Trump weighs new Iran strikes as Hamas signals readiness to disarm

The White House warned Friday that President Donald Trump is considering additional military strikes on Iran as Washington steps up pressure on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and comply with a cease-fire agreement that unraveled shortly after it was reached last month. The warning came after another volatile day across the Middle East, with Iran claiming fresh attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Kuwait reporting it intercepted Iranian drones, and Hamas announcing it is prepared to disarm under a proposed agreement that could revive efforts to end the war in Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Iran of violating the truce by attacking commercial shipping and killing American service members after agreeing to a memorandum of understanding with the United States. "President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur," Leavitt said Friday. "Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in what President Trump deems a meaningful way." Trump echoed that message earlier in the day during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, saying the U.S. campaign against Iran is likely to continue. "We just want to win," Trump told reporters. "We'll be hitting them very hard. At some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'" U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he walks from Marine One to board Air Force One, following a cabinet meeting at Camp David, at Hagerstown Regional Airport, Hagerstown, U.S., July 31, 2026. (Reuters Photo) The latest escalation followed reports of no overnight U.S. strikes, but Iran expanded its military operations elsewhere in the region. Kuwait's Defense Ministry said its armed forces intercepted Iranian drones that entered Kuwaiti airspace after targeting several military facilities. Officials said falling debris caused material damage but no casualties. The ministry did not disclose how many drones were shot down. Iranian state media said the drone strikes targeted an air base in Kuwait in retaliation for U.S. attacks carried out a day earlier. Kuwait hosts American military forces and remains a key U.S. ally in the Gulf. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also claimed responsibility for striking two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping lanes for crude oil and natural gas. Iranian media added that four additional tankers turned back, though it offered no details about the vessels, their ownership or possible casualties. The continued disruption has intensified concerns over global energy supplies as the strategic waterway remains heavily affected by the ongoing conflict. Amid the regional tensions, Hamas announced what could become a major diplomatic breakthrough by confirming it is prepared to begin disarming under a proposed agreement backed by the United States. The group said it would first surrender lighter weapons, while the handover of its heavier arsenal would depend on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, a condition firmly rejected by Israel's current government. Despite the announcement, violence continued in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes hit several areas across the territory Friday, killing at least one Palestinian and injuring at least four others, including a child, according to nearby hospitals. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Hamas' announcement, describing it as the only encouraging development in a region gripped by escalating violence. He urged all parties to fully implement the agreement without attempts to weaken or undermine it. Israel has not formally responded to Hamas' declaration. The proposed disarmament forms part of a broader U.S.-brokered cease-fire framework first announced last October. Under the plan, Hamas would surrender its weapons and transfer governing authority in Gaza to an independent Palestinian administration. In return, Israel would withdraw its forces, while an international stabilization mission would oversee security. Implementation of the agreement has repeatedly stalled, with Israel insisting Hamas must fully disarm before any withdrawal, while Hamas has accused Israel of violating cease-fire commitments through continued military operations. The war began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has since killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, a figure that includes casualties recorded after previous cease-fire efforts collapsed.