “He said: ‘I’ve been on ships that have been on mission for much longer than that, sir, and I know people on the Lincoln. They say it’s beautifully maintained and beautifully looked after, and other people have gone to check and found that to be true.’ That was fake news reported by CNN,” he said.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with the US President Donald Trump: this was reported by the Anadolu Agency, citing a statement from the Turkish Communications Directorate, according to which the leader in Ankara argued that it is “important” to make the most of diplomacy in the context of tensions in the Middle East, expressing the hope, in particular, that negotiations between the US and Iran would continue. Erdoğan also stated that the Joint Mecca Defence Agreement, signed this month between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, “demonstrates a strong stance in ensuring regional stability and security”, the statement reads. The Turkish president also spoke about Gaza, arguing that “at a time when the aim is to move to the second phase of the peace process, there has been an increase in the Israeli government’s actions against the Palestinians”, adding that Turkey “will continue to support lasting peace in the region and initiatives aimed at the reconstruction” of the Strip.

Il presidente turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan interviene durante una conferenza stampa al vertice NATO del 2026 ad Ankara, in Turchia, l'8 luglio 2026. EPA/FILIP SINGER

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at single figures yesterday, the day the US-Iran memorandum signed in June expired, despite a slight increase compared with the weekend. This is according to preliminary maritime traffic data from Kpler, reported by various international media outlets, which show that only six merchant ships crossed the Strait yesterday – three entering and three leaving. According to data provided by Kpler, the average over the last 10 days is 11 ships per day. On Saturday, three ships transited the Strait of Hormuz; on Sunday, only two; and none of these were supertankers or liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, although some vessels may have crossed the strait with their transponders switched off and are therefore not included in the count.

A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz has reported that it was hit by a projectile, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). “The company’s security officer reported that the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile whilst manoeuvring to exit the Strait of Hormuz,” reads the statement, which was also reported by Al Jazeera. “The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in one crew member being injured”, the statement adds, noting that the surviving crew members are receiving assistance from the Omani Coastguard. The UKMTO stated that no environmental impacts have been reported and that the authorities are investigating, advising vessels in the area to proceed with caution and to report any suspicious activity.