Iran: Trump is working on a post-war plan for the Middle East

“The lunatics of the radical left and the communists would rather see us lose the war in Iran than see President Donald J. Trump win the war for America.” US President Donald Trump wrote this on Truth Social, once again attacking the Democrats over the war against Iran. “In other words, they would rather see us lose than see us win!”, added Trump. “These are very sick people suffering from a severe form of TDS, sometimes referred to as Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the President continued, using the term by which he and his supporters controversially describe what they consider to be irrational hostility towards him.

Il post di Donald Trump su Truth

Iran has destroyed air defence systems at US bases in the Middle East, making it easier to attack Israel. This was stated by the Iranian army spokesperson, Mohamad Akraminia. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said yesterday that, as US economic pressure on Iran increases, the likelihood of Tehran launching a pre-emptive strike is also expected to rise. He added that, in such a scenario, Israel would strike any Iranian infrastructure without restriction, including energy infrastructure. “‘The destruction of air defence systems means that the path is clear for our missiles and drones to reach the occupied territories (Israel), and it is now much easier to launch attacks against the (...) bases located in those areas,’ said Akraminia, as quoted by the ISNA news agency. The military spokesperson explained that Iran had responded to the latest hostile actions by the United States by attacking American bases where air defence systems and radars were deployed. According to Akraminia, Iranian forces succeeded in destroying them. He also stated that Tehran would carry out “pre-emptive operations” should it perceive a threat. On Tuesday night, the United States launched a new wave of massive attacks against targets in Iran which, according to the Iranian authorities, resulted in at least 18 deaths. According to the US Central Command (Centcom), the targets were facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including air defence systems, radar stations, naval vessels and communications infrastructure. Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at US military facilities in several Middle Eastern countries. Tensions in the region escalated after Iran and the United States resumed their exchange of attacks on the night of 7–8 July, just three weeks after the presidents of the two countries had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending hostilities and paving the way for a final agreement.

NAIROBI – The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Israel have confirmed, in a joint statement, their intention to relocate the Congolese embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to open an Israeli diplomatic mission in Kinshasa. The official announcement of the ‘relocation’ comes just a few days after Congolese President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s visit to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirming a plan that first emerged on the sidelines of the 2023 UN General Assembly in New York and has been underpinned by years of close ties. At present, ‘consultations’ between the two governments are ongoing, but the course appears to have been set. ‘The State of Israel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,’ the statement reads, ‘will continue their exchanges through the appropriate diplomatic channels in order to agree on the arrangements for implementing these decisions.’

The US Treasury has announced that it has imposed sanctions on a Turkish financial institution as part of its latest initiative aimed at cutting off “vital lines of credit” to the Iranian government. The measures against Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi come almost a week after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced ‘Operation Economic Outcast’, Washington’s new initiative designed to force Tehran to yield to its demands after more than six months of conflict. Last week, the United States targeted the operations of an Egyptian bank in the United Arab Emirates. Bessent stated that financial institutions with links to Iran “will continue to learn the hard way that we mean business when it comes to Operation Economic Outcast”. “Whilst we hope not to have to sanction any more banks, ultimately it will all depend on how quickly the international community comes to its senses and stops supporting the bloodthirsty Iranian regime,” he continued.

Il segretario al Tesoro degli Stati Uniti Scott Bessent interviene durante una conferenza stampa, mentre i ministri delle finanze e i governatori delle banche centrali dei paesi del G20 si riuniscono ad Asheville, nella Carolina del Nord (Stati Uniti), il 1° settembre 2026. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe IMMAGINI DEL GIORNO DI TPX

The Patriarch of Jerusalem is promoting a project for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land. It is a sort of think tank comprising religious figures, scholars and intellectuals who will contribute to the cause of peace. The Focolare Movement will also be taking part in the initiative. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, will in fact be among the members of the Board of Promoters of “Within Your Gates: The Forum for the Universal Vocation of Jerusalem”, the new interdisciplinary forum promoted by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and developed in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame’s academic centre in Jerusalem. The Forum will be launched in Jerusalem on 7 September and has been established to bring together scholars, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and professionals from diverse traditions, communities and disciplines. “‘Within Your Gates’ aims to create a space in which to address the wounds and complexities of Jerusalem with realism, whilst promoting a reflection capable of opening up new perspectives for the future. The Forum’s work will focus on the common good of the inhabitants of the Holy City and will address themes such as the language of conflict and reconciliation, the theological and human significance of Jerusalem and the possibilities for action in contexts marked by severe constraints’, explain the project’s initiators.

“At this painful time for the Holy Land and for so many other places around the world,” says Margaret Karram, “we need spaces where people of different backgrounds and beliefs can meet, listen to one another and seek new paths together. I am deeply honoured to be part of this Forum, as is the entire Focolare Movement. We wish to support its aims through our experience and our daily commitment to building peace. It is a difficult journey, but we believe that every genuine gesture of dialogue and fraternity can help to make it possible.” Chaired by Pizzaballa, the Board of Promoters also includes the philosopher and writer Sari Nusseibeh, former president of al-Quds University, and Sarah Stroumsa, professor emerita of Arabic Studies and former Vice-Chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Forum is directed by Daniel Schwake of the University of Notre Dame.

The former US ambassador to Tunisia, Joey Hood, has warned that Iran could be planning a ‘spectacular attack’ within the next six weeks. Hood told Al Jazeera that Iran “has a history of attempting to humiliate US presidents, particularly in the run-up to elections, from Jimmy Carter right up to the present day. Elections in both the US and Israel take place at the same time. For Iran, it is an irresistible temptation to try to drive up crude oil prices in the United States. Especially given that American voters are very sensitive to the price of petrol, just as Arab voters are very sensitive to the price of bread’. Hood stated that there is a diplomatic stalemate between the United States and Israel and that an element of surprise is needed to move the negotiations forward. ‘I believe that diplomatic efforts are entirely futile unless there is something equally striking on the part of the mediators,’ he said.

In a world where it is necessary to have “institutions and actors capable of keeping the door to dialogue open”, the Holy See “can play a special role” in achieving peace. This is stated by Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, Iran’s ambassador to the Holy See, in a speech. “The Holy See,” the speech continues, “should not be regarded merely as a religious institution” because it can offer a “platform” for “establishing channels of communication”. “Today’s world needs more bridges and fewer walls: bridges between East and West, between Islam and Christianity, and between nations and governments that may be at odds with one another. Building these bridges is not easy, and the results may not be immediate. But history has shown us that many important peace processes have begun with something simple: an initial contact, a meeting or a conversation”, added the ambassador.

Only four merchant ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, fewer than the nine that passed through on Wednesday and well below the ten-year average of around 15, according to preliminary maritime traffic data published today. According to Kpler, the vessels included two medium-range oil tankers, a Kamsarmax container ship and a Handysize vessel. However, the number of vessels passing through the strait may not be reliable, as some ships usually switch off their transponders whilst sailing.

Oman has rejected Iran’s proposal to agree on the management of transit through the Strait of Hormuz: this was reported by the US newspaper *New York Post*, citing government sources in the region.

Further reading

Oil and gas: why the war in Iran isn’t causing prices to soar in the same way as the Russian invasion of Ukraine

27 July 2026

The US Vice-President, JD Vance, has stated that he has been briefed on the attack reported on Tuesday during a wedding, which, according to Iranian state media, left five people dead and dozens injured. Vance said: “We are investigating this very thoroughly.” He clarified, however, that the United States never targets civilians in combat, and that “these things happen”. “We are investigating because, obviously, we care about this; we want to know,” he added, “when our armed forces make mistakes, they learn from them to try to improve.”

The US President Donald Trump has announced the appointment of a new ‘acting’ Secretary of the Army, shortly after the resignation of Dan Driscoll, the branch’s highest-ranking civilian official, following serious disagreements with the Pentagon’s leadership, in particular with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“I am pleased to announce that Adam Telle, the current Under-Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will take up the post of Acting Secretary of the Army with immediate effect,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “He is a great patriot, held in high regard by everyone,” he added. Telle was sworn in as Under-Secretary in August 2025, following his confirmation by the US Senate; he has spent much of his career working as a staff member on Capitol Hill.

The European Union “has officially joined” the United States’ economic pressure campaign against Iran, the so-called ‘Operation Economic Outcast’, “and we appreciate their firm and timely stance”. This is what US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a post on X. The United States “stands firmly alongside its allies to ensure that the bloodthirsty Iranian regime cannot exploit the global financial system to fund its nuclear ambitions, weapons programmes and proxy terrorist groups. ‘The world is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime: we will not stop until every remaining financial lifeline has been severed,’ the post continues. The post also includes a link to the EU statement of 30 August, issued on the occasion of the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting which Bessent had just hosted in Asheville, North Carolina. Brussels “remains ready to take further measures, where necessary”, against Iran “to safeguard its security and interests, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”, the statement had reported, noting that it considered “continued diplomatic efforts necessary to achieve a peaceful solution, restore regional stability and ensure full freedom of navigation and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz”. The EU, noting that it had already imposed “extensive sanctions” on Iran to prevent it from exploiting the global economy and financial system for hostile actions, went on to say that it would “work closely with the US and other partners in the G7 and the international community to maintain pressure onIran and contribute to de-escalation and regional stability”, welcoming “efforts aimed at ensuring that Iran ceases its destabilising activities and engages in peace negotiations in good faith, including through further economic pressure, such as the US-led Operation Economic Outcast”.

No final decision has yet been taken on the deployment of military forces to the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced today by the South Korean presidential office, as reported by the Yonhap news agency, which stated that the matter is still under consideration.

Seoul could make a military contribution to global efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait, provided that such a contribution does not compromise its defence readiness, should it decide to do so, a presidential official said.