Iran
Saudi Defense Chief Meets Vance After Joint Iraq Strikes
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Wednesday, July 29, a day after Riyadh joined U.S. forces in a joint operation against Iran-aligned groups in Iraq.Axios, citing a source familiar with the meeting, said Khalid carried a message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: drone attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure crossed a red line, but Riyadh still seeks de-escalation with Iran. CENTCOM said the July 28 strikes hit logistics and weapons sites after more than 30 drone attacks in 72 hours against both countries' targets. Iraqi militias denied launching them; Baghdad condemned the violation of its sovereignty.The visit also comes as two separate arms tracks remain unresolved. Saudi Arabia's request for up to 48 F-35s has cleared a key Pentagon hurdle, with Trump backing a sale in principle, but no formal notification confirms it. Riyadh is also weighing a lower-cost…
Iran Rejects Oman’s Hormuz Strait Plan
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Oman's proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, saying on Iranian state television that it failed to address Tehran's security concerns, according to IranWire. Oman had proposed splitting the shipping lane evenly, with half under Iranian control and half under Omani control; Tehran deemed this insufficient and submitted a counter-proposal for a single route running mainly through Iranian waters, with sections of both the inbound and outbound lanes under Iranian control. Gharibabadi added that Iran's policy is to ensure the strait "never returns to its pre-war state," and warned that any European warship approaching the waterway would be treated as a legitimate target. He also said Oman had proposed letting a third country handle mine-clearing operations in the strait's southern section, a proposal Iran likewise rejected.Oman's Foreign Ministry, in a statement reported by Al Jazeera, confirmed that deputy-level talks took place…
US Intercepts Iranian Missiles Fired at Jordan Base
Jordan's air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, hours after US Central Command downed a separate ballistic barrage aimed at American forces, shattering a days-long pause, the Associated Press reported. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and CENTCOM's Jordan headquarters.Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 members were killed and 32 wounded when the US and Saudi Arabia struck its sites across seven provinces, CNN reported, noting it was the first time Riyadh had claimed strikes inside Iraq.The strike was Iran's first ballistic missile launch at US targets since Trump paused strikes Friday, following an earlier attack on the same base that, according to Axios, killed two US service members and triggered a 13-night US campaign.Analysts Jonathan Hackett and Zaid Eyadat told The National that repeated Iranian strikes on Jordan's bases, astride Iran's most direct flight path into Israel, fit the…
Iran Turns to Chinese Missiles for Air Defense
Iran is preparing to receive 300 to 400 Chinese-made man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), including QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters. First deliveries could arrive within weeks.The reported purchase comes as Tehran rebuilds an air-defense network degraded by months of U.S. and Israeli strikes. Iranian defenses have relied on larger radar-guided systems alongside mobile short-range weapons, but MANPADS would add a more dispersed layer against low-flying aircraft and drones. Their portability and infrared guidance allow small teams to operate without the fixed infrastructure and radar emissions associated with larger surface-to-air missile batteries.The contract, valued at $60–70 million, was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-registered intermediary, according to Reuters. The planned initial shipments would reportedly travel overland from Urumqi in western China through Pakistan to Iran.China's Foreign Ministry called the report “completely groundless” and said Beijing had consistently worked to promote peace and…
U.S. and Saudi Arabia Strike Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq
The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated airstrikes against Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq on July 28, widening the regional war after repeated drone attacks targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and U.S. forces.U.S. Central Command said the operation hit logistics and weapons sites belonging to groups it accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of directing against Saudi and American targets. Saudi Arabia said the strikes followed drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh.Iran denied involvement, while the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization for Iran-aligned armed factions, rejected Saudi accusations and warned of retaliation.The operation marks a significant shift for Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has spent months intercepting Iranian missiles and drones targeting its territory, but striking targets inside Iraq moves the kingdom from air defense into direct offensive action against Iran-aligned forces beyond its borders.Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces said eight…
Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Timeline as Oil Falls
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran has no active negotiations with Washington, even as global oil prices posted their steepest one-day decline since early April. Brent futures, the global benchmark, closed at $85.87 a barrel, down 11.3 percent, while US crude fell about 7 percent to $82.61, according to CNN, after President Donald Trump paused a strike campaign that had run nearly two weeks. Baghaei drew a sharp line around the one channel that remains open, calling talks with Oman on Strait of Hormuz shipping "useful negotiations regarding the management of shipping traffic" that are "unrelated to the United States."Behind that distinction sits a concrete proposal. A compromise now being negotiated centers on Iran running vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships, as both countries look to revive the interim ceasefire deal that broke down after Iran fired on tankers transiting…
