Iran-US war latest: Houthis strike Saudi oil tankers as Tehran warns Trump of ‘eye for an eye’ response

Conflict in Middle East expands as Houthis bomb Saudi oil tankers after days of threatsThe war in Iran appeared to be spreading on Wednesday after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels bombed two Saudi oil tankers off the coast of Saudi Arabia, threatening to further disrupt oil supply.The Houthis claimed an attack on two vessels 70 nautical miles ⁠southwest of the port of Al Shuqaiq, saying they had violated a maritime blockade.The incident had earlier been reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which said crews were attempting to extinguish a fire onboard. No casualties or environmental ‌impact have been reported.According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), which cited an official from the General Transport Authority, the incident caused a fire at the front of the ship.It came after Iran’s foreign minister warned of an “eye for an eye” response if Donald Trump continues with his threat to bomb a bridge or power plant for every ship targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.The US military said it had carried out a 12th straight night of strikes against Iran on Thursday.Araghchi describes moment of US-Israeli strike that killed Ali KhameneiIran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has described surviving a US-Israeli strike that killed Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war, saying he was pulled from rubble after a leadership compound was hit. In an interview with Iranian journalist Javad Mogouyi, Araghchi said the US and Israel had accurate intelligence on the location of Iran’s top officials.“What matters, in my view, is the fact that Israel had intelligence about these meetings,” Araghchi said, adding: “This may point to a security gap that probably still exists. This needs to be fixed.” He said he has since been constantly moving around Tehran for security reasons. Describing the strike, he said: “We were on the other side of the building, and after the explosion, the ceiling, walls, and everything collapsed on us. I grabbed Mr Hijazi’s hand (Khamenei’s deputy chief of staff, Ali Asghar Hijazi), and we made our way through the beams and boards and pieces of wood, hearing the cries for help.” He continued: “Water was pouring from the ceiling. Everything was wrecked. We eventually got out, and I saw that various parts of the compound had been targeted.” Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 06:20House passes defense bill with Trump’s $1T spending request and Department of War renameThe US House of Representatives has approved a defense policy bill that includes President Donald Trump's request for a substantial $1.15 trillion in national security spending and proposes renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.The legislation, which also mandates a 5 percent to 7 percent pay increase for service members next year based on rank, marks a significant departure from the typically bipartisan nature of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.The vote, a narrow 216-212, underscored deep divisions, with Democrats voicing strong opposition. Their concerns centered on the considerable spending hike for the Pentagon, particularly as Republicans simultaneously sought to cut numerous non-defense programs through other legislative efforts.Read on...Kevin Freking23 July 2026 06:00Trump warns Iran of retaliation if ships are targeted in Strait of HormuzUS president Donald Trump warned Iran that the US would target Iranian infrastructure if Tehran continued attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that for every ship hit by Iranian missiles, drones or other weapons, the US would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant, including facilities near Tehran.He wrote: “From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran.”Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded by warning of an “eye for an eye” retaliation, saying any attack on Iranian infrastructure would trigger a “powerful and decisive” response. Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 05:40Chinese supertankers carrying Saudi oil head for Red Sea exit despite Houthi threatsTwo Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi crude were heading towards the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, despite escalating security risks in the Red Sea. Shipping data showed the vessels were continuing their journeys even after at least one Saudi-owned ship was attacked in the region and Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed strikes on two Saudi oil tankers. Their transit is expected to test the Houthis’ recently announced maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. According to LSEG shipping data cited by Reuters, the Singaporean-flagged Xin Long Yang, which had briefly halted in the Red Sea earlier this week, resumed sailing towards China’s Qinzhou port, while the Chinese-flagged Cosnew Lake continued towards Huizhou in Guangdong province. Both ships indicated they had Chinese crews on board through their automatic identification system data.Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 05:20WATCH: Trump claims Americans are not against the Iran war despite all polling showing they areTrump claims Americans are not against the Iran war despite all polling showing they areRachel Dobkin23 July 2026 05:00Oil prices climb above $95 amid escalating US-Iran tensionsOil prices rose above $95 a barrel for the first time in six weeks as the escalating US-Iran conflict fuelled concerns over disruptions to global energy supplies.The increase was driven by renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi threats to target vessels carrying Saudi oil through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.The rise came after the 11th consecutive night of US strikes on Iran, with Donald Trump warning military action would intensify.Analysts at Goldman Sachs said oil prices could climb to $120 a barrel by the end of the year if exports through Hormuz remain disrupted, according to the Guardian. Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 04:45US military says 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran completeThe US military said it had carried out a 12th straight night of strikes against Iran.In a statement posted on X, US Central Command (Centcom) said American forces targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including maritime assets, missile and drone storage sites, coastal surveillance facilities and air defence systems.Centcom said the latest attacks were aimed at further weakening Iran's ability to target civilian mariners and commercial shipping. Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 04:30Saudi state media confirms attack on Red Sea vesselSaudi state media has confirmed that a Saudi-owned vessel came under attack while sailing in the Red Sea.According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), which cited an official from the General Transport Authority, the incident caused a fire at the front of the ship.The official said all crew members aboard the Encelia were safe and that authorities had taken steps to secure the vessel, protect those on board and prevent environmental damage.The statement followed claims by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group that it had launched missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday.The Houthis identified one of the ships as the Encelia, saying the strikes were part of what they described as a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia linked to the US-Iran conflict. Maroosha Muzaffar23 July 2026 04:00House Democrat criticizes newly adopted Iran war funding proposal: 'Focus on investment here at home'US Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, has criticized a budget proposal adopted by the Republican-led House Wednesday, which includes funding for the Iran war. “This money could fund free public college and free childcare for every American while expanding health care coverage for seniors”, Khanna wrote on X. “It’s time to end the war and focus on investment here at home”.The $95 billion package, which was adopted in a 216-214 vote, includes $60 billion for the Pentagon and $13 billion for other national security issues, $12 billion in aid for farmers and $10 billion to help implement changes in voting laws, according to the Associated Press.Rachel Dobkin23 July 2026 03:32Trump oddly boasts about how many Americans have been killed in his Iran war compared to VietnamDonald Trump has framed the American death toll in the Iran war as relatively low compared to past conflicts, drawing criticism from across the political spectrum.Trump recently posted a graphic on his Truth Social platform that outlined the duration and casualties of wars initiated under previous presidents.“Vietnam War: 19 years, 58,220 DEAD. Korean War: 3 years, 36,574 DEAD. Iraq War: 9 years, 4,600 DEAD. Afghanistan War: 20 years, 2,000 DEAD”, it stated.The current war was labeled simply as the “Iran Military Conflict,” accompanied by the line “18 DEAD”.Read on...Brendan Rascius23 July 2026 03:04