This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up on Friday's top developments here:
- US military launches 13th night of strikes on Iran
- Trump says frozen Iranian assets will pay for damage to shipping
- Trump says Xi, Putin assured him they would not sell weapons to Iran
- US targets Babak Zanjani network over Iran sanctions evasion
- Saudi-led coalition says responded after Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping
Trump weighs harder Iran strikes as conflict widens
Published: July 25, 2026 | 00:23 GMT | by AFP
US President Donald Trump said Friday 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.
Trump said he would hold off on a major operation as Tehran was now getting "serious" in talks with Washington, for now dialing back reports that he was increasingly frustrated with the state of the war and mulling a large-scale military operation against Iran.
"No, I haven't," Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked if he had made a decision on hitting Iran hard.
"Look, we're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason."
For earlier developments, read our July 24 live blog here.
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