US military says Iran launched ballistic missile attack

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The US military has said that Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces within the past hour.

"At 5:45 pm ET (2245 BST) today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East," US Centcom posted on X.

"All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."

At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 28, 2026

US air defences intercepted ballistic missiles fired by Iran at a military base in Jordan, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a US official.

This is the first time Iran has launched an attack since the US paused strikes on Friday.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported that a tanker reported an explosion while crossing the Red Sea near the Saudi port of Jizan.

None of the crew were harmed and no environmental damage was reported, it said.

Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said late Tuesday that its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the east, blaming Iran-backed groups in Iraq for the launches for a second day running.

The ministry's spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, said that "aerial defences intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target oil installations", adding that "these new terrorist attacks were launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by militias linked to Iran".

Ukraine and Iran's foreign ministers spoke by phone on Tuesday, Kyiv said, adding it wants to avoid an "escalation" after a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.

Andriy Sybiga wrote on his X account that he had a "frank conversation" with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

"Diplomacy is about direct conversation, even when it's difficult. I stressed that our goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation."

Iran on Monday warned of "unforeseen consequences" after the attack last week that killed one sailor and wounded several others.

Iran has proposed to Oman a temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under which one direction of traffic would pass through Iranian waters and part of the opposite route would also be in Iranian waters, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television on Tuesday.

Gharibabadi said Tehran rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, saying such a plan did not address Tehran's security concerns until long-term regional stability is achieved.

He said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed if Muscat rejected Iran's proposal, adding that Tehran had never recognised the southern route along Oman's coast.

The Iranian diplomat added that Tehran would not allow any third country, even if invited by Oman, to de-mine the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had an "extremely positive" meeting in Washington on Tuesday in which they committed to ensuring Iran never possessed nuclear weapons, a senior source in the premier's delegation said.

"It was an extremely positive meeting. The Prime Minister and President held an excellent and comprehensive discussion on the key issues of the day, first and foremost Iran," the source said in a statement to journalists. "The leaders reaffirmed their ironclad commitment to ensuring that Iran never has nuclear weapons."

Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday that they had fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, accusing the vessel of violating what they described as their maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and ignoring warning calls.

The Iran-aligned group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the vessel was forced to turn back.

Amnesty International condemned on Tuesday an "escalation" in executions by Iranian authorities, hours after the Islamic republic said two protesters had been hanged.

Iran's judiciary announced the hanging of the two men on charges relating to anti-government protests that peaked in January, with media reporting they were executed in public.

"The death sentences of Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir-Hossein Safari were carried out this morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

Amnesty said in a statement that their execution, "following the arbitrary execution of at least three other protesters last week, marks a further escalation in the authorities' use of the death penalty to quash dissent".

"The organisation fears that at least 60 others, including three arrested as children, remain at risk of execution after being sentenced to death, while many others are facing prosecution on capital charges in relation to the protests."

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey aimed to sign a comprehensive energy cooperation deal with its neighbour Iraq as soon as possible, after talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara, adding that Iraq's premier had offered to provide 1 million barrels of oil to Ankara.

Speaking at a joint news conference after an agreement signing ceremony, where a deal to keep the Kirkuk-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline open for another year was expected, Erdogan said Turkey's state-owned oil and gas company TPAO could operate in Kirkuk's oil field used by BP. 

The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu at the White House has finished after less than 90 minutes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.

She described it as "positive and productive".

President Trump has concluded his meetings in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both meetings were positive and productive!

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 28, 2026

A senior UN official expressed alarm Tuesday at the "rapidly deteriorating" situation in the occupied West Bank, denouncing the escalation of violence, particularly by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

"In the past week, the escalating violence in the West Bank has resulted in civilian casualties, displacement, damage to property, and growing insecurity across affected communities," Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council.

"Israeli settler attacks against Palestinian communities, homes, places of worship and civilian infrastructure have persisted at alarming levels," he said.

Settler violence has exploded in the West Bank since the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023, with near-daily attacks and regular raids on Palestinian villages.

Last Friday, a settler attack on the village of Tell left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead.

The Israeli military subsequently raided the city of Nablus and several nearby towns and rounding up dozens of Palestinians.

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House moments ago to discuss the Iran war with President Trump.

The Israeli prime minister is expected to present Trump with intelligence claiming to show Iran is accelerating its nuclear programme in a bid to persuade him to intensify the US bombing campaign.

This is the seventh time Netanyahu has travelled to Washington since Trump re-entered the White House in January 2025.

Israeli settlers have established a new outpost in Salfit governorate in the centre of the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The settlement is located near the village of Yasuf, in the east of the governorate.

Jumaa Abdel Fattah, head of the village council, said settlers set up a tent about 50 metres away from residents’ homes to the north-east of the town.

It is the third settlement established in the governorate over the past two days, according to Wafa.

• Oman has handed Iran a new proposal to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to end the months of disruption in the maritime chokepoint.
   
• The plan is backed by the Gulf states and would see shipping firms pay voluntary fees for maritime services.
   
• President Donald Trump has claimed the US is having "very friendly talks" with Tehran, though this was denied by Iran's foreign ministry.
   
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump in Washington, DC, later today.
   
• Saudi Arabia has condemned fresh drone attacks by Iran-linked groups in Iraq that targeted Riyadh and an oil facility in the east of the country.
   
• Israel is continuing its crackdown in the north of the occupied West Bank following Friday's settler attack.