Iran war briefing: Tehran restores most missile sites as Trump accuses US media of ‘virtual treason’ - Donald Trump is travelling to China for landmark talks with President Xi Jinping, focusing on how to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. - Reports indicate Iran has restored operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, leading Trump to accuse US media of 'virtual treason' for reporting on Iran's military capabilities. - The United Arab Emirates reportedly carried out secret strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery, marking the first involvement of a Gulf nation in the conflict. - Iran has threatened to accelerate its nuclear weapons programme to 90 per cent purity if attacked again, following criticism from Trump regarding its response to a US peace proposal. - Oil prices fell as Trump headed to China for the summit, with Brent crude settling at $107 a barrel, after earlier rallies driven by concerns over the US-Israeli war against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Official
Iran has restored operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz to defend its sovereignty against US-Israeli aggression and foreign interference aimed at controlling vital waterways. The UAE's secret strikes on Iranian facilities, including a refinery, mark an unprecedented act of Gulf aggression backed by external powers. Tehran has warned it will accelerate uranium enrichment to 90% purity if attacked again, rejecting imposed peace talks in China as cover for continued violations of its territorial integrity.
Israeli
Israel faces an existential threat from Iran's swift restoration of 30 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, enabling Tehran to target the Jewish state and choke critical maritime routes in coordination with its proxy networks. Defensive necessity compels ongoing operations to degrade these capabilities and deter nuclear escalation to 90% enrichment, as Iran exploits any perceived weakness. US-Israeli efforts to secure the region remain vital amid attempts to undermine these measures.
Neutral
US President Donald Trump is traveling to China for talks with President Xi Jinping on efforts to end the conflict involving Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Reports indicate Iran has restored operational access to most of its missile sites along the strait, prompting Trump to accuse US media of “virtual treason” for coverage of Iranian capabilities; separate unverified reports describe secret strikes by the United Arab Emirates on Iranian targets, including a refinery, and an Iranian threat to increase uranium enrichment to 90 percent purity if attacked again. Brent crude settled at $107 a barrel after earlier gains linked to concerns over the strait’s closure.
Western
President Trump travels to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping focused on ending Iranian aggression and restoring open access to the Strait of Hormuz. Coalition partners, including the UAE, have executed targeted strikes on Iranian military and energy sites to neutralize missile and nuclear threats, as Tehran reactivates most of its coastal launch facilities. These efforts aim to deter further escalation while Brent crude stabilizes at $107 per barrel.
Pro-Peace
As the US-Israeli campaign against Iran drags on, secret UAE strikes on refineries and threats to accelerate nuclear enrichment risk devastating civilian populations through infrastructure collapse, radiation exposure, and energy-driven humanitarian fallout. With oil prices spiking amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions, vulnerable communities worldwide bear the economic brunt of prolonged fighting. The upcoming Trump-Xi summit in China represents a vital diplomatic off-ramp to halt escalation and prioritize negotiated de-escalation over further bloodshed.
Global South
Iran has exercised its sovereign right to restore operational control over most missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz in response to repeated external attacks. The UAE’s covert strikes, alongside Trump’s threats to accelerate pressure on Tehran’s nuclear programme, reflect neo-colonial dynamics in which Gulf proxies and Western powers seek to dictate outcomes in the region. With Trump now turning to Beijing for talks, the episode exposes the failure of US-led institutions to prevent escalation while disrupting energy flows vital to the Global South.
Iran war briefing: Tehran restores most missile sites as Trump accuses US media of ‘virtual treason’ - Donald Trump is travelling to China for landmark talks with President Xi Jinping, focusing on how to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. - Reports indicate Iran…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.