Latest war news. Rubio: ‘No attacks for the time being; focus on economic sanctions’

Yair Netanyahu, 35, the son of the Israeli Prime Minister, is reported to have been the target of an Iranian plot to assassinate him whilst he was in Florida. The news has been reported by the Israeli media. The Times of Israel cites the right-wing US website Newsmax, which in turn quotes a source within the US law enforcement agencies. The news comes the day after Netanyahu, in a telephone interview with Channel 14, stated: “Iran has targeted one of my sons. Iran has tried to kill, to assassinate one of my sons.” He did not specify which of his two sons was the target, nor did he provide further details about the plot, but the Newsmax source claims that Israeli intelligence had learnt last December that Iran was planning to kill Yair in Florida. According to the source, the secret services believe that Iranian agents were ‘on the ground’ in the Miami area to monitor the prime minister’s son’s movements. The report states that Yair was ordered to leave Florida immediately and return to Israel. It also adds that he left without taking his personal belongings and has been living in Israel ever since.

Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated today, during a visit to the area, that the Israeli army will not abandon its buffer zone in southern Syria. “We will not move from Mount Hermon and the security zone as long as there are jihadist threats to the State of Israel. The message to the Syrian president is clear: when you wake up in the morning in the palace in Damascus, look up towards Mount Hermon and see the Israel Defence Forces, you will know that we are here to defend our communities and our borders,” he said. Katz added that Israel “had acted against a Turkish attempt to establish a foothold in Syria, which would have jeopardised Israel’s security interests”, referring to last week’s attack on a Syrian airbase.

Yesterday, five cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a figure virtually unchanged from the previous day, but well below the average of 15 over the last 10 days, according to preliminary maritime traffic data published today. Reuters reports this on its website. Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas and one tanker carrying bitumen left the Gulf via the strait, whilst two empty tankers for refined products entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman, according to initial data from the vessel-tracking service Kpler. On Monday, four cargo tankers had passed through the strait, according to the same data. The figures may vary as some ships usually switch off their tracking transponders whilst at sea. According to Kpler’s data, transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another major maritime chokepoint in the Middle East, remained virtually unchanged, with 31 merchant vessels compared with 29 the previous day, in line with the average over the last 10 days.

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke with Bahrain’s Minister of Finance, Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, regarding Operation “Economic Outcast” against Iran. This was reported by Al-Jazeera. In a post on X, the Department stated that Bessent emphasised that “Iran must not be allowed to threaten international trade or use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the global economy”. He also highlighted “the importance of sustained financial pressure on Iran’s remaining sources of funding” and stated that “the United States will hold those who finance the regime to account”. Bessent welcomed “Bahrain’s long-standing partnership and its continued commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the international financial system”, the Department said. Both officials agreed on “the importance of ongoing coordination between the United States, Bahrain” and partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as “the wider international community, to combat illicit finance and strengthen economic security”.

Only commercial vessels will be permitted to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, whilst military vessels will not be allowed to do so. This was stated by the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, whilst commenting on the details of the memorandum on the Strait that Iran and Oman are drawing up. Previously, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran had announced joint work with Oman to establish a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and to clear the route of mines, as well as an agreement to continue discussions on the creation of a permanent navigation corridor through the Strait, which currently remains closed. “According to the memorandum (between Iran and Oman), the route into the Persian Gulf (via the Strait of Hormuz) will pass through Iranian waters, whilst the route out will pass through Omani territorial waters. In both cases, ships will transit through Iranian waters,” said the diplomat, as quoted by Iranian state radio and television. According to Gharibabadi, this is a temporary route. Iran and Oman are expected to enter into negotiations within 30 to 60 days to establish a permanent route to replace the temporary one. The deputy minister clarified that “only commercial vessels will be permitted to use the Strait of Hormuz”, whilst “no military vessels will be allowed to cross it”.

Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank attacked AFP journalists who were documenting tensions with Palestinians, in an incident of violence that left at least five people injured, according to reports from journalists and medical staff. A three-person team from the international news agency had travelled to the village of Jannatah, near Bethlehem, to report on Israeli activists carrying out solidarity visits in support of Palestinians who have been harassed by Israeli settlers, who recently blocked a road in the area. Following a clash between settlers and activists, the Israeli army ordered the journalists to leave what it described as a ‘closed military zone’; at that point, two more cars full of settlers arrived. The settlers, many of whom were children, threw stones at journalists and activists. An AFP journalist managed to dodge a stone, but was then struck on the chin by a settler child wielding a stick, causing a minor injury, he reported. On their return, the AFP reporters found their two parked cars damaged, with shattered rear windows and punctured tyres. The activists’ cars also sustained similar damage. Five people were treated for injuries sustained, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, and the AFP journalists reported seeing at least one Israeli activist being taken away in a Palestinian ambulance. During the clash, an Israeli soldier temporarily seized a video journalist’s camera, before returning it. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the temporary seizure of the camera “is currently under investigation”. The Israeli police joined the army in gathering evidence on the damage to the cars and “a police investigation into the incident has been opened”, the military spokesperson said.

At least three Indian refineries and a major international energy company plan to stop using vessels included on Iran’s new blacklist, including for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers, due to security concerns. This was indicated by sources with direct knowledge of the matter. On Sunday, Tehran announced a blacklist of 45 vessels which, according to the Iranian authorities, have violated the rules governing transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic has also stated that it will take action against any vessel carrying out cargo transfers with ships on the list, stepping up its threats regarding control of the strategic waterway. Iran’s announcement appears to be aimed at hindering the so-called ‘shuttle runs’ carried out by Gulf oil producers, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which use dedicated oil tankers to transport crude oil from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz and transfer it, via STS operations in the Gulf of Oman, to other vessels bound for end buyers.

Despite talks between Iran and Oman on a temporary transit corridor and the clearance of mines from the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has warned that the vital waterway will not be reopened unless the United States brings the war to an end. According to AFP, Washington has announced new sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into surrendering, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatening the Islamic Republic with “economic asphyxiation”. During the talks in Tehran, the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman discussed a “phased framework” that includes the establishment of a “temporary joint navigation corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint mine-clearance project in the Strait”, according to a statement. The two countries, both coastal states bordering the Strait, have sought to draw up a plan to regulate transit through it, as set out in a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran signed in June. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the proposed framework is a “striking example” of how his country’s commitment to peace and stability is accompanied by unwavering diplomacy with neighbouring countries.

Uccelli sulla spiaggia, con imbarcazioni nello Stretto di Hormuz visibili nei pressi della spiaggia di Bandar Abbas, in Iran, 25 agosto 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, held separate telephone talks on Tuesday with the foreign ministers of Oman and Iran to discuss a proposal for a provisional framework for the Strait of Hormuz. According to Xinhua, “the proposal includes a temporary joint navigation corridor and a joint mine-clearance project”. “In his telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Prime Minister of Qatar reiterated his support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a solution that guarantees freedom of maritime navigation and paves the way for a comprehensive agreement leading to lasting peace in the region”, according to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a separate telephone call with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Prime Minister “expressed Qatar’s appreciation for Oman’s efforts and reiterated its full support for Muscat’s diplomatic initiatives to ease tensions and strengthen regional stability”. “On Tuesday, Iran and Oman exchanged views on a phased framework involving the creation of a temporary joint shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint mine-clearing project in the waterway”, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries’ foreign ministries.

For “the time being” there are no plans for the United States to launch new attacks against Iran. This is the message that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has conveyed in recent days to several foreign ministers from allied countries, explaining that the focus is now on other forms of pressure. According to Axios, Rubio outlined to his counterparts the policy the administration intends to pursue at least until the mid-term elections: namely, to avoid military action, increase economic pressure, and transport as much oil as possible through the Strait of Hormuz.

Il Segretario di Stato americano Marco Rubio interviene durante la cerimonia di firma di un protocollo d'intesa con il vicepresidente paraguaiano Pedro Alliana sulla cooperazione strategica nel settore nucleare civile, presso il Dipartimento di Stato a Washington, D.C., Stati Uniti, il 4 agosto 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Foto d'archivio