Live updates,

President Donald Trump stated he is weighing a 'massive attack' against Iran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi countered that 'mindless aggression' would not facilitate an agreement.

The latest tensions come amid ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and regional military posture.

Published On 24 Jul 2026

  • US President Donald Trump says he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran because Tehran has not “received enough pain yet” and that he is near a decision to resume major military operations.
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that “mindless aggression” will only see Trump pay a “heavier price” for a deal to end the war.

9 Updates

  • 47s ago

     (01:00 GMT)

    UN says humanitarian needs growing as conflict again escalates

    The humanitarian fallout from the escalating crisis in the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, is worsening, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

    Any additional disruption could inflate humanitarian needs and costs at a time when aid operations are already severely underfunded and overstretched, Dujarric warned.

    “Any further disruption could drive up humanitarian needs and costs at a time when aid operations are already underfunded and already overstretched,” he said.

    “We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian objects, and avoid disrupting the essential services on which civilians rely,” he added.

    epaselect epa13125320 Cargo vessels are seen at one end of the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Dibba Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, 21 July 2026. EPA/STRINGER
    Cargo vessels are seen at one end of the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Dibba Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on July 21 [Stringer/EPA]

  • 15m ago

     (00:45 GMT)

    Gulf states are not likely to hit back at Iran

    Reporting from Doha, Qatar

    We have had this statement coming from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, plus Jordan. It’s really important to look at the rhetoric here that they’re using. They’re using the language of self defence.

    A statement by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, released on Thursday, asserts their right to take all lawful measures to protect their sovereignty, territories, citizens, commercial shipping, and critical infrastructure.

    Under the UN Charter, they are saying the states have every right to defend their sovereignty.

    The statement’s signatories have been using their air defence missile systems. These are multi-layered, multi-pronged systems that have been intercepting, quite successfully, many of the missiles and drones coming over from Iran.

    The statement did not go as far as to say [the signatories] would retaliate against Iran in that way.

    On the rhetoric: this hasn’t changed in the previous few months. The signatories have been saying that the only way of solving this crisis is by going back to the negotiating table. They’ve been leaning more to the language of diplomacy and their own self-defence rather than looking at a retaliatory attack.

  • 30m ago

     (00:30 GMT)

    US weapon stocks could take 5 years to recover: former Pentagon official

    Mark Cancian, a former Pentagon official, has told Al Jazeera that the US has used so many arms in the Iran war that it may have left itself vulnerable elsewhere.

    ‘We looked at seven munitions that have been used heavily against Iran and that would be used in a war in the Western Pacific, and [the US has] used between a third and half of those munitions,’ he said.

    Cancian, who worked on the Department of Defense’s budget strategy and war funding while at the Pentagon, said it could take two to five years for US stockpiles just to reach pre-Iran war levels.

    That leaves a ‘window of vulnerability’ in the case that another conflict starts elsewhere, for example, in Taiwan. He also said the kinds of weapons that the US uses are changing.

    The war has already cost the US $37.5 billion, and this week, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, said he needs an extra $70 billion to pay for the Iran war and wider military readiness.

    ‘What you see in warfare is a move towards a high-low mix. There’s ballistic missiles, cruise missiles at the high end, and the low end is cheap drones. It’s a mix and they’re complementary,’ Cancian, who is now a senior adviser at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.

    This drone arsenal includes sea drones—remote-controlled boats armed with significant amounts of explosives—which have reportedly been used by the US to attack coastal targets in Iran.

    Footage released by the White House showed the use of sea attack drones against Iranian coastal facilities.[U.S. Department of Defense via Getty Images]
    Footage released by the White House showed the use of sea attack drones against Iranian coastal facilities.[U.S. Department of Defense via Getty Images] (Getty)

  • 35m ago

     (00:25 GMT)

    Houthi

    Two injured in attacks on Bandar Abbas, Iranian media reports

    Attacks on the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas have injured two people, Iranian media reports.

    The strikes reportedly hit Bandar Abbas’ residential Tappeh Allah-o-Akbar neighborhood, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, quoting the deputy governor for political, security, and social affairs of Hormozgan province.

  • 45m ago

     (00:15 GMT)

    Reports of explosions as US attacks on Iran continue

    Reporting from Tehran, Iran

    Two weeks and it’s still continuing.

    We have reports from Qeshm Island over the past few hours. Explosion sounds have been heard in this island, which is one of the most geo-strategic locations, as the largest island in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.

    Meanwhile, we’ve got some initial reports about the explosion sounds in the city of Ahvaz, and also again some unconfirmed initial reports about downing of a flying object across the skies of Qeshm Island again.

    We have to keep waiting to see what comes next in that regard.

    But speaking of the broader context, we know that the Iranian side is talking about the continuation of their retaliatory strikes.

    This is something that we have been hearing from the Speaker of the Parliament, from the Foreign Minister of the country.

    Other military sources are also coming out to say that, should the American strikes continue, each time Iran is going to come with a more crushing response—stronger retaliatory strikes that we have been witnessing across the region targeting US military assets.

  • 50m ago

     (00:10 GMT)

    Missile attacks reported in two Khuzestan cities

    Iran’s Mehr news agency is reporting that the US attacked the cities of Andimeshk and Omidiyeh with missiles. Both are in Iran’s Khuzestan province.

    “Points around the cities of Andimeshk and Omidiyeh were attacked by missiles from the American terrorist army,” Mehr reported Valiullah Hayati, deputy security and law enforcement officer of the Khuzestan governor’s office, as saying.

    The attacks did not result in any casualties or injuries, Mehr said.

  • 53m ago

     (00:07 GMT)

    WATCH: The $110 billion price tag of the US war on Iran

    America’s war on Iran has already cost the US nearly $110 billion.

    Now, the Trump administration wants another $67 billion, even after declaring victory.

    Al Jazeera’s Emma Withrow breaks down the growing price tag.

  • 53m ago

     (00:07 GMT)

    A recap of recent developments

    • US President Donald Trump says he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran, “bigger than ever before”.
    • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that “mindless aggression” will see Trump pay a “heavier price” for a deal.
    • The UK has said its armed forces stand ready to protect the country from attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a warning over the use of UK bases by US bombers.
    • Trump said a nuclear pact between the US and Saudi Arabia will hinge on the kingdom normalising relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.
    • More than 4,200 right-wing Israelis stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.
    • A new UN report has found that 1.4 million people, 67 percent of Gaza’s population, are still experiencing “crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity” – not having enough to eat.

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  • 1h ago

     (00:00 GMT)

    Welcome

    Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.

    Stay with us for the latest news and analysis from across the Middle East and beyond.

    You can find our updates from Thursday, July 23, here.

    A ship off the port of Aden, where traffic remained steady after the Iran-aligned Houthis said their forces had carried out missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil tankers, in Aden, Yemen, July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
    A ship sails off the Port of Aden, where traffic remained steady after the Houthis said their forces had carried out missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil tankers, in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday [Stringer/Reuters]

The United Nations has repeatedly called for restraint as the crisis deepens. The Gulf states' unified stance reflects growing regional anxiety over the escalation. The closure of key straits threatens global energy supplies and maritime trade. Any military action could further destabilize an already volatile region. The international community is closely watching for diplomatic openings to de-escalate the situation.