Middle East • Page 8 of 449 • The Defense Post

Jul- 2026 -

26 July

Footage released by the US military shows what US Central Command (CENTCOM) says are operations enforcing its naval blockade against Iran, including the boarding of a commercial tanker in the Arabian Sea and the disabling of another vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

Staff Writer With AFP

US Holds Fire Against Iran as Reports Emerge of Stockpile Concerns

Iran passed another night without US airstrikes on Sunday, as Washington paused a war nearing its fifth month.

26 July

Staff Writer With AFP

Iran Accuses Ukraine of Deadly Attack on Ship in Caspian Sea

Iran accused Ukraine on Saturday of attacking one of its merchant vessels in the Caspian Sea, killing a sailor and wounding another.

26 July

UGC images posted on social media and verified by AFPTV teams on Saturday 25 July 2026 appear to show clouds of smoke rising after airstrikes on the Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan, Saudi Arabia.

Staff Writer With AFP

Houthis Target Saudi Oil as New Middle East Front

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had launched missile and drone salvos against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on Saturday.

26 July

Staff Writer With AFP

Iran FM Says ‘No Military Solution’ to Yemen Conflict

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no military solution to the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen, after both sides traded attacks.

26 July

UN chief Antonio Guterres calls for an end to Israeli violations in Syria and urges international support for country’s transition, speaking in Damascus on his first visit under the new authorities following years of civil war.

Staff Writer With AFP

Visiting UN Chief Urges Respect for Syria’s Sovereignty, International Support

UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an end to Israeli violations in Syria and urged international support for the country's transition on his first visit under the new authorities following years of civil war.

25 July

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says that the Iran-backed group had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, claiming the vessels had violated a ban imposed by the group.

Staff Writer With AFP

Houthis Claim Strike on Saudi Arabia as Conflict Deepens

Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, hours after vowing to retaliate against the kingdom for attacks as the Middle East war expanded.

25 July

Footage released by Iranian state TV on July 24 shows what it says are missiles fired towards US targets in Jordan.

Staff Writer With AFP

Trump Weighs Harder Iran Strikes as Conflict Widens

US President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to launch major strikes on Iran, as the renewed conflict threatened to widen across the region with Saudi Arabia striking Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

25 July

An armed Iranian police officer holding a rifle monitors the area as motorcyclists ride beneath a billboard depicting an AI-generated image of the Strait of Hormuz and an effigy of US President Donald Trump, displayed on the wall of a state building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 3, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Trump Warns Russia and China Against Arms Sales to Iran

US President Donald Trump warned China and Russia on Friday against selling weapons to Iran – while saying he believed assurances from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin that they were not yet doing so.

24 July

Israeli security forces drive on a road as smoke rises from fires in the area near the settlement of Itamar, in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Staff Writer With AFP

Israel PM Vows to Act ‘With Force’ After Deadly Violence in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday to respond firmly after an Israeli was killed in violence in the occupied West Bank that also killed four Palestinians.

24 July