On Saturday, August 2nd, 2026, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States and Israel had agreed to refrain from carrying out threatened attacks on Iran, provided a peace deal with Tehran is reached quickly. Trump said the US was "locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran," but that Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested a hold on fresh strikes. He emphasized the importance of swiftly making a deal for the benefit of the world and Iran's survival.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded with a warning that Tehran's armed forces would respond decisively to any act of aggression. In a Telegram post, Araghchi held the US, Israel, and any Gulf states involved fully responsible for any new attacks. Tehran has previously threatened military retaliation targeting critical infrastructure in Israel and Gulf countries following US media reports of potential new strikes on Iranian targets, including energy sites.

Since the conflict began on February 28th with US-Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran has often retaliated by targeting Gulf states hosting US military bases.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli army destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using around 700 tonnes of explosives.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that an unidentified projectile struck a tanker on Friday about 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, damaging its engine room. On Saturday, another tanker reported a large splash and an explosion nearby while sailing around 21 nautical miles northwest of Khasab.

These developments highlight ongoing tensions in the Gulf region amid cautious diplomatic efforts to avoid further escalation.

Sources