US strikes for an 11th night, and Iran warns of expanded war

Trump threatens to bomb bridges, power plants in Iran

"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," US President Donald Trump threatened on Truth Social.

Iran: 53 dead, about 600 wounded over past month

Iran’s Health Ministry says US strikes over the past month have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, and wounded nearly 600 people.

Iran media reports US strike on Larak island

The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported a US missile strike on the island of Larak in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday afternoon, saying residents heard a loud explosion there.

"At 2:48 pm, the island of Larak was targeted by an American missile," Tasnim said. "The competent authorities are currently carrying out an investigation to determine the scale of the attack, the exact point of impact and the extent of the potential damage."

Iran denies claims of nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain

Iran again denied the existence of any secret nuclear complex at Kolang mountain, known as Pickaxe Mountain in English, after Trump threatened to strike the site.

"Washington's obsessive focus on Kolang Kouh where no nuclear activity is taking place is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

He insisted "Iran's nuclear activities have been fully declared" to the UN's atomic watchdog.

"We'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily," Trump had said, adding that he would not normally announce targets but "there's not a thing they can do about it".

More ships change course in Red Sea after Houthi threats

 Four tankers changed their navigational course in the Red Sea, on Wednesday, with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination after Yemen's Houthi militia warned ships to avoid sailing to Saudi Arabian ports, according to ship tracking data.

The vessels all changed their direction, with the other two signalling their destination as open waters in the Red Sea, according to LSEG and MarineTraffic ship tracking data and analysis from British maritime risk management group Vanguard.

A fifth ship—a vehicle carrier—appeared to have turned away in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday after signalling the Saudi port of Jeddah as its next destination, according to shipping data.

Israel-Lebanon talks to be held in Italy on 4 Aug: Italy FM

A new round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Italy on August 4, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.

"We will host another session of dialogue on August 4," Tajani told parliament, following a round of talks between delegations from the two countries in Rome last week.

EU naval force advises certain ships to avoid Red Sea

Ships with links to Israel, the United States or Saudi Arabia are at a higher risk of being attacked by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia and are advised to avoid voyages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the European Union's naval force Aspides said on Wednesday.

"EUNAVFOR ASPIDES recommends that merchant vessels linked to Israeli, US or Saudi interests avoid transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level decreases," said the force's advisory to the shipping industry, which was seen by Reuters.

Israel strikes south Lebanon

On Wednesday afternoon, Israeli aircraft launched a raid on the town of Nabatieh Al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, as well as the area of Ali Al-Taher.

Moreover, an Israeli force reportedly moved towards the western outskirts of the town of Houla towards the Saluki Valley in southern Lebanon, where it bulldozed agricultural lands and homes.

Iran claims drone shot down over Tehran

According to the semiofficial Fars news agency, the drone was apparently shot down during nighttime attacks after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed air defence systems over Tehran.

On day 11, who hit what where?

Bulgaria plays down Iran warning over US tanker aircraft

Bulgaria played down on Wednesday Iran's warning that its plan to host US tanker aircraft would constitute complicity in "aggression and war crimes", arguing that the planes would only serve logistical purposes.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said it was "categorically out of the question for military operations in the Middle East to be conducted from Bulgarian territory".

"These tanker aircraft are intended solely for logistical missions, and they will be refuelled outside Bulgarian airspace," Bulgarian media quoted Radev as telling ministers.

The government said on Monday it would seek parliamentary approval to station up to eight US tanker aircraft at an air base in the Balkan country, which is a member of NATO and the European Union.

Parliament is expected to greenlight the move at a session later on Wednesday.

The plan prompted a warning from Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, on Tuesday against allowing the US to use Bulgaria's territory for military operations against Iran, which he said would make Sofia "an accomplice of aggressors and lawbreakers". 

Pakistan 'deeply concerned' on attempt to push Saudis to war

Pakistan said Wednesday it was "deeply concerned" by attempts to pull Saudi Arabia into the US-Israeli war on Iran and condemned the threats by the Yemen's Houthis against the kingdom and Red Sea shipping.

"Pakistan is also deeply concerned over attempts to drag the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into the conflict in the Middle East and reiterates its unwavering support for the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," said the foreign ministry of Pakistan, a close security partner of the Saudis.

Trump to witness return of US soldiers killed in Iran war

 US President Donald Trump on Wednesday will attend a ceremony for four US service members killed in Iranian attacks, who will return to US soil in flag-draped caskets.

The ceremony, known as a "dignified transfer" of the bodies, comes amid growing frustration with Trump's war against Iran.

The war has cost US taxpayers at least $37.5 billion so far, has led to the deaths of at least 18 U.S. service members and injured more than 450 troops, although the numbers are unclear.

The US-Israeli war has killed thousands of Iranians, including hundreds of children.

Jordan army says intercepts four Iranian missiles

The Jordanian army said it intercepted four Iranian missiles on Wednesday, adding that two others fell in an open area, as Tehran pressed its attacks across the region.

"Air defence systems today detected six missiles coming from Iranian territory," the army said in a statement, adding that they "intercepted and downed four missiles, while the other two fell in two remote, uninhabited areas, without causing any human casualties or material damage".

Iran launches missiles at Jordan

Missile alert sirens sounded Wednesday in Jordan’s port city of Aqaba as tit-for-tat US and Iranian attacks across the region overshadowed diplomatic efforts in Pakistan to salvage an interim ceasefire deal that has collapsed.

Officials in neighboring Israel said an Iranian missile attack had targeted Jordan, and plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in Aqaba in videos filmed by people in the nearby Israeli city of Eilat.

Canada FM urges Iran war de-escalation

Canada is calling for a de-escalation and a permanent ceasefire for the US-Israeli war on Iran, with the situation "quite grave", its foreign minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting.

Anand said Canada would "always call for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and respect for humanitarian considerations and human life" as fighting in the Middle East intensified.

"The situation is quite grave, and we very much hope that parties will come to the table and ensure that the permanent ceasefire is negotiated and held," she said, adding that hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure must be protected. 

Brent crude passes $94 a barrel

Brent crude was trading up 1.2 percent at $94.25 a barrel at about 09:00 GMT, its highest intraday price since early June.

Lebanon PM says working for 'complete Israeli withdrawal'

Beirut is working towards a "complete Israeli withdrawal" from areas it occupies, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday on a visit to a village where Lebanon's army recently deployed.

"We will continue mobilising our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south," he said in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of several "pilot zones" intended to demonstrate that the Lebanese army can remove and disarm Hezbollah as part of a Washington-sponsored deal with Israel.

Iran military: We struck US assets in Jordan, Bahrain

"The army targeted the 'housing and welfare buildings' and 'equipment warehouses' of the terrorist US army at the Azraq base in Jordan with drones in the morning," the statement, cited by the Mehr News Agency, said.

"[Drones] also targeted the 'large equipment warehouses and sheds' and the 'heavy aircraft maintenance and repair sheds' of the child-killing and criminal US army at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain."

French shipping CMA CGM to impose emergency surcharge

French CMA CGM, the world's third-largest shipping company, will impose an emergency fuel surcharge following the renewed escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, effective 1 August.

"Following the renewed escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz over the past days, fuel prices have surged sharply again, reversing the easing observed in recent weeks. As a result, bunker costs have significantly increased across all regions and trades, impacting the overall cost of ocean transportation," the firm announced.

The surcharge, which will range from $65 to $165 per container, will be in place until further notice.

Pakistan seeks $10bn fund from US after mediating Iran talks

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters, which, if approved, could provide a lifeline for the cash-strapped South Asian economy.

The request, which is being reported for the first time, follows Pakistan's role in brokering talks over the Iran war, which raised its diplomatic profile and stirred hopes that it could seek economic gains from Washington and other partners.

In the request to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Islamabad is seeking a Bilateral Exchange Stabilisation Support Facility between the U.S. and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion with maturity of up to five years.

The facility, if agreed to, would bolster Pakistan's reserves, ease pressure on the rupee, and reduce its reliance on multilateral financing, even as Islamabad undertakes tighter fiscal and monetary policies in line with its International Monetary Fund program.

UN: 400,000 people still displaced in Lebanon

More than 400,000 people are still displaced in Lebanon, with many families unable to "return home safely due to continued attacks", according to UN officials.

Thousands of families still living in shelters have said they are experiencing "worsening shelter conditions, reduced access to water and hygiene services, and limited opportunities to earn an income," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"Many also said they are increasingly relying on borrowing funds to meet basic needs, including the purchase of essential medicines," Dujarric said.

"Repeated attempts to return home have often been reversed due to insecurity, damaged infrastructure and limited access to basic services back in their home areas," he added.

How Trump is trying to rewrite the Iran deal

Unable to force Iran to capitulate during the war, the US is using renewed military pressure to achieve what it failed to secure through negotiations, writes Negar Mortazavi.

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US-Israeli war on Iran cost US $37.5 billion

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the US-Israeli war on Iran has cost the United States $37.5 billion so far, up from a previous estimate of nearly $29 billion in mid-May.

"The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion," Hegseth told lawmakers during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, where he defended a request for $67 billion in supplemental funding for the Pentagon.

11th night of US strikes on Iran

US Central Command said Tuesday it had completed an 11th consecutive night of strikes on military targets in Iran as the war in the region intensified.

US forces targeted military infrastructure to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM posted on X.

Trump said the United States will continue attacks on Iran, while forecasting it would take the Islamic Republic two decades or more to rebuild from current damage.

"If we left right now, it would take Iran 20, 25 years to rebuild. Okay, and we're not finished at all...we're not leaving right now," he told reporters.