The Iran-backed Hezbollah group today branded Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s recent visit to Washington a failure and said it showed the government’s submission to a foreign power.

In a statement, the group’s lawmakers said the visit revealed “the extent of subservience and submission to foreign tutelage”, adding that it “failed to achieve... an American commitment to the withdrawal of the enemy from our land”, referring to Israel.

The visit, according to the group, also failed to “stop the crimes of killing, bombing and bulldozing that this enemy continues to commit against our people, nor did it provide the possibility of a safe return for the displaced or the start of reconstruction”.

- AFP

Britain today strongly condemned strikes by Iran’s Houthi allies on Saudi shipping which have sent oil prices soaring.

“These reckless actions endanger lives, risk environmental catastrophe and regional stability, in serious violation of international law,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and urge the Houthis to stop,” it added in a post on X.

- AFP

U.S. President Donald ‌Trump told Axios in an ⁠interview today that ‌he is seriously ‌considering restarting ‌major ⁠combat ⁠operations in Iran, which could include larger ‌strikes than those carried out ‌during “Operaton Epic Fury,” the news outlet ⁠reported.

“They haven’t received enough ‌pain yet,” Axios quoted Mr. Trump as saying, adding ‌that Trump said he had ⁠not yet made ⁠a final decision.

- Reuters

Pakistan today vowed “swift” retaliation to any hostile act against vessels carrying its flag or maritime interests in the Red Sea, warning that such acts will be regarded as “grave threats” to its national security.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi’s remarks at a weekly press briefing came after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the day.

Mr. Andrabi said that any attack against Pakistani-flagged vessels or against its commercial vessels will be “treated as an attack against Pakistan and will be swiftly retaliated” against.

The hostile act will be regarded as a grave threat to its national security, he said, adding: “We will do so in our exercise of self-defence.” Pakistan has so far avoided being drawn into the armed conflict despite a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia.

- PTI

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation today directing President Donald Trump to halt U.S. ‌military action against Iran, the latest symbolic rebuke of the Republican president from ⁠Congress.

The vote was 214-208 in favor of the war powers resolution as four Republicans joined Democrats ‌in voting for it.

The resolution, introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal, a ‌Washington Democrat, directs Mr. Trump “to remove the ‌use of ⁠United States Armed Forces from hostilities” ⁠against Iran unless Congress authorizes it. However, it was largely symbolic. Lawmakers have passed similar resolutions repeatedly in recent months, but they ‌have not led to cessation of the war.

- Reuters

Germany is “very worried” that attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militants risk escalation of conflicts in the region, the country’s Defence Minister said today.

“Recent developments, specifically concerning the Houthis and Saudi Arabian tankers, raise concerns that an escalation could be imminent,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that the situation has “dire consequences” for those living in the region and global energy supplies.

- AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would be a significant step towards peace in West Asia.

“Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East [West Asia]”, Mr. Netanyahu’s office said after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal would be contingent on the kingdom recognising Israel.

-AFP

Fresh fighting in West Asia means inflation could now trend higher than expected, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said today.

“The risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside,” she said at a press conference after the bank announced it was keeping its key deposit rate unchanged. “The energy shock could intensify further and its effects on other prices and wages could be stronger than currently expected.”

- AFP

Foreign ministers from fuel-stressed Southeast Asia called for freedom of navigation in international straits today as they wrapped a week of meetings largely overshadowed by the U.S.-Iran war.

A joint communique issued at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Manila also repeated calls for self-restraint in the West Asia conflict that has carried economic ripple effects throughout the region.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week warned ASEAN envoys that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a “dangerous precedent”.

“There is a fundamental principle about freedom of navigation that is threatened,” he said.

- AFP

President Donald Trump said today that a nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia is contingent on the kingdom recognizing Israel.

The deal to establish a civilian nuclear program in the Gulf country “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

- AFP

For the first time since May 2026, International benchmark oil prices crossed $100 a barrel again as violence escalates in West Asia. 

Brent crude oil briefly surpasses $100 per barrel amid rising tensions in West Asia and Wall Street stock declines.

-AP

Kuwait today said drones hit its side of the border with Iraq, with one Kuwaiti official telling AFP Iran was to blame.

“The Al-Abdali border crossing was attacked this afternoon by hostile drones, resulting in material damage, but thankfully no casualties,” Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said in a statement.

An Iraqi security source also confirmed the incident prior to the Ministry’s statement.

- AFP

Trump states Saudi nuclear deal depends on recognizing Israel, linking it to the Abraham Accords for regional peace.

Britain said todat it had withdrawn remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as the conflict between Iran and the United States escalates.

“Due to the security situation, U.K. staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the Foreign Office said on its website.

Britain in June withdrew its embassy staff from Iran, following in the footsteps of other European nations as well as Australia and New Zealand.

The withdrawals came after Israel launched renewed air strikes on Iran, claiming its arch-enemy was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

- AFP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi today denounced what he called the United States’ “irrational” and “domineering” approach in dealing with Tehran.

“The problem is the type of approach of America, and that is their irrational, excessive and domineering approach, which has been met with strong reactions from us,” he told the state TV.

- AFP

Member of Iran’s Army killed in U.S. attacks on Iran’s Shalamcheh yesterday night, said Iranian state media.

- Reuters

Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen must cease all actions that ‌endanger international shipping and the lives of seafarers, ⁠EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said today.

Recent threats by ‌Yemen’s Houthis to impose a maritime blockade ‌on Saudi Arabia “pose a ‌direct ⁠threat to regional stability ⁠and constitute a dangerous escalation”, Mr. Kallas said in a statement.

The Houthis today ‌said they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a blockade on ‌Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies ⁠alongside the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Kallas said such attacks were “unacceptable” ‌and inflamed the already fragile situation in the region.

- Reuters

The United States and Saudi Arabia yesterday announced a landmark deal that would establish a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom, but which critics fear could pave the way to enrichment and an atomic arms race.

The move comes as the U.S. fights a war with Iran that began in large part over concerns about Tehran’s nuclear programme — still a key point of contention in now-stalled peace talks.

The deal is set to generate billions of dollars for American companies and is seen as a major win for Iran’s longtime regional rival, granting it access to nuclear technology without normalising ties with Israel.

Washington had sought in recent years to condition any nuclear agreement and defence pact on normalisation with Israel.

- AFP

Indian airlines have cancelled around 26,000 international flights till July 20, besides flight diversions and delays due to airspace restrictions in the wake of the U.S.-Iran conflict, according to the government.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol today told the Lok Sabha that airlines are incurring significant revenue losses due to the ongoing crisis and are taking measures to mitigate the impact while ensuring continuity of operations.

The conflict, which started in late February, has significantly impacted the airline industry, which is grappling with high fuel costs and airspace curbs in the West Asia region.

“The U.S.-Iran conflict has significantly disrupted international flight operations due to airspace restrictions leading to widespread cancellations [approx. 26,000 flights by Indian carriers till 20 July 2026], along with considerable diversions and delays across airlines and airports,” Mr. Mohol said in a written reply.

- PTI

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Philippines for talks where he was expected to renew the prospect of the U.S. trying to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. State Department offered few details about the meeting on the sidelines of an annual gathering by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila. “They discussed the US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” a State Department spokesperson said.

AP

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, and the U.S. military said it conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran as the two countries vie for control of vital shipping lanes.

The Houthi attack in the Red Sea threatened to open a new front in a war that has roiled the global economy, sending prices for fuel and other goods surging across the world. With the standoff in the Gulf deepening, there were no signs of progress in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi oil tankers as U.S. intensifies military strikes against Iran amid escalating tensions in the region.

AP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the country’s military, said on Thursday (July 23, 2026) that they had attacked and destroyed several American military assets in Jordan.

The targets included a radar for the U.S. THAAD missile defence system, a Patriot system, a C-RAM radar and a helicopter hangar, according to a statement from the Guards aired by state TV.- AFP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday (July 23, 2026) they stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as the United States and Iran vie for control over the vital waterway.

In recent weeks, Iran has hit tankers using a route hugging the Omani coast to traverse the strait, in a bid to strongarm vessels into using its own waters and pay for safe passage.- AFP

The Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Thursday (July 23, 2026) that they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to ‌create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile the U.S. military said on Wednesday (July 22) it launched a new round of strikes on Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction, marking a 12th successive night of American attacks.

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi oil tankers as U.S. intensifies military strikes against Iran amid escalating tensions in the region.

- Reuters

The ‌U.S. ⁠military ⁠said late on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) that, it ‌completed its latest round of ‌strikes on Iran ⁠at President Donald Trump’s ‌direction, marking the 12th ‌successive night of American attacks.- Reuters

Published - July 23, 2026 09:58 am IST

Israel-US strikes on Iran / Live news / USA / Iran