Latest war news. US ready to strike again. Tehran: ‘Madmen, we’ve already won’

Iran has drawn up a comprehensive plan to respond to any potential “madness” on the part of the United States. This was stated by a senior security official in Tehran to the Tasnim news agency, referring to US threats to attack Iranian infrastructure. “We regard the US media’s claims about possible US attacks on Iranian infrastructure as a form of madness,” the official told the Tasnim news agency. “We have drawn up a comprehensive plan to respond to any such attack, which includes the vital infrastructure of the Zionist regime and US energy infrastructure in the region, and we are ready to do so.” The official added that the Iranian armed forces, both during the 40-day war and in recent weeks, have demonstrated both the capability and the will to do so.

The Israeli army carried out several raids on Gaza on Saturday.The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health states that seven Palestinians were killed and 76 wounded in Israeli attacks in the Strip over the past 48 hours, whilst another person died from injuries sustained in a previous Israeli attack. In Deir al-Balah, the bombardments also struck the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital. A spokesperson for the hospital accused the IDF of striking and destroying one of the hospital’s medical equipment stores, as reported by the Times of Israel. Footage from the scene of the attack shows a large crater amongst tents and buildings, with cardboard boxes and their contents scattered everywhere. The Israeli military authorities have not issued any comment. The air strikes also hit Nuseirat, Magazhi and Gaza City.

Israeli forces carried out a raid in the Gaza Strip last night. Five Hamas weapons depots were destroyed, the IDF announced. One of the depots is located near the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, the Israeli military added, without specifying how far away it is.

In recent days, the United States dropped a 900-kilogram bomb on a house on Qeshm Island, killing a husband, his wife and their two-year-old child. This is according to an analysis by The New York Times, which raises questions about what the US target was and why a bomb of such calibre was used. The Mark-84 is, in fact, one of the largest in the US arsenal. The attack struck a densely populated neighbourhood on the island as part of a series of strikes launched in response to Iranian raids on a US base in Jordan. The newspaper’s analysis, based on photographs and satellite imagery, found no evidence of any Iranian military sites near the house that was hit. “We are aware of the reports and are looking into them. US forces never target civilians,” said US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins.

The Italian Navy frigate Bergamini, deployed as part of the European Union’s Eunavfor Aspides operation, escorted a merchant ship as it transited the Red Sea. “The mission carried out by the Italian Navy vessel is further concrete evidence of Italia’s role in promoting international maritime security and protecting key trade routes, which are vital for global economic stability and the supply of essential goods,” said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto “Italia confirms, once again, that it is a credible, responsible and authoritative player on the international stage. The security of maritime routes is not merely a matter of trade, but represents a strategic interest for global stability, energy security and the prosperity of our economies. The men and women of the Italian Navy serving on the Aspides mission carry out their duties every day with professionalism, courage and a sense of duty, helping to ensure freedom of navigation and collective security. My sincerest thanks, and those of the Government, go to them.” According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, through its participation in Operation Eunavfor Aspides, Italia continues to contribute, alongside its European partners, to the defence of international law, the protection of freedom of navigation and the security of merchant shipping in a context characterised by persistent threats to regional stability.

An Israeli air raid has destroyed warehouses containing medicines and medical supplies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, in the centre of the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Al Jazeera, citing the Palestinian enclave’s Ministry of Health. “The destructive force of the missiles used resulted in the complete destruction of two of the four warehouses located in the targeted area, as well as causing serious and extensive damage to two other warehouses,” the ministry said. According to the ministry, the attack, which took place in the early hours of this morning, also damaged the hospital’s outpatient clinic and resulted in the loss of “vital quantities of medical supplies and consumables”.

The ministry has therefore appealed to the international community, United Nations agencies and human rights organisations to “take immediate and urgent action to stop these attacks and provide immediate protection for medical facilities and staff”.

Una donna palestinese ispeziona il luogo di un attacco aereo israeliano nei pressi dell’ospedale al-Aqsa a Deir al-Balah, nella Striscia di Gaza centrale, sabato 1 agosto 2026. (Foto AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The head of US European Command, General Alexus Grynkewich, has warned the Pentagon that it does not have sufficient naval forces to continue protecting Israel from ballistic missiles. According to the Washington Post, Grynkewich wrote a letter to the Department of Defence explaining that, without an additional destroyer, he would be forced to choose between defending US territory at the expense of Israel. The warning highlights how the war in Iran is placing constraints on the US armed forces.

War in the Middle East – 1 August 2026

Explosions on the outskirts of the town of Gilan-e Gharb, in Kermanshah Province, in western Iran, were heard a few minutes ago, according to the Fars news agency. No details are yet available regarding the incident or the exact location of the explosion.

The bodies of 14 Afghans who were attempting to reach Iran have been found in a desert in south-western Afghanistan, weeks after their vehicle had broken down and they had continued on foot. The authorities had been searching for the group ever since the vehicle’s driver, parched and exhausted, had staggered into a village in Nimroz province, asking for help.

Five bodies were found shortly afterwards, but the authorities have launched a search for the other 14 who had continued their journey on foot. Nimroz is one of Afghanistan’s hottest and driest provinces, with temperatures hovering around 45 degrees at this time of year. The 14 bodies were found buried in the sand, according to a source at Nimroz Provincial Hospital. The provincial government spokesperson, Abdul Mutawakil Tawhidi, confirmed the grim discovery in the desert yesterday. Iran is a popular destination for Afghan migrants seeking economic opportunities not available at home, but legal routes for entry are scarce.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza states that seven Palestinians have been killed and 76 injured in Israeli attacks on the enclave over the past 48 hours, whilst another person has died from injuries sustained in a previous Israeli attack.

A drone strike by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, in the north-west of Gaza City, killed two people and injured several others, according to reports in the Arab media, citing the city’s Shifa Hospital.

Hamas-affiliated media have identified the two victims as young men, Hassan Qahman and Alaa al Tramsi.

The US Embassy in Jordan has urged US citizens in the region to ‘consider leaving or be prepared to leave in the event of an escalation’. As for Americans living outside the Middle East, ‘they should seriously reconsider travel to and from the region’.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have announced that they have struck two oil tankers under US air escort in the Strait of Hormuz. The Pasdaran stated that the two oil tankers were targeted for having followed a route other than those designated by the Islamic Republic, whilst four others changed course and turned back.

Iran today accused the US of preparing to unleash a conflict involving the entire region and warned that countries that ‘act as a shield’ for Washington ‘will burn in the flames of war’. “The US is rapidly moving towards a full-scale regional war, a dangerous strategy aimed at expanding its dominance over the entire region,” said Ali Abdollahi, head of the Armed Forces’ Central Command.

The Iranian army has called on the Qatari government and armed forces to “take the necessary steps to clarify the situation regarding three Iranian pilots” who are reported missing whilst on a mission, and to “pay closer attention to this matter”. This was stated today by the spokesperson, Mohammad Akraminia. “Our search continues, but Qatar claims to know nothing of the pilots’ fate,” added Akraminia, speaking on state television in Tehran.

Two Sukhoi Su-24 military jets belonging to the Iranian Air Force, carrying a total of four pilots, were shot down by air defences during an attack on the US base at Al-Udeid in Qatar. The body of one of the pilots was handed over to Iran on Thursday, but there is still no news of the fate of the other three.

There are no indications that Israel will take part in the intensive attacks that the United States intends to launch against Iran as early as this weekend. This is according to CNN, following reports by sources cited by CBS that the US and Israel were jointly planning an imminent bombing campaign against Iran’s energy infrastructure. For its part, ABC News quotes a source as saying that the attacks have been discussed with Israeli officials, but it is not yet clear whether Israel will be directly involved.

Kuwait reports new attacks by ‘hostile drones’. On X, the Armed Forces General Staff states that ‘air defence’ has been activated to respond to threats posed by ‘hostile drones’. The statement condemns ‘Iranian aggression’ and urges the public to ‘follow the safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities’.

“The US’s continued belligerence towards Iran will lead to a tighter closure of the Strait of Hormuz and result in the closure of other straits and maritime bottlenecks.” This was stated by the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr. “It will be the global economy, the energy market and the electorate who will pay the price,” added Zolghadr, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.

“Iran has won the war against the US and Israel, but we must consolidate this victory.” This was stated by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and chief negotiator with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “The country must have hope for a bright future,” added Ghalibaf, as quoted by the Fars news agency. “The Iranian authorities must expand and strengthen the executive power of the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, because any attempt to build a strong Iran will start from here,” he concluded.

Iran is believed to be responsible for the cyberattack on more than 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota. This is the view of US intelligence agencies, according to reports in the Washington Post. Although it has not yet been possible to establish with certainty that Iran was responsible, the attack follows repeated warnings issued in recent months by federal cybersecurity officials. Tehran has, in fact, long been targeting internet-connected devices that control the operations of water systems.

The Houthi-run maritime coordination authority in Yemen has denied reports that it is planning to impose charges on commercial vessels transiting through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stating that no decision has been taken to that effect and that passage through this strategic waterway remains free of charge.

The statement follows a Reuters report published on Wednesday, which cited regional sources as saying that the Houthis, allies of Iran, were considering introducing tariffs on commercial vessels sailing in the southern Red Sea, having declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia the previous week.

A senior Iranian security official told the Tasnim news agency that he had “drawn up a comprehensive plan to respond to any potential American folly”. “We regard the claims in the American media about possible attacks by the United States and the regime against Iranian infrastructure as a form of madness,” he said. “That is why we have drawn up a comprehensive response plan, which includes the vital infrastructure of the Zionist regime and US energy infrastructure in the region, and we are ready.”

After days of high tension, the president has ordered a new attack on Iran to force Tehran to surrender and accept his terms in the peace agreement. According to the Wall Street Journal, the raids could begin as early as this weekend. According to reports from CBS, the attack will be carried out jointly with Israel, which has been informed and is coordinating with the United States on what would be the first joint operation since the war began.

The targets are reportedly Iran’s energy infrastructure, power stations and refineries, which Trump has been threatening for some time. The operation, which according to CBS and Axios has not yet received official approval from Trump, is expected to be completed before the markets open on Monday.

Further reading

Latest news on the war. Trump: ‘A historic agreement in Gaza’. Hamas: ‘Ready for the second phase if Israel ends its attacks’

31 July 2026