Trump says U.S. “Achieving a Very Big Victory,” War “Will Continue for as Long as Necessary”
By Duarte Dias, Tucker Reals
What to know about the Iran war today:
- President Trump told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the U.S. is “achieving a very big victory” as the Iran war nears the six-month mark, but that it “will continue for as long as necessary” and there’s no timetable to resume peace talks.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he told President Trump recently that a diplomatic deal with Iran is “not possible,” and he called the Islamic Republic’s leaders “savages.”
- Iran and Oman said Tuesday that they were discussing a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz via a temporary shipping route, as well as a plan to clear sea mines. Tehran has insisted, however, that the U.S. must lift its naval blockade and the war must end before ships are allowed to resume transiting the vital waterway
Tanker in Strait of Hormuz hit by “unknown projectile,” British military says
An “unknown projectile” struck a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz this week, causing a fire that has since been put out, a British military maritime agency said early on Thursday.
Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel attacked the Islamic Republic in late February.
Tehran wants to charge tolls for passage, and has attacked ships it accuses of trying to skirt its preferred route.
“Local authorities have reported a tanker has been hit by an unknown projectile, causing fire to the vessel which has since been extinguished,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The incident occurred near the Omani coastal city of Khasab and was reported to the UKMTO on Tuesday, the agency said.
There were no casualties among the crew and no adverse environmental impact, it said, adding that authorities are investigating the cause.
The online notice didn’t specify the vessel’s nationality or direction of travel.
USS Abraham Lincoln to make stop in Thailand on its way home to San Diego
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier will make a stop in Thailand afterits grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said Wednesday.
The Lincoln was supporting the U.S. war against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products.
Thai defense ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said the Lincoln will stop in Thailand next week for rest and recovery before returning to its U.S. base in San Diego.
“The stop in Thailand is a chance for the crew to go ashore and relax,” he told reporters at a news conference in Bangkok.
On Tuesday, the Royal Thai Navy said three ships from a U.S. Navy carrier strike group were scheduled to stop in eastern Thailand and that no military exercises would be carried out during the visit.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote in a mocking social media post Wednesday that “after months of war – and more than 200 days without a single port call” the Lincoln “is now heading to Thailand for crew R&R. Mission: Project Power. Current mission: Project Vacation.”
Separately Wednesday, the U.S. Navy’s top uniformed officer told reporters that with the surprise needed to launch the Iran war, it took some time to put a “process in place so that we were really replenishing at sea in an effective and systematic way.”
Speaking about the Lincoln, Adm. Daryl Caudle said the issue was not about having enough protein or vegetables, but items like hygiene products, energy drinks and soda that sailors come to expect during long ship deployments.
He said parts, food and “niceties” have different supply chains and that “we had to get all those dialed in,” noting that “there was some learning curve on our replenishment process.”
Iran’s Parliament speaker thanks China for rejecting U.S. sanctions
China, Iran’s largest trade partner, is receiving thanks from Iran’s Parliament speaker after saying it won’t comply with the newest U.S. sanctions.
“We welcome China’s principled statement rejecting illegal sanctions against Iran,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X. “The Iran-China comprehensive strategic partnership is rooted in mutual respect, win-win cooperation, and a shared vision for a multipolar world. This relationship needs no one’s permission.”
President Trump last week said he expected all countries to get on board with the sanctions announced on Monday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview last Thursday with CNBC that China should “get with the program.”
But China rejected those notions almost immediately.
“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions. … China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a news briefing.
Iranian foreign minister pleads with U.N. secretary-general to condemn U.S. actions
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, addressed a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday asking for the global body to “condemn and reject” the U.S. actions in Iran, especially the new round of sanctions issued this week.
“Now is a crucial moment for the Security Council and all members of the United Nations; either we must defend the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference, and respect for the sovereign rights of States, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; or we surrender to the unilateralism and bullying of a rogue state,” Araghchi wrote in the letter, posted on his official Telegram channel.
Iranian officials have repeatedly called the U.S. actions in Iran a violation of the country’s sovereignty in recent days. Araghchi asked for all members of the U.N. to do three things, including “condemn and reject the use of unilateral coercive measures and secondary sanctions by the United States” to change economic interests; “refrain from recognizing, approving, or implementing” the sanctions; “call on the United States to immediately cease its threats and coercive actions designed to force” countries to alter legitimate economic relations.
He also asked for the U.N. to monitor the humanitarian implications of the sanctions on the Iranian population, and said Iran could retaliate in the interim.
“In the meantime, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to pursue all available avenues to achieve accountability, reparation and redress, and to hold the perpetrators accountable for the consequences of these inhumane and illegal actions,” Araghchi wrote.
Guterres hasn’t shown an inclination to side with Iran in the conflict, saying on Monday that Iran must end attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and restore “respect of navigational rights and freedoms” in the waterway.
Iran state media reports “constructive” talks with Russia on gas cooperation
Iran and Russia held “constructive” discussions on advancing cooperation in the gas sector, including implementation of an agreement to transfer Russian natural gas to Iran, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Wednesday.
IRNA said Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali and National Iranian Gas Company CEO Saeed Tavakoli met with Alexey Miller, the CEO of Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom, in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
The meeting followed a series of technical discussions between the two countries aimed at implementing a gas cooperation agreement, following on an agreement for the transfer of Russian gas to Iran that was signed in July 2024.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad previously said the gas would be delivered to Iran using an overland route via Azerbaijan, with Iran receiving the gas at a terminal in Astara, on the country’s far northern Caspian Sea coast.
Jalali has described the project as a “win-win” undertaking for Iran and Russia that could provide significant mutual benefits and help strengthen Iran’s position as a regional energy hub.
Iran’s IRGC says deal with Oman to reopen Strait of Hormuz had been reached, but U.S. must accept conditions
The spokesman for Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that Iranian and Omani officials reached an agreement weeks ago on terms under which the two nations could control shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — and share the proceeds from fees incurred — but he indicated the U.S. had failed to accept the arrangements.
“The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, which is opposite us. About a month ago, we entered into negotiations with Oman and reached results that were acceptable to both sides,” Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB. “In these negotiations, agreements had been reached regarding the share of each of the two countries from the waters of the strait and the share of Iran and Oman from its revenues.”
“If the United States stops obstructing and returns to the memorandum of understanding, we can open the Strait of Hormuz within the framework of the agreement reached,” he said, stressing, “our conditions must be accepted by the United States.”
Until they are, he said “the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.”
President Trump has repeatedly insisted the strait is open, but few commercial ships have dared to transit the vital waterway given Iran’s attacks and lingering threats against them doing so without permission.
“The Strait of Hormuz is under our control, and no enemy military vessel is present inside the Persian Gulf,” Mohebbi insisted Wednesday, claiming all U.S. warships had moved at least 250 miles from the strait.
Iran and Oman said Tuesday the two nations continue discussing a new proposal to reopen the strait by way of a temporary shipping route, as well as a plan to clear sea mines, but they said no new agreement has been reached.
Stocks prices mixed as oil drops, inflation remains high
Lower oil prices helped lift European stock markets Wednesday, while continued high U.S. inflation weighed on Wall Street. Paris and Frankfurt rose in mid-afternoon trading, though London lagged behind as energy heavyweights BP and Shell were hurt by cheaper oil.
“Lower energy prices are providing a supportive environment for European markets,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at FOREX.com. “The resilience of the European economy has been more impressive than many had expected.”
In New York, all the main indexes were slightly lower in morning trading. Just before Wall Street opened, the Commerce Department reported that the personal consumption expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure — rose 3.7% in July compared to the previous year.
While that was largely in line with analyst expectations, it still leaves inflation well above the Fed’s 2% target, keeping alive fears of an interest rate increase.
Both main crude oil contracts have tumbled this week as Iran and Oman say they’re edging toward a deal to open a temporary shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.
While President Trump said Washington would impose an “economic D-Day” on Tehran with a raft of sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic and its trade partners, the U.S. has so far held back from enforcing the measures, which in any case appear softer than many had expected.
Oil prices had dropped more than 3% early Wednesday before recovering a bit, with international benchmark Brent crude back below $90 a barrel.
CBS/AFP
Trump repeats assertion that without him, “there would be no Israel”
President Trump repeated his claim Wednesday that without him, “there would be no Israel.”
Speaking on conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s podcast, Mr. Trump described the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which he pulled the U.S. out of unilaterally during his first term, as “one of the most dangerous deals ever,” describing it as a “path to a nuclear weapon.”
Iran “would have had a nuclear weapon,” he said. “They would have used it.”
“Israel would have been totally knocked out,” he added. “If Donald Trump wasn’t president, there would be no Israel right now … and that’s a guarantee.”
In June the president made similar comments at the G7 summit in France.
Iran army spokesman says hostile media outlets “are included in our military target bank”
Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman, Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, said Iranian military forces do not regard outlets such as BBC Persian, the exiled Iran International and Radio Farda as media organizations, accusing them of being directly connected to Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies.
In comments carried by multiple state media outlets, Shekarchi alleged that the outlets receive operational guidance and support from, “Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency], the CIA and the enemy’s intelligence organizations … The Iranian armed forces do not regard these news-propagating enterprises as media outlets.”
“Every bloodshed and act of violence in the world is carried out with the support of these pseudo-media outlets,” he said. “Hostile media outlets are soldiers of the Zionists and America and are included in our military target bank.”
Trump says Strait of Hormuz “functioning” but “every once in a while there will be a drone or a rocket”
President Trump, in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck aired Wednesday, said the Strait of Hormuz is “functioning,” but there will still be a drone or a rocket shot sometimes.
“We got rid of the mines,” the president said. “But the strait it’s functioning, it’s a functioning strait. Yes, every once in a while there will be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning strait. A lot of oil is pouring out.”
Maritime analysts say very little oil has actually been moving out of the Persian Gulf through the strait since the war began, with a brief resumption of shipments during a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran tapering back off after hostilities resumed in early July.
Trump says he doesn’t “think” Iran’s supreme leader is dead
Speaking to conservative radio show host Glenn Beck, President Trump said he doesn’t “think” Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is dead, and if he is, he said the Iranians are putting on a pretty good “show.”
The Atlantic ran a piece Monday suggesting he may have died.
“I don’t think he’s dead,” the president said. “He was very seriously wounded.”
Dubai airport reports sharp drop in second quarter traffic due to Iran war
Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest transport hubs, said Wednesday that it saw a sharp drop in passengers during the second quarter as the Iran war disrupted air travel and prompted many travelers to choose routes that avoided the Middle East.
The airport recorded 13 million passengers during the second quarter, following 31.5 million passengers in the first. That was a 31.3% drop in passenger traffic compared to the first half of 2025, the airport said.
Air traffic in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere across the Persian Gulf region has been disrupted by shutdowns and restrictions imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war on Iran on Feb. 28. The Dubai airport suffered minor damage in attacks by Iran.
Dubai airport CEO Paul Griffiths said, however, that there has been a steady increase in passenger volume each month in the second quarter, adding that “the trajectory now is universally positive.”
He said the airport was waiting for overseas airlines, particularly European carriers, to restart operations.
“I’m very confident we’ll be back to full operation in a very short space of time,” he said.
Last week, the UAE cut off all trade ties with Iran, which has relied for decades on the kingdom for access to foreign currency. Dubai’s opaque financial services industry has long offered Iran a way to skirt international sanctions.
CBS/AP
Iran parliament speaker says any negotiations with U.S. not “a sign of retreat”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf argued Wednesday that any negotiations with the U.S. did not equate to retreat from the Islamic Republic’s principles and demands.
“Negotiation, in my view, has neither intrinsic value nor is it a taboo; it is neither absolutely good nor absolutely evil,” he wrote in a letter responding to criticism from Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper, according to Iran’s state IRNA news agency.
Qalibaf said diplomacy did not mean abandoning resistance.
“If necessary, dialogue, too, according to this logic, is the same arena of struggle and resistance; neither a replacement for it nor a sign of retreat from it,” he said.
He argued that negotiations, when necessary, should be conducted from a position of strength while preserving Iran’s “dignity, wisdom and interests.”
Qalibaf said refusing to engage with an enemy would amount to Iranian authorities avoiding their responsibility.
Just less than a week ago, President Trump said there were no ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran and none scheduled, but Iran has kept up a dialogue with Oman aimed at establishing a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to reinstitute a ceasefire with the U.S.
All weapons systems destroyed in the war have been rebuilt, Iran’s army claims
Iran’s army said Wednesday that all of the country’s weapons systems damaged in the war with the U.S. and Israel had been “rebuilt,” and a claim that new systems had been brought into the country.
“Systems in all branches of the military, including those that were damaged, have been rebuilt, and new systems have also been imported,” army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia was quoted as saying by Iranian state TV.
“New systems have come through the defense industry and the army, and some have also been imported from abroad, and this equipment has enhanced our combat capabilities,” he claimed, without naming any countries providing military hardware to the Islamic Republic.
President Trump has previously claimed that Iran’s military capabilities have been destroyed by U.S. strikes on the country, but experts have questioned that assessment, and Iran has demonstrated an ongoing capacity to launch attacks on ships and America’s Persian Gulf allies.
CBS/AFP
Iran’s president says negotiation with U.S. still possible, but Tehran “will stand firmly against economic pressures”
Iran’s president has not ruled out resolving the conflict with the United States through negotiations, despite the “economic pressure” being exerted on his country.
“Our foundation is understanding and resolving issues through interaction and negotiation, but at the same time, we will stand firmly against economic pressures, just as we have done so far,” Masoud Pezeshkian said during a three-hour meeting at Iran’s Central Bank on Tuesday.
Pezeshkian said Iran would continue pursuing dialogue while relying on measures prepared by the government’s economic institutions to withstand the U.S. sanctions, adding that Washington’s attempts at pressuring Iran would fail.
Iran calls on United Nations to condemn U.S. sanctions
Iran called Tuesday on the United Nations Security Council to condemn U.S. sanctions and other “unilateral coercive measures” against the Islamic Republic.
Speaking at a Security Council meeting, Gholamhossein Darzi, Iran’s ambassador and deputy permanent representative to the U.N., said the council had failed to fulfill its responsibilities.
“The Security Council must firmly condemn and reject these unilateral coercive measures aimed at forcing sovereign countries to change their legitimate economic interests and foreign relations,” Darzi said.
He called the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports and vessels, which has included several attacks on Iranian commercial vessels, violations of Iran’s sovereignty and freedom of navigation.
“The root cause of instability and disruption in maritime trade and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is the war of aggression by the U.S. and Israeli regime against Iran,” Darzi said.
