Category: Saudi Arabia

Trump v Iran: Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender”

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it gets in way of Iran deal

Why has Trump threatened to bomb Oman – for a second time?

President Donald Trump threatened Monday to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Tehran to surrender in a war that has become a growing political burden.

Control of the waterway, which Iran has effectively closed since the conflict began on February 28, remains at the heart of the deadlock between Tehran and Washington.

With whipsawing fuel prices and public opposition to the war weighing on Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections, Trump has faced mounting pressure to end a stalemate that has dragged on for nearly six months.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait, which lies between the two countries.

Oman, a US ally in the Gulf, has not publicly commented on Trump’s remarks.

Tehran and Muscat have been discussing for weeks future navigation arrangements through the route, and Iran’s foreign ministry said earlier Monday the two sides were working on a joint declaration.

Trump calls on Iran to surrender; IRGC threatens with ‘maximum deterrence’

More…

Trump Doubles Down on Declaring Strait of Hormuz U.S. Territory

Iran Threatens to Break U.S. Blockade

  • Trump repeats declaration that he’ll make Strait of Hormuz a “US territory”, calling it “a great idea”.
  • Iran goes “fully offensive”: Tehran threatens escalation if diplomacy fails, after last week’s military command reshuffle.
  • MoU expires: Iran says the US-Iran agreement is effectively dead & “irrelevant”. 
  • Trump threatens Oman: Trump warns “we’ll bomb the s**t out of them.”
  • Backchannel denied: Tehran rejects Trump’s claim of IRGC communications.
US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, U

President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, asserting that Washington has “total control” of the strategic waterway as Tehran threatened a military attack to break the U.S. naval blockade and declared a shift toward a more offensive posture.

  • US President Donald Trump says Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender” as the two nations’ memorandum of understanding (MoU) expired on Monday. He tells Fox News that his administration is holding talks with the Revolutionary Guards – a claim denied by the IRGC.
  • Speaking in Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says “gross” US violations rendered the MoU deadline “entirely moot”, adding that Iran’s forces are ready to respond if attacked. The Iran-US MoU, signed in June, expired as talks to end the war have been deadlocked.
  • Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Brigadier General Yadollah Javani says Iran’s defensive posture is poised to shift to an offensive one under a new “maximum deterrence” policy.

Report: Iranians Facing 400 Percent Food Price Increases as U.S. Blockade Crushes Economy

Iran: Tehran says it agreed coordinates of Hormuz route with Oman

Iran war updates: Trump says war to end ‘pretty soon’, Hormuz deal nears

 

  • US President Donald Trump expects the war on Iran to end “pretty soon,” telling reporters during questions on global and domestic energy prices that he does not think “they can go much longer.”
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian states that the US has applied “maximum” economic pressure, noting that Iran loses roughly 230 million cubic meters of gas daily as a result of US-Israeli attacks.
  • Yemeni forces reported that Houthi strikes using suicide drones and ballistic missiles left at least 18 troops dead.

Iran Claims to Be in ‘Final Stages’ of Deal with Oman to Control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command has said US forces have now redirected a total of 48 commercial vessels to enforce a US naval blockade of Iran.

  • Yemeni forces reported that Houthi attacks using suicide drones and ballistic missiles killed at least 18 soldiers.
  • Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree previously announced that the group had carried out attacks using “a large number of ballistic missiles and drones” on Yemen’s Emergency Forces posts in Marib and Hadramout. He said the strikes had killed personnel and destroyed weaponry and vehicles.


 Iran’s Most Powerful Weapon Is Time—Here’s How To Turn It Against Them–Gen. David Deptula

The objective should not be destruction for its own sake or an agreement that trades substantial economic relief for temporary or unverifiable promises.

The objective should be to change Iran’s strategic calculation.

Iran must come to believe that each additional month of resistance will carry increasing cost, resulting in less revenue, fewer military options, greater isolation, diminished military capability, and a weaker negotiating position. At the same time, the United States should make clear that a verifiable agreement remains available if Iran abandons the behavior that created the crisis.

  • Iran’s foreign ministry says a deal with Oman on a route through the Strait of Hormuz is being “finalised”, but the US and Israel still pose a danger to ships in the vital waterway.
  • Yemen’s Houthis claim to have attacked a Saudi oil vessel in the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to turn around.
  • Iran’s deputy FM Kazem Gharibabadi says a final understanding between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz is “on the verge of being finalised”, with almost all matters resolved.
  • The US military says it has redirected a total of 48 vessels since declaring its naval blockade of Iran

US president Trump: negotiations with Iran are “moving along very nicely”

Oil prices have fallen below $80 a barrel….

Any agreement between Iran and Oman on future shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the immediate reopening of the strategic waterway, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reports, citing an informed source.

Trump said late on Tuesday a deal with Iran could come within hours, but Tehran has repeatedly denied having direct negotiations with Washington.

 

Iran says US not part of ongoing talks with Oman to reopen Strait

  • Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB has quoted an informed source as saying ongoing talks between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz “have nothing to do with the United States”.
  • Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported “progress” in the talks on the strait, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested an agreement could be reached as early as “today or tomorrow”.
  • The Houthis say they have attacked a Saudi oil tanker, named the Wafa, in the northern Red Sea with ballistic missiles.

Qatar Says U.S.-Iran Diplomacy ‘Ongoing’ but No Direct Talks Scheduled

Peace In Our Time, Again

Robert Spencer

Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘very hard’

Iraq condemns US-Saudi attacks

  • Iraq condemns US-Saudi strikes on the country, with the Popular Mobilisation Forces saying 20 of its fighters were killed, while 32 others were wounded.
 

Trump says US to deliver ‘beating’ to Iran after bases again targeted

US president promises major escalation a day after new Iran attacks and his White House meeting with Netanyahu.

US President Donald Trump arrives at the White House after flying on Marine One

United States President Donald Trump has pledged a major escalation against Iran after the latest Iranian attacks on US military sites in the Middle East.

Trump made the threat in an expletive-laden interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on Wednesday.

Iran missiles target US forces in Jordan after a five-day pause in war

The US military says it has successfully intercepted a barrage of missiles fired by Iran at its troops in Jordan.

Continue reading Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘very hard’

Esposito Kicked the Bucket

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Here’s an Arab Muslim singing his praises:

“John Esposito was an early and courageous scholar who challenged Orientalist misrepresentations of Islam and Muslims in an era of deep polarisation”

Nothing “courageous” about this cretin. Even if he was only in it for the $$$$, he did a lot of damage to a time honoured institution of higher learning.

John Esposito transformed how the West understood Islam

By Nader Hashemi

The pioneering scholar, who died on July 15, challenged Orientalist orthodoxies and reshaped the study of Islam and Muslim societies.

Hmm, Esposito was certainly challenged, but he never came out and took it up with anyone who challenged him. He was at best a creepy wakademic tosspot.

Here’s a more realistic picture of Esposito’s misdeeds:

John Esposito: Apologist of Islam or Messenger of Islamic Da’wah?

By David Bukay/ American Thinker

John Esposito is a professor at Georgetown University and the head of the “Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.”  He is considered one of the foremost apologists of radical Islam in American academia.  The term “apologist” means one who denies events and activities of a group or who uses selective perceptions and cognitive biases to whitewash reality.  However, it is more fitting to view Esposito as a Da’i, or an Islamic propagator who uses Da’wah, the propagation of deceit.

From the very beginning, Islam has been spread by two arms: the violent jihad and the political Da’wah (16:125)i.  Da’wah serves as a diplomatic means of religious legitimization through which to invite all human beings to accept Islam as the only supreme and perfect religion (5:3; 9:33). According to Da’wah, which preaches the message of Allah’s infinite wisdom (6:38), it is in humanity’s best interest to submit to Islam (7:158; 21:107).  Since Islam is perfect, no one may doubt it, use logic to determine its validity, or judge it by human conceptions (4:115; 5:72-3; 10:69-70; 29:68; 36:64-5).  Any of these transgressions constitutes heresy and warrants the death penalty.

Continue reading Esposito Kicked the Bucket

Trump warns of unprecedented ‘massive attack’ on Iran

The US-Israeli war on Iran has triggered a global energy crisis

U.S. VOWS TO PUNISH IRAN AFTER HOUTHIS STRIKE TANKERS

  • Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait have reported retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Iran after a 12th consecutive day of US strikes, including an attack on Kuwait’s Al-Abdali border crossing with Iraq.
  • US President Trump says he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran, “bigger than ever before”, and that he is close to making a decision.
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference in Manila, says Iran is “begging for a deal” but are not ready to keep to one.
  • Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says a tanker is ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen’s Houthis also claim missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Houthi supporters hold a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, July 17, 2026, against the Saudi-led coalition. Banner in Arabic reads, “All Saudi oil facilities are targets to our missiles and drones.”

Trump: US will use Iranian money in its ‘possession’ to pay for damage to ships, cargo

The US president says on his Truth Social platform that, from now on, “Any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls”.

“These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do”, Trump added.

Tehran has nearly $100bn in assets frozen by other countries and beyond its control.

 

China Demands Middle East Parties ‘Remain Calm’ as Houthis Threaten Its Oil Tankers

The Chinese Communist Party has historically supported Iranian interests in the Middle East and Iranian terrorist proxies such as Hamas. Communist leaders, including genocidal dictator Xi Jinping, have maintained a marked distance from Iran during the current conflict with the United States, however, repeatedly demanding that all sides of the war respect freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have blockaded on and off since March. China is heavily dependent on the Middle East for its oil and other fossil fuel supplies, placing it in an especially vulnerable position despite not being an active combatant in the conflict.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry pronounced Beijing “deeply concerned” on Thursday over the ongoing war between Iran and its proxies and the United States in the Middle East, demanding all parties “remain calm.”

Iran Defiant:

Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker has mocked the US military strategy aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting it has backfired.

US State Department tells citizens in Middle East to prepare for potential flight cancellations due to Iran war

The US State Department has issued an advisory urging US citizens in West Asia to be prepared for emergency travel situations due to potential flight cancellations and disruptions to air travel as a result of the Iran war.

This warning comes amid President Trump’s latest threat to carry out a “massive attack” on Iran.

Iran War: Trump threatens to bomb a power plant for each ship strike

  • President Trump warns the US will bomb and destroy critical Iranian infrastructure every time Tehran shoots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The United States attacks Iran for an 11th consecutive night as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the cost of the warhas reached $37.5bn.
  • The Revolutionary Guard launches more retaliatory attackson Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, with multiple drones and missiles intercepted.
  • Iran says it will “confront any hostility” after Trump threatens to attack a suspected Iranian nuclear site called Pickaxe Mountain “pretty soon and very heavily”.

Iran attacks Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, says 2 tankers in Hormuz on fire

Five Iranian drones intercepted by Jordan

Jordan says it has neutralised five incoming drones from Iran, the country’s state news agency reported on Tuesday.

The Iranian army has announced that it targeted the US Sheikh Isa military base in Bahrain with drones, the state news agency Fars reports.

 US Forces Finish Tenth Consecutive Night of Strikes After Two Ships Hit Near Strait of Hormuz and Iran Fires Additional Strikes at Jordan

Tensions continued to rise in the Middle East on Monday after US forces continued a nine-day bombing streak against Iran on Sunday, following the death of two US service members killed in Iranian attacks. 

US Central Command forces completed a ninth consecutive round of nightly strikes against Iran on Sunday, aimed at “holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction.”

  • Iran continues retaliatory attacks across the region after a 10th consecutive night of US bombing, with the Revolutionary Guard saying it targeted US assets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
  • “Massive fires” broke out on two tankers that “took an unsafe route” in the Strait of Hormuz, says the IRGC.
  • Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen declare a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia threatening to further disrupt the global energy supply.
  • US President Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay “many times over” for the deaths of American soldiers after a week in which at least three US personnel were killed.
  • Qatar has condemned a statement by the Houthi military spokesman accusing Saudi Arabia of blockading the Yemeni people and preventing maritime navigation after he declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday.
  • The announcement of the naval blockade came days after the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, threatened a “siege” on the kingdom in retaliation for an attack on Sanaa International Airport last week.

Iran War: Yemen’s Houthi’s announce maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia

The Pentagon has released photos of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, a 19-year-old U.S. soldier from Carrollton, Texas, and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii

President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of the two soldiers who were killed by Iranian attacks in Jordan. The ceremony will take place tomorrow evening at Dover Air Force Base. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says “the President and the entire White House are praying for their families” in a post on X. The president, in a Truth Social post, says “Every time Iran kills an American soldier they will pay for that killing many times over, as the U.S. continues its military campaign in the Middle East.”

Explosions in Iran as US carries out ‘new round of strikes’

  • Iranian media is reporting explosions in Bandar Abbas and Sirik as US CENTCOM says new round of strikes being carried out on Iran.
  • In a social media post, US President Donald Trump says “every time Iran kills an American soldier they will pay for that killing many times over”.
  • Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels announce a maritime embargo of their foe Saudi Arabia after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.

Multiple explosions heard in Chahbahar

Fars news agency is reporting multiple explosions in Chahbahar in eastern Iran.

Yemen’s Houthis announce maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia

  • Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels announce a maritime embargo of their foe Saudi Arabia after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
  • A vessel is on fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile forcing the crew to abandon ship. They were later rescued by a tugboat.
  • Hamas says Khalil al-Hayya has been chosen as head of its political bureau succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed by Israel in Gaza in 2024.
  • A US service member has died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, according to CENTCOM.

Houthis see Saudi maritime embargo as an ‘opportunity’

The Houthis appear to be using the announcement of a maritime embargo targeting Saudi Arabia to “redraw the rules” while regional powers are under pressure, an analyst says.

Zeidon Alkinani, founding director of the Arab Perspectives Institute, told Al Jazeera there is “very clear” messaging in the announcement.

There was “no mention of Iran” suggesting the Houthis are acting to exploit what they see as a window of opportunity while both Saudi Arabia and the United States are pre-occupied with Iran. “They’re taking it as an opportunity to redraw the rules imposed on them before,” he said.

Negotiations with the Houthis could be “easier” than talks involving either the US or Iran, which remain in direct confrontation. “From a Houthi perspective they are controlling Yemen, which is in the GCC orbit,” he said.

Alkinani said direct negotiations with the Houthis would now make sense.

Saudi Arabia condemns Houthi’s blockade

Saudi Arabia has condemned remarks by the Houthis accusing the kingdom of besieging Yemen and announcing that the group will prevent maritime navigation to Saudi ports.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry called the accusations “baseless”.

Islam, Islamic ‘envoys’ & that ridiculous “Islamophobia” fabrication

U.S. Launches Strikes to ‘Punish’ Iran After Troops Killed

U.S. Launches Strikes to ‘Punish’ Iran After Troops Killed

Marco Rubio on Iran:

I do think the world is coming to a point now where it’s clear that Iran—at least some people in Iran—want to control the straits and hold it as leverage against the world. And the world has to decide whether or not it’s going to allow an international waterway to be under the control of a country like this. It would be completely illegal, unlawful, and unacceptable. The United States will continue to do what it needs to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it’s hardware or finances, to help carry that burden.

Iran: Hey, We’ve Got Moses, Jesus, David and Solomon on Our Side

Robert Spencer 

Sophronius, Jerusalem Patr. 634: “Invading (Muslims) are Godless wild barbarians, filled with diabolical savagery.. they ravage all with feral design.. inflict destruction and plunder.. incessant outpouring of human blood.. Birds devour human bodies.. churches pulled down.. ” :

Al Bozo has released the new ‘Islamophobia Report’

“Some of [the recommendations] we have adopted in full and are acting on already. Others we’ll give further consideration to.”

What a disgrace!

Anthony Albanese (centre) has announced the government’s response to the special envoy to combat Islamophobia’s report.

 ISIS related Islamic Terrorists shot 50 people, killing 15, so Labor imported ISIS Terrorist Brides & brought in laws so you can’t offend Muslims.

Yep, Australia is cooked.

Azza Mahmoud Fawzi Hosseini Ali el Serougi  “Anne Aly” came from Egypt to settle behind enemy lines in Australia. Does anyone know why and how?

Since she’s on the taxpayer funded “Islamophobia” racket, she pretends to be some kind of victim. She isn’t a victim of anything. Those who support her false claims are the enemy of Australia.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Basic Optimism (@basicoptimism)

Iran in ‘full-scale war’ with US

Iran president says country in ‘full-scale war’ with US

President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country is engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States and Iran must accept the repercussions of the conflict.

IRGC says it’s ready for US ground invasion; Hamas names new leader

  • Hamas announces Khalil al-Hayya has been chosen as head of its political bureau succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed by Israel in Gaza in 2024.
  • A vessel is on fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile forcing the crew to abandon ship. They were later rescued by a tugboat.
  • One person has been killed and several others wounded after the US military attacked the Iranian city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran.
  • A US service member has died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, according to CENTCOM.

Hamas names Khalil al-Hayya as new leader

Khalil al-Hayya has long been a senior official in Hamas

The Palestinian group says Khalil al-Hayya has been chosen as the head of Hamas’s political bureau succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed in Gaza by the Israeli army in October 2024.

South Korea urges citizens to leave the Middle East

Seoul’s foreign ministry has advised short-term visitors to evacuate the Middle East immediately.

China urges respect for Saudi Arabia’s ‘sovereignty and security’

The statement from Beijing comes after Saudi Arabia intercepted ballistic missileslaunched by Yemen’s Houthi group last week.

Supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement rally in Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officially known as Ansar Allah, threatened a “siege” on Saudi Arabia in retaliation for an attack on Sanaa International Airport.

Iran says diplomatic exchanges with US ongoing via mediators

Baghaei says messages from the US have been shared recently with Tehran through intermediaries despite ongoing fighting.