Iran cease-fire is 'over,' Trump says | LIVE

Israeli media: Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth canceled his trip to Israel scheduled for today, according to Haaretz and Israel's Channel 12.

According to Reuters, Hegseth was supposed to discuss the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, a sale that would likely anger Israeli officials.

The reported cancellation of the trip comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding is now over, raising fears of a resumption of the regional conflict.

Oil prices rise more than 5% after Trump announces end of Iran cease-fire

Oil prices surged after President Donald Trump said he was ending the cease-fire with Iran, following a resumption of hostilities after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington attributed to Tehran.

At around 8:30 a.m. GMT (10:30 a.m. in Paris), North Sea Brent crude for September delivery jumped 5.26% to $78.06 a barrel. Its U.S. equivalent, West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery, rose 5.32% to $74.19 a barrel.

US, Iran strikes 'further complicate' negotiations to end war, EU says

New U.S. and Iranian strikes have “further complicated” “already tense” negotiations to end the war, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

In a post on X, Kallas called Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait “unacceptable.” She said the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states would speak Monday with their Gulf counterparts on how to “preserve freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

EU aviation safety agency recommends airlines avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese airspace until Aug. 31

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airlines should avoid flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon due to ongoing tensions and the risk of further military action. The agency said its bulletin regarding the airspace of these three countries would remain in effect until Aug. 31.

The agency also announced that it had withdrawn its previous advisory, which had also recommended that airlines exercise caution when operating in the airspaces of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. It was not immediately clear whether a new advisory would be issued for those countries.

Trump says cease-fire with Iran ‘is over’

U.S. President Donald Trump said from Ankara, where he is attending the NATO summit, that the cease-fire with Iran is “over.”

“I don’t want a deal with them,” he said, referring to the Iranians. They are “evil, sick people.”

Iranian army says it will consider any site enabling US to attack the country a 'legitimate target'

Iranian army says it will consider any site enabling the United States to attack the country a “legitimate target.”

Iran: Revolutionary Guards member killed after US strikes

A member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was killed following U.S. strikes, an Iranian state media outlet reported, according to AFP.

Iran/U.S.: China warns that a 'resumption of hostilities' is 'in no one's interest'

China warned that a "resumption of hostilities" between Iran and the United States is "not in anyone's interest."

Qatari mediator calls for de-escalation after Iranian attacks in the Gulf

The Qatari mediator called for de-escalation after Iranian attacks in the Gulf, according to AFP.

'Hezbollah fighter' killed in face-to-face clash with Israeli army in Bint Jbeil

The Israeli army said it killed a man it identified as a Hezbollah fighter during a "face-to-face" encounter inside a building in Bint Jbeil. In a statement, the army said the incident occurred as soldiers from the reserve "Yiftach" Brigade were searching a building in the town "where an engagement took place last Thursday, during which a reservist was seriously wounded." The army had previously said it had failed to locate the fighter responsible for the shooting.

"During these searches, a Hezbollah fighter who was barricaded inside the building opened fire on the soldiers, who immediately returned fire and killed him," the army said.

Hezbollah has not officially claimed responsibility for any attacks since the cease-fire took effect on June 20. Israel, however, has continued to carry out daily raids in South Lebanon and to blow up and demolish entire villages in the "buffer zone" established along the border, on Lebanese territory.

Iran: News agency reports explosions in Bushehr, southwestern Iran

Iranian news agency Mehr reported a series of explosions of unknown origin in the port city of Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant, following the resumption of hostilities between Iran and the United States.

“Explosions were heard in Bushehr and surrounding areas,” Mehr reported, without providing further details. Located in southwestern Iran, Bushehr lies across from Kharg Island, the country’s main oil terminal, through which 90% of Iranian crude exports normally pass.

Kuwait condemns 'repeated' Iranian attacks on its territory

Kuwait condemned Iranian attacks on its territory, saying they undermined regional de-escalation efforts after Tehran claimed responsibility for strikes on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

In a statement, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry expressed “its strongest condemnation and denunciation of Iran’s repeated and unlawful attacks,” adding that “the continuation of these reckless attacks — at a time when regional and international de-escalation efforts are underway — systematically undermines efforts aimed at reducing tensions.”

New explosions and sirens heard in Bahrain

New explosions were heard in Bahrain after sirens sounded for the third time, an AFP journalist reported.

Iran earlier claimed to have struck Bahrain, which hosts U.S. military bases, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on its territory following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Final tribute to Khamenei in Iraq: crowds fill streets of Najaf

Crowds filled the streets of Najaf, in southern Iraq, on Wednesday morning to accompany the funeral procession of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as it passed through the Iraqi Shiite holy city, ahead of his burial in Iran on Thursday.

The city’s streets were decorated with banners honoring the ayatollah and large portraits of him, alongside Iraqi flags. Large crowds gathered as the procession began its six-kilometer route to the imposing shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law, the fourth caliph of Islam and the first Shiite imam, where dozens of religious figures stood ready to pray over the coffin.

Some mourners approached to touch Khamenei’s coffin, which was placed on the back of a truck. Later in the day, his remains will be flown to Karbala, further north, to the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas. One of the late leader’s sons, Mostafa, is taking part in the Iraqi leg of the funeral.

Attending the tribute, Gen. Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, the foreign operations branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, praised Baghdad’s “meticulous planning of this historic event,” which he said reflected “the deep spiritual ties uniting the two nations.” The state funeral will conclude with Khamenei’s burial on Thursday in Mashhad, his hometown in northeastern Iran.

South Lebanon: Overnight Israeli attacks on Ali Taher Heights and surrounding areas

Overnight, Israeli forces also carried out attacks around the strategic Ali Taher Heights, south of Nabatieh, which they are seeking to control and where an Israeli flag was reportedly raised, according to reports published Tuesday.

The Israeli army fired flares over the hill at least twice, our south Lebanon correspondent reported.

Artillery fire also targeted the area, as well as the nearby town of Kfar Tibnit. An airstrike followed on the outskirts of Nabatieh Fawqa, which is also located near Ali Taher.

South Lebanon: Airstrikes and demolitions in Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun districts

On Tuesday night into Wednesday, Israeli forces fired three missiles which targeted the outskirts of Braasheet and Beit Yahoun in the Bint Jbeil district, and carried out a large-scale demolition operation in Deir Siryan in the Marjayoun district.

The Israeli army also carried out a major demolition operation this morning in the town of Bint Jbeil.

US launches massive strikes on Iran, which retaliated in Kuwait, Bahrain

The United States struck more than 80 targets in Iran in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes it said targeted U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Washington also reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil following the attacks on shipping. Both sides accuse each other of violating the framework agreement signed on June 17 to end the war triggered by the U.S.-Israeli offensive against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28.

Three vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported Tuesday. Qatar and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for two of the attacks. Condemning what it described as "Iranian attacks" and "a clear and dangerous violation of the cease-fire," the U.S. military launched a series of "powerful strikes" against Iran, saying it had hit "more than 80 targets," including "Iranian air defense systems," according to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Hours later, on Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had struck 85 installations at U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to state television.

More details here.

US strikes on Iran were 'absolutely necessary,' NATO chief says

The latest U.S. strikes on Iran were "absolutely necessary," NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in Ankara.

"When you have a cease-fire and Iran is basically violating the cease-fire, I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react," Rutte told reporters on the second day of the alliance's summit.

Rutte also said he expected NATO allies to reaffirm that "Iran should never get its hands on a nuclear capability."

According to alliance diplomats, the statement reflects the language of the summit's final declaration, which is due to be adopted on Thursday, the second and final day of the meeting. He also stressed the significance of the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran claims strikes on Bahrain, accuses US of 'violating' framework agreement

Iran claimed responsibility this morning for strikes on Bahrain, the Gulf nation that hosts a U.S. military base, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian territory, which Tehran described as a violation of the framework agreement aimed at ending the war.

"In response to the American enemy's aggression against Iran and its violation of the agreement" reached between Tehran and Washington on June 17, "army drones targeted enemy U.S. forces stationed at Sheikh Isa Air Base," the Iranian army said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, shortly after explosions were heard in Bahrain.

Earlier overnight, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck 85 installations at U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Gulf, where a new escalation erupted after several vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States responded by striking more than 80 targets in Iran, prompting Iran's Revolutionary Guards to launch retaliatory strikes toward Kuwait and Bahrain.

We will also be following developments in Lebanon, where the Israeli army continues to destroy villages in the South, where it occupies a "buffer zone," and carry out daily attacks despite a cease-fire that has been in effect since June 20.

You can find Tuesday's live coverage here and today's Morning Brief here.