Iran appoints former IRGC chief to top security post Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has named former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaee as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Rezaee will also serve as Khamenei’s representative on the council, placing him at the centre of Iran’s security and defence decision-making. He succeeds Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who took over the position after US-Israeli attacks assassinated Ali Larijani in March.
Egypt calls for full Israeli withdrawal and unrestricted aid access to Gaza Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has called for Israel to withdraw completely from Gaza and allow the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Abdelatty made the demand during a telephone conversation with Nikolay Mladenov, director-general of Trump’s Board of Peace, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The two officials reviewed efforts to implement the plan and discussed the proposed deployment of the International Stabilization Force, which is expected to assume responsibility for security inside the Palestinian territory.
Trump says US is ‘only semi-negotiating’ with Iran US President Donald Trump says Washington is “only semi-negotiating” with Iran. Trump speaking to Axios claimed that Iran was in “very bad shape”, pointing to soaring inflation and “the fact they have no money”. He said Tehran could not afford to pay its soldiers and credited the US naval blockade with worsening its financial troubles.
Trump could declare victory if Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz: Report US President Donald Trump is prepared to declare victory in the war with Iran if Tehran restores shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal. US officials told the newspaper that Trump has privately indicated he could abandon efforts to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran in return for reopening the strategic waterway. Trump is reportedly willing to let negotiations continue, particularly while petrol prices in the US remain stable.
Iran will defend Strait of Hormuz ‘at any cost’, senior official says Iran will defend its position in the Strait of Hormuz “at any cost”, the head of the country’s Expediency Council has said. Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, a former chief justice, said Tehran holds sovereignty over the strategic waterway despite efforts by its “enemies” to encircle the country, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The Expediency Council advises Iran’s supreme leader and mediates disputes within the country’s political system.
India to Israel and back: How a fake IRGC quote on nuclear weapons reached Netanyahu’s speech Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Sun, 08/09/2026 - 13:48 Report finds the alleged quote about nuclear weapons first appeared on an Indian pro-Israel account on X before being amplified by Israeli and US figures Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on 28 July 2026 (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP) Off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated an alleged quote attributed to a senior Iranian commander about Tehran's determination to develop nuclear weapons, even though the statement had no identified primary source and was later traced to an Indian pro-Israel account on X. An investigation by Israeli news outlet Ynet and New York Times journalist Ronen Bergman found that Netanyahu used the alleged quote, attributed to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Ahmad Vahidi, in an official address to warn Israelis about Iran's nuclear plans. Ynet's investigation traced the source of Netanyahu's remarks to Ritika, an Indian Hindu-nationalist and pro-Israel X account, which posted the alleged quote on 5 August.
Houthi attacks kill 11 in Yemen and target Saudi refinery Strikes by Yemen's Houthis on Sunday killed at least 11 people, a medical source in the Yemeni port city of Mokha has told AFP, after an earlier drone salvo targeted a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea coast. A years-long truce in Yemen's civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government appeared to collapse last month. It came as the Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, hitting Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and the kingdom's oil infrastructure, in parallel with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel rejects Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza, says Netanyahu Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza and will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The Board of Peace, spearheaded by Trump, announced last month that it had made a breakthrough in a plan to end the war. Israel and Hamas agreed to the plan last year, beginning with a ceasefire.
Israel rejects Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza, says Netanyahu Submitted by MEE staff on Sun, 08/09/2026 - 13:10 PM says Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas 'is genuinely disarmed' and will continue to 'thwart threats' A beekeeper tends to beehives with his sons on the roof of a destroyed building in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood on 5 August 2026 (Omar al-Qattaa/AFP) Off Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza and will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The Board of Peace, spearheaded by Trump, announced last month that it had made a breakthrough in a plan to end the war. Israel and Hamas agreed to the plan last year, beginning with a ceasefire.
Houthi attacks in Yemen kill four government troops, say sources Attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on Sunday killed at least four troops from the internationally-recognised government forces and wounded 20 more personnel, two military sources told AFP. The initial toll came from strikes on the Yemeni city of Mokha and surrounding areas, as well as Khokha, south of the port city of Hodeida, the sources said on condition of anonymity, after the Houthis announced they had targeted military forces and equipment on the Red Sea coast.
Pezeshkian recently met Supreme Leader Khamenei, state media reports Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei around the start of the president's third year in office in late July, state media said on Sunday. On 21 July, the president said interactions with the supreme leader were "increasing day by day", though in early August he said communicating with Khamenei was "very difficult". The late July meeting covered military affairs and the economy, including securing resources, managing foreign exchange and energy use, as well as economic ties with foreign partners, according to state media.
Saudi Aramco refinery erupts in flames in Jizan as Houthis claim drone attack Submitted by MEE staff on Sun, 08/09/2026 - 11:27 The Saudi energy ministry did not give a cause for the fire, while Yemen’s Houthis claimed they had targeted the site Wreckage of what Yemen’s Houthis said was a downed Saudi drone in al-Jawf governorate on 26 July 2026 (Ansar Allah media centre/AFP) Off A fire broke out early on Sunday at a facility belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco in the coastal city of Jizan. Authorities said the blaze was later extinguished and no casualties were reported. Saudi Arabia ’s energy ministry said the fire occurred at an Aramco refinery facility in Jizan and that emergency authorities had completed the necessary procedures to deal with the incident.
Netanyahu says Iran will 'not have nuclear weapons' with or without deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons, a goal he has long alleged Tehran is pursuing, regardless of the course of negotiation efforts with Washington and Arab states. "I want to emphasise once again: with an agreement or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.
Iran to release footage of Mojtaba Khamenei in the future, says report Footage of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "among the people and out in streets, as well in meetings with the commanders of armed forces" will be released in the future, Basij Organisation deputy Qasem Qoraishi reportedly said on Sunday. Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader in March, has not been seen in public since his appointment. The report on the Iranian judiciary's news outlet Mizan appeared to be aimed at addressing speculation about his health.
Houthis say they targeted 'Saudi enemy' forces and equipment in Yemen Yemen's Houthi said they had targeted "Saudi enemy" troops and equipment on Yemen's Red Sea coast city of Mokha after residents there said they heard blasts. The group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Houthis had "carried out a large-scale and precise military operation targeting Saudi enemy troop concentrations and weapons depots in the Mokha area," using "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones".
From autonomy to 'settler colonialism': How India redrew Kashmir's demographic and political landscape Submitted by MEE correspondent on Fri, 08/07/2026 - 15:49 New domicile rules, electoral gerrymandering and changing land laws have fuelled debate over identity and representation in Indian-administered Kashmir A Special Operations Group officer of the Indian police checks a pedestrian’s mobile phone in Srinagar, Kashmir, ahead of India’s Republic Day on 22 January 2026 (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP) Off Seven years after India revoked the special constitutional status of Indian-administered Kashmir , changes to land ownership, residency laws and governance have continued to reshape the region, which critics have called a part of a multi-pronged strategy to alter Kashmir's demographic and political landscape. On 5 August 2019, India's ruling right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government revoked Article 370 and Article 35A, which granted Jammu and Kashmir autonomy and constitutional safeguards. What followed was a legal onslaught for a broader restructuring of the contested region, parts of which are held by India, Pakistan and China.
IRGC says won't reopen Hormuz until US accepts all Iran's conditions Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have said they will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US accepts all of Tehran's demands. "Our current strategy is to maintain this strait until the enemy accepts all our conditions," said IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi on Sunday, as quoted by state television, adding that "the strait is now actually a theatre of war for us and not just a waterway".
Talks with US won't happen while interim deal is breached, says Araghchi Iran and the US are not engaged in talks and Tehran will not start them as long as Washington breaches the interim deal signed in June, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, adding that messages are being exchanged via intermediaries. Araghchi repeated Iran's position that an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz between Tehran and Muscat was in the "final stages" but would not reopen the strategic waterway. In comments reported by Mehr news agency, he said the agreement would set out the new shipping lanes to be used once the US fulfils other conditions and the strait is reopened to traffic.
Houthis claim attack on Saudi Aramco's Jizan refinery Yemen's Houthis have claimed a drone attack on Saudi Aramco's refinery in Jizan, saying the attack was in response to Saudi drone attacks on Yemen’s Saada and Hajjah provinces, according to Al Masirah TV. Saudi Arabia's ministry of energy earlier said firefighters have “extinguished a fire that broke out at dawn” in a facility belonging to the refinery in Jizan, without specifying what caused the fire.
Morning recap Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Iran has asked the US to “correct its behaviour” and set six conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, including permanently halting military action against Iran and its regional allies. US vice president JD Vance said the US has made progress in negotiations with Iran, but Washington remains focused on determining whether Tehran “is willing to make longer-term changes that could lead to an improved relationship with Washington”. Israeli settler attacks continue in the West Bank, with Palestinian media outlets reporting that Palestinian property was torched in an overnight attack.
