Latest war news. Iran: ‘Military facility near Bushehr hit by an attack’. Phone call between Trump and Netanyahu

A military facility near the southern city of Bushehr – home to Iran’s only operational nuclear power station – was hit in an attack, according to a report issued this evening by the official IRNA news agency. “A military facility near Bushehr was attacked and hit by a projectile fired by the US-Zionist (Israeli) enemy,” said Ehsan Jahanian, the province’s deputy governor. Meanwhile, a US defence official reported that the US armed forces had not carried out any new attacks in Iran in the last few hours.

Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to coordinate the next steps on various fronts”. This was reported by Axios, citing the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. The tycoon briefed Netanyahu on the situation in Iran.

The funeral ceremonies for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, have concluded in Mashhad, with the final procession and the prayer service at the Imam Reza Shrine broadcast live on state television. The live feed from the Ayatollah’s hometown was then cut off, marking the start of the private burial. The funeral prayer was led by Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa, a development not included in the programmes initially broadcast by the Iranian media. The current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not appear in any of the footage broadcast by state television. According to a regional source quoted by CNN, the new Supreme Leader had decided not to attend the funeral on the advice of the Revolutionary Guards, nor was he present at the private burial ceremony.

The Iranian state broadcaster has denied reports carried by the state news agency Mehr regarding explosions in southern Iran, stating that “no explosions have been reported so far in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Sirik or Jask”. However, the towns of Konarak and Bushehr were not included in the state television’s denial. This is according to Iran International.

The Syrian authorities have arrested the cell responsible for the terrorist attacks in Damascus. This was stated by the Syrian Interior Minister, Anas Khattab, who added that the authorities will reveal “the identities of the cell’s members, their roles and all their affiliations” once the investigations have been concluded. This was reported by the Anadolu and Sana news agencies. “The cell responsible for the terrorist attacks that struck Damascus two days ago is now in our custody,” Khattab said in a statement. Khattab did not provide further details about the suspects or the circumstances of their arrest.

An American official has told CNN that the US military is not currently carrying out any attacks in Iran. The statement comes following reports from Iran of explosions and the activation of air defence systems in the country. This is according to Ynet.

Iranian media have reported that air defence systems have been activated in the south-eastern city of Chabahar. Another report indicated that three explosions were heard in Chabahar and two in Bushehr, in the south of the country. This is according to Ynet.

Palestinian sources report that Israeli settlers stormed the Palestinian town of Deir Jarir in the West Bank and filmed the incident, showing the settlers vandalising local property. This is reported by Haaretz. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) responded by stating that their troops arrived at the scene after receiving a report of a Palestinian attack on Israelis. According to the IDF, two Israelis were injured.

“Should both risks – a resurgence of tensions in the Middle East and a potential sharp appreciation of US assets – materialise, the euro area would experience weaker growth and higher inflation. ESM simulations indicate that, in such a severe scenario, in which both shocks were to occur simultaneously, the euro area could slip into slightly negative territory, whilst inflation could reach almost 5 per cent by the end of the year.” This was stated by the Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Pierre Gramegna, at the conclusion of the Eurogroup meeting.

It is unlikely that Iran’s new Supreme Leader will attend the funeral of his father, Ali Khamenei. This is according to CNN, citing a regional source. He is not expected to attend any of the ceremonies, the source added, not even the private burial to be attended by the family of the late Supreme Leader. The Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the funeral ceremony “will be held in the presence of members of the (Supreme Leader’s) family”, without specifying who they are.

Speaking during the ceremony to award pilot’s licences to new pilots, the Chief of Staff of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, stated that the military campaign against Iran “is not over”. “There are new plans on the table. Major operations still lie ahead. Be ready,” he said in a brief address. Zamir explained that he would not be delivering his prepared speech, as the President, the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister had already given rather lengthy speeches during the ceremony. “You have undergone captivity training, which has also prepared you for this ceremony,” he joked, addressing the pilots.

The missiles and drones launched by Iran did not cause any significant damage or injuries to US personnel. A US official said as much, explaining that the Iranian missiles and drones “were either intercepted or did not cause significant damage. There are no reports of US casualties”.

The Israeli armed forces are ready to attack Iran “a third time, if necessary”: this was stated today by the Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, during a military ceremony. “The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of hostilities, to re-establish air superiority and strike again (...) in Iran in order to eliminate the threats, even a third time if necessary”,

Following the latest skirmishes between the United States and Iran over the past two days, international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed. This is according to CNN, which cites maritime traffic data. According to industry analysts, Iran has taken advantage of the recent lull in the conflict to step up exports from Kharg Island, its main export hub. “Anticipating a possible and imminent reinstatement of the blockade by the US Navy, Tehran shipped no fewer than 10 million barrels of crude oil and fuels in a single night,” TankerTrackers reported today.

“All three export terminals on Kharg Island have remained fully operational” despite the latest US attacks, according to analysts at Windward, a maritime intelligence service. “Around 63 million barrels of Iranian crude oil are now at sea,” Windward points out. Following the US’s revocation this week of the waiver allowing Iranian crude oil exports, “operators, insurers and buyers are fully exposed to US secondary sanctions on any cargo they handle”, Windward noted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has “strongly condemned” the US attacks on Iran, describing them as a breach of the agreement signed between the two countries last month. According to the BBC, Araghchi also reportedly told Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir, a key figure in the mediation talks, that Iran is ready “to defend itself” in the event of further US attacks.

Ten ballistic missiles were fired today at a US base in Jordan. This was reported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as cited by CNN. The IRGC stated that the target was the Azraq military base in northern Jordan, also known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The US military has strengthened its presence in this area during the conflict with Iran. “If the US military repeats its aggression, other American bases in the region will not be spared from heavy attacks,” the IRGC said. No damage or casualties have been reported. All the missiles were “intercepted and neutralised”, said Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad Al-Momani on X.

As regards Iran, “the situation remains clouded by a high degree of uncertainty and volatility. We note that the ceasefire in the context of the war in Iran is not holding. There have been further blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, which obviously has implications, but overall we see that the European economy is proving resilient in the face of this shock to oil and gas supplies.” This was stated by EU Commissioner for the Economy Valdis Dombrovskis as he entered the Eurogroup meeting. “The greatest possible economic intervention in terms of energy prices is the de-escalation of the conflict,” added the EU Presidency.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have stated that three of their men were killed in the US attacks on the country this morning in the province of Khuzestan, in south-western Iran.

US forces have struck more than 170 Iranian military targets over the past two days, including air defence systems, drone and missile depots, military patrol boats and logistical infrastructure along the coast near the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the US Central Command (Centcom), according to the New York Times. The number of targets struck is around 14 times higher than that recorded during the two most recent days of retaliatory raids carried out at the end of June. According to Centcom, the attacks are aimed at further reducing Iran’s ability to target commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

US military attacks “seriously hinder” the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and any attempt by Washington to dictate shipping routes will provoke “an overwhelming response”. This was stated in a statement by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, which claimed to have restored traffic in the strait to around 50 per cent of pre-war levels and to be increasing capacity for vessels authorised to use the routes designated by Iran. In the statement, the Pasdaran assert that “foreigners have no place on this land or in the Strait of Hormuz” and accuse Washington of “adventurism and interference” in shipping lanes, attributing the current navigation difficulties in the Strait to US actions. The Pasdaran Navy also warns that US intervention in the definition of navigation corridors “would jeopardise the interests of the countries using the Strait”.

The funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli-American airstrike, has begun in Mashhad. The IRNA news agency reports that crowds have gathered around the vehicle carrying the bodies of the former Supreme Leader and his family members, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. According to the Iranian news agency, the ceremony is being attended by political officials from 45 countries, as well as scholars, religious leaders and scientists from over 90 nations.

Further explosions have been heard in Bandar Abbas, a port city in southern Iran on the Strait of Hormuz. This has been reported by the satellite TV channel Al Jazeera, which is relaying news from the Iranian news agency Mehr, as the latest escalation between the US and Iran continues. Explosions had also been reported in the area in the past few hours.

The Jordanian armed forces have intercepted Iranian missiles that had entered the Kingdom’s airspace, the Minister of Communications and government spokesperson announced. “Air-raid sirens were sounded after the Kingdom’s airspace was violated by missiles launched from Iran, which were intercepted,” Mohammad Momani told the public broadcaster Al Mamlaka.

Palestinian President Abu Mazen issued a decree today setting the date for parliamentary elections on 28 November; if they go ahead, they will be the first elections of this kind in 20 years. “The presidential decree calls on the Palestinian people of Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to take part in free and direct parliamentary elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on the specified date,” reported the official Wafa news agency, quoting the decree.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence has stated that it “successfully intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 10 drones” during the Iranian attacks. According to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence, as reported by Ynet, one person was injured in the attack and damage to buildings was also recorded.

Missile warning sirens have sounded in Jordan.

Several explosions were reported in the Iranian province of Bushehr, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Bushehr is the city where an Iranian nuclear power station is located.

“The issue is the Strait of Hormuz. Iran wants those passing through to pay tariffs, which the Americans do not want. The attack on the two merchant ships was specifically intended to make it clear that one cannot pass through without paying tariffs. The Americans are, quite rightly, opposed to this because it would set a precedent that could then be applied to all straits, thereby restricting freedom of navigation and limiting international trade.” This was stated by the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of a conference on encouraging young people to pursue a career in medicine, currently taking place at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, whilst commenting on the latest clashes between Iran and the US. “I hope that a diplomatic solution can be found to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains free, that no tariffs are paid, and that freedom of navigation can thus be restored,” added the minister. According to Tajani, Iran “must understand” that any agreement “cannot fail to stipulate” that Tehran must not possess nuclear weapons, and that Iran “cannot impose tariffs on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz”. “These are two fundamental issues, and I hope that all this can be resolved through diplomatic channels,” he concluded.

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“The US attacks against Iran, under the pretext of an unfounded response to alleged incidents involving several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, constitute a flagrant violation of Articles 1 and 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding; Tehran will under no circumstances allow Washington’s breach of the agreement and intimidation to jeopardise its national interests”. This was stated by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, as reported by ISNA, after the Islamic Republic reported that 14 people had been killed and a further 78 injured during the US attacks over the past two days.

The aeroplane carrying the coffin of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has landed in the holy city of Mashhad, ahead of his burial. The official IRNA news agency has released images of the Mahan Air flight taxiing at the airport after landing in Khamenei’s hometown. The Ayatollah’s body was transferred from Iraq, where ceremonies were held in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, attended by millions of people.

- Donald Trump has cast doubt on the possibility of renewing an agreement with Iran. “I don’t know if it’s worth making a deal. I don’t know if they’ll honour it,” said the US President on board Air Force One, having just landed in Maryland on his return from the NATO summit in Ankara, noting that the US military “has just struck the country very hard”. “The United States has already won militarily; they’ve been left with very little,” he added, noting that Tehran “has just asked us to reach an agreement”. Iran “has just called; they want a deal with all their might”. Yesterday, Trump had announced that the ceasefire agreement “was a thing of the past” and that talking to Tehran “is a waste of time”.

- “The US attacks against Iran, under the pretext of an unfounded response to alleged incidents involving several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, constitute a flagrant violation of Articles 1 and 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding; Tehran will under no circumstances allow Washington’s breach of the agreement and intimidation to undermine its national interests”. This was stated by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, as reported by ISNA, after the Islamic Republic reported that 14 people had been killed and a further 78 injured during the US attacks over the past two days.

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has almost completely ground to a halt following two days of US air strikes against Iran, according to Bloomberg. Traffic through this crucial waterway is now largely restricted to a northern route approved by Iran, whilst a southern corridor, protected by Oman and the United States, has seen little activity.

The funeral ceremony for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, scheduled for this morning in his hometown of Mashhad, has been postponed by a few hours. Iranian state television has reported this, explaining that the delay is due to the “larger than expected” crowds attending the funerals in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. The ceremony in Mashhad is now scheduled for 2.30 pm local time (1 pm in Italia).

- The Iranian army stated today that it had launched drone attacks against Patriot air defence systems in Kuwait, an early-warning satellite antenna in Qatar and US military fuel depots in Bahrain.

“About an hour ago, the Iranian army continued its attacks on US bases in the region, including the Patriot systems in Kuwait, a satellite antenna (early warning site) in Qatar and the fuel depots of the US ‘terrorist army’ in Bahrain, which came under a massive attack by military drones,” the army said in a statement, as quoted by the broadcaster Irib.

The Iranian army claims to have carried out drone attacks against US bases in the Gulf. The attacks – it is explained – targeted a Patriot missile system in Kuwait, a satellite antenna site for early warning in Qatar and fuel tanks belonging to the US military in Bahrain. The Pasdaran – in a press release quoted by Al Jazeera – claim to have used “a large number of drones of various types” and that “under no circumstances will they allow the objectives and aspirations of the foolish US president to be realised, and they will defend the lofty ideals of the Islamic Revolution until final victory”.

- At least 14 people have died and a further 78 have been injured in US attacks in five Iranian provinces. This was announced on X by the Health Ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, who added that around 47 of the injured are still in hospital.

The Iranian authorities have stated that passenger rail services on the Tehran–Mashhad line have been suspended after a section of the line was hit by a US attack. Technical and operational teams have been dispatched to the site, where repair work is underway, the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways announced, adding that the aim is to restore the line “as soon as possible” and that arrangements are being made to transport passengers stranded in Mashhad by road, the holy city where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is to be buried.

- The US military struck around 90 “military targets” in Iran, including air defence systems, during its latest series of attacks, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced overnight.

“The United States carried out a new series of strikes against Iran on 8 July to further reduce Iran’s ability to target merchant ships and innocent civilian sailors in the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcom said in a statement posted on X.

The Kuwaiti army announced this morning that it had repelled “hostile missile and drone attacks” after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards vowed to retaliate against US air strikes on the Islamic Republic.

“The army’s general staff has clarified that the explosions heard were the result of hostile projectiles being intercepted by air defence systems,” the armed forces stated in a press release published on X, without specifying the source of the attacks.

An American raid in western Iran has left three people dead and several injured. This was reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA, quoting Valiollah Hayati, deputy governor of Khuzestan province, who told journalists that three people had been killed and several others injured during a US attack on the outskirts of the city of Ahvaz.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards claim to have struck US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain and are threatening to expand their attacks, according to state television.

“America has not yet learnt that arrogance and a lack of loyalty no longer come without a price. To be clear: try it, and you will pay the price.” This was written in a post on his X account by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States. “Do not waste your energy, or you will sink even deeper,” he added. “The Strait of Hormuz will only be opened through agreements with Iran, not through American threats.” Ghalibaf’s words were also reported by the Iranian news agency Fars.

In Bahrain, air-raid sirens sounded for the second night in a row. This was announced by the Ministry of the Interior, after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards vowed to retaliate against US attacks on Iran. “The siren has sounded,” the Ministry of the Interior said in a post on X. “Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and make their way to the nearest safe place.”

The United States has launched new attacks against Iran. This was announced by Central Command.