Iran said on Sunday that it would halt strikes on Gulf states and United States’ interests in the region after a pause on attacks by Washington on the Islamic Republic.
According to Al Jazeera, citing AFP, Tehran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said, “Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.”
This follows a near two-week resumption in fighting between Iran and the US, centred on control of the Strait of Hormuz.
There have been no attacks so far on Sunday by Tehran on Gulf states, while the US has also not targeted Iran for two nights in a row after daily strikes.
Houthis claim downing of Saudi-linked drone
Yemen’s Houthis reportedly shot down a Turkish-made reconnaissance drone in northwest al-Jawf governorate.
Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, claimed that they downed a drone belonging to ““the Saudi enemy while it was carrying out hostile operations,” according to Al Jazeera.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia FM’s discuss regional developments
The foreign ministers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia held a telephonic conversation regarding regional developments.
According to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received a phone call from his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ Receives Phone Call from Saudi Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan
Doha | July 26, 2026
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Sunday a phone… pic.twitter.com/zpcSO5MzMP
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) July 26, 2026
The ministers “reviewed bilateral cooperation and ways to support and strengthen it,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
It added, “They also discussed the latest regional developments, particularly ongoing diplomatic efforts and joint coordination to de-escalate tensions and enhance security and stability in the region.”
‘We fear the expansion of war zone in region’: Syrian president
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera that his country had no intention of interfering in Lebanon.
“We fear the expansion of the war zone in the region,” he said. “We do not intend any military intervention in Lebanon,” the president added, according to Al Jazeera.
Further, al-Sharaa stated, “We support the Lebanese state’s monopoly on weapons and the decision on war and peace. Any chaos in Lebanon will directly reflect on Syria.”
Earlier, the Iranian army warned that the Middle East war would widen if the US chose to press ahead with attacks on Tehran, AFP reported.
“I believe that if the Americans once again fall for the Zionists’ deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through air strikes, geographically this will expand further,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told Iranian state TV.
Akraminia added that the war had already expanded to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, referencing the military flare-up between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia. “The scope of our operations now encompasses the entire region, from US bases in Jordan to the countries along the Persian Gulf,” he said.
According to the army spokesman, the situation in the Middle East for the US was “difficult and unsettled.”
He predicted that Washington was now looking “for a new strategy,” saying, “We are prepared for each of the options and scenarios that appear likely.”
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that Israel wanted to keep the US in the region by “provoking” President Donald Trump and providing false information, Tasnim news agency reported.
📹 اگر اسرائیل دوباره به جنگ برگردد بلای بزرگی بر سرش میآوریم
سخنگوی سپاه:
اسرائیل با تحریک رئیس جمهور آمریکا و دادن اطلاعات غلط میخواهد آمریکا را در منطقه نگه دارد و اهدافش را با استفاده از توان آمریکا پیش ببرد pic.twitter.com/bcS5lJK7f7
— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 26, 2026
“If Israel goes back to war against Iran, we will put the regime into a disaster,” an IRGC spokesman warned.
IRGC fires warning shots
The IRGC also fired warning shots at six ships over the past 24 hours as the vessels tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.
According to Iranian state TV cited by Al Jazeera, the ships were stopped from continuing their journey, as the path they were taking was reportedly “outside the designated route” set by Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has fired warning shots at six ships over the past 24 hours as they tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “outside the designated route” set by Tehran, reports Iranian state media.
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/LKbcWc2eWB pic.twitter.com/gdLMRbybU1
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 26, 2026
Qatar resumes maritime navigation activities
Earlier, it was reported that Qatar would fully resume maritime navigation activities for all types of vessels starting on Sunday, ending a two-week suspension imposed amid heightened security tensions in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The transport ministry announced the decision on Saturday in a brief statement posted on X, calling on all entities and individuals to comply with applicable maritime regulations and instructions to ensure the highest levels of safety and security for all sea voyages.
Maritime navigation activities can now resume fully for all types of maritime vessels and ships, as of Sunday, July 26, 2026. The MOT urges everyone to abide by the maritime regulations & instructions in effect, to ensure highest levels of safety & security for all trips. pic.twitter.com/pt8Jr9INs4
— Ministry of Transport 🇶🇦 وزارة المواصلات (@MOTQatar) July 26, 2026
The ministry did not provide further details about the regulations or explain the reason for resuming maritime traffic in full.
The ministry suspended all maritime navigation activities on July 12 amid continuing regional tensions. It had previously halted maritime traffic on June 29 before partially restoring operations on July 5.
During the latest military confrontation between the US and Iran, several shipping companies instructed some vessels to remain outside the Strait of Hormuz because of security concerns linked to the regional escalation.
Iran says progress made in talks with Oman on Hormuz shipping mechanisms
Iran said on Sunday it made progress in talks with Oman on operational mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, stressing there has been no change in maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said several rounds of talks were held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday between Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers.
“The two sides exchanged views on common principles and operational mechanisms for the safe passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqaei said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
He described the talks as “productive,” saying progress had been made during the discussions.
Baqaei said the Omani delegation left Tehran on Saturday evening, and that technical and political consultations between the two countries remain ongoing.
Iranian army says situation “chaotic and undesirable” for US
General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesperson for Iran’s army, has said the US has failed to achieve its goals “in the Strait of Hormuz and in weakening Iran,” Al Jazeera reported.
“The situation is chaotic and undesirable for America,” he said in remarks quoted by Iranian state TV.
Shekarchi added that the US was looking for a “new strategy” and that the possibility of Washington withdrawing from the war was “conditional on the Zionists’ permission”, in an apparent reference to Israel.
Kuwait condemns Houthi Red Sea attacks, backs Saudi response
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its “condemnation and strong denunciation” of the Houthi attacks against ships in the Red Sea, Al Jazeera reported.
In a statement, the ministry described the attack on the Saudi vessel NCC MASA in the Red Sea on Saturday as a “flagrant violation of international law and a direct threat to the security and freedom of maritime navigation and the safety of international trade”.
The ministry affirmed its “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and said it supports “all measures taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its security and interests”.
The attacks followed the Houthis’ declaration of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia last week, after an attack on Sanaa International Airport.
Riyadh responded by launching strikes on the Houthi-held city of Hodeidah, after which the Yemeni group claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
IRGC threatens UK over support for US attacks on Iran
An IRGC spokesperson has told Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB that “any country, whether the UK, the Gulf Coast countries, or others” would become a “legitimate target” if they support the US in its attacks on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
The unnamed spokesperson pointed to the UK’s role, claiming that American B-1 bombers used British airports to carry out recent attacks.
“If they cooperate with the US, they will be our definite and legitimate target,” the spokesperson said.
Iran says US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain targeted in retaliatory action
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Akraminia has said Tehran “took action to assert its rights” over the Strait of Hormuz after the “US violated its commitments and tried to create a fake and illegal route in the Strait of Hormuz” against the MoU signed in June.
“In these operations, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army placed US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain – which are considered among the most important bases of this country in the region – at the centre of its operations,” he said in remarks quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
Kuwait denies involvement in US attacks on Iran
Kuwait’s ambassador to the US has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the Gulf state sent fighter jets to attack Iran, Al Jazeera reported
Ambassador Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah wrote to the newspaper’s editorial board to reject the report, calling it “utterly and completely baseless”, according to the official Kuwait News Agency.
“She affirmed that Kuwait has not participated in any military operations against Iran and has not allowed the use of its territory, airspace, or territorial waters to launch offensive operations,” it said.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Kuwait and Bahrain sent fighter jets to strike sites inside Iran after Tehran launched missile and drone attacks on what it described as US military assets in the Gulf countries. Iran said the attacks were in retaliation for the US’s strikes on its cities.
Trump reportedly pauses further US strikes on Iran after 13 days
US President Trump has reportedly decided to pause plans for further strikes on Iran following 13 consecutive days of attacks, The New York Times and Axios reported, according to the Al Jazeera.
The New York Times, citing Trump administration officials, said the decision was driven by concerns that an escalation could “dangerously drain the Pentagon’s already diminished stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East”. The report said the decision followed a meeting between Trump, his senior advisers and cabinet members on Friday.
Axios, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reported that it remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or marks a broader halt to US strikes. The outlet said the decision “reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that — short of a return to major combat operations — the current level of US strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness”.
According to Axios, the US military is also preparing contingency plans for a possible return to major combat operations.
US says naval blockade against Iran remains in effect
A US naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.
As of July 25, US forces had redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabled two that failed to comply and boarded two others to verify compliance, CENTCOM said in a statement on X.
US forces completed a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea earlier Saturday, after which the vessel continued its journey, according to the command.
The U.S. naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect. As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 2 that didn’t comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance.
Earlier today, U.S. forces completed a verification… pic.twitter.com/eyp1N2B9sO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 25, 2026
CENTCOM also said US forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on Friday after its crew repeatedly attempted to violate the blockade and ignored multiple warnings.
The vessel is no longer heading toward Iran, it added.
Iranian army claims “almost all” US infrastructure in Iraq’s Erbil destroyed
The Iranian army claimed on Saturday that “almost all” US military infrastructure in Iraq’s Erbil had been destroyed during the recent conflict and said Tehran was now deploying attack drones more advanced than the Arash-2.
Speaking to Iranian state television, army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Akraminia claimed Iran had inflicted serious damage on US military bases across the region, saying many of them had lost much of their operational capability.
He claimed that “almost all” US infrastructure in Erbil had been destroyed and that anti-Iran groups operating there were no longer capable of carrying out operations.
Akraminia said the US possessed extensive military capabilities, equipment and bases across the region, as well as in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, and was attempting to replace its losses.
He warned that Iran was prepared to continue military operations if the conflict resumed “until the Americans realise they cannot impose their will on the Iranian nation through aggression.”
The spokesman also claimed that while the Iranian military used Arash-2 drones during the 40-day war, it is now deploying newer drones with greater destructive power, accuracy and range. He said details of the new drones have not yet been made public.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneAnadolu AgencyRead More