Financial Times

Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq struck the system, with Baghdad firing a military commander and ordering an investigation. The Houthis completed their seizure of Yemen's Red Sea coast, capturing Perim Island and halving ship traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled for Rome next week were postponed to October, with ambassadors to meet in Washington instead. US officials linked Chinese satellite imagery to Iran's July attack on a US base in Jordan that killed three American troops.

President Trump announced he canceled a planned large-scale military strike on Iran, claiming parameters for a deal were reached and talks would resume Monday. Iran denied any agreement, calling Trump's claim a psychological operation. Gulf states reportedly urged de-escalation before the strike was called off. The IDF and Defense Minister Katz clashed publicly after Katz announced the replacement of the Central Command chief without coordination.

The US launched a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, expanding targets to areas near Tehran for the first time, while Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain. President Trump is reportedly considering a ground operation to seize Iranian islands in the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on the Pickaxe nuclear site. Iran declared the June 17 peace deal void and claimed full freedom of action against US aggression.

The US launched a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, as the IRGC claimed a ballistic missile attack on a US air base in Jordan. Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport in retaliation for a strike on Sanaa airport, and oil prices hit a one-month high amid escalating Hormuz tensions.

Hezbollah formally rejected the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel, even as Lebanon said its army would deploy to pilot zones anyway. A UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed and two wounded by mortar fire in southern Lebanon, which the IDF attributed to Hezbollah. The US House passed a symbolic war powers resolution to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran, drawing a sharp rebuke from the president. The IAEA called on Iran to explain enriched uranium stockpiles and restore inspector access.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew their ceasefire and create pilot zones free of Hezbollah control, while President Trump suggested an Iran deal could be reached by the weekend despite Tehran denying progress. The US House passed a symbolic war powers resolution to limit Trump’s authority on Iran, and Kuwait released CCTV footage of the deadly Iranian drone strike on its airport.

Hezbollah launched multiple explosive-drone attacks on northern Israel on Friday, triggering sirens and reportedly causing impacts, while the IDF struck Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. US-Iran ceasefire talks saw slight progress, with Pakistan’s army chief visiting Tehran as a mediator, but deadlock persists over uranium stockpiles and Strait of Hormuz tolls. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned, citing her husband’s health, amid reports she was forced out over Iran war dissent. Freed Gaza flotilla activists alleged sexual abuse and other mistreatment in Israeli custody, which Israel denied.

President Trump expressed doubt that Iran's 14-point peace proposal is acceptable, warning strikes could resume, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 in southern Lebanon and the IDF issued evacuation orders for 11 towns. The US fast-tracked $8.6 billion in arms sales to Middle East allies, and Spain demanded the release of a Spanish activist detained from a Gaza aid flotilla.

Since the prior SITREP, three material developments have emerged: the US House Armed Services Committee was briefed that Iran may have placed 20+ mines in or around the Strait of Hormuz requiring up to six months to clear; Hezbollah conducted loitering munition and missile attacks on IDF positions in southern Lebanon; and a Palestinian man was shot dead during a settler attack on a West Bank town near Ramallah.

An IRGC vessel fired on a container ship approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing significant damage to the bridge — a kinetic maritime incident during the active US-Iran ceasefire and Hormuz blockade. UKMTO confirmed the attack; Israeli and regional media corroborate the IRGC attribution.