Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that an agreement governing the Strait of Hormuz with Oman is in its final drafting stages, with a joint statement expected pending cooperation from unspecified parties, apparently referring to the United States. The accord is anticipated to depend on the U.S. removing its blockade on Iranian ports. A U.S. official indicated that any temporary shipping routes through the strait would operate without additional approval requirements, tolls, or charges. When asked about a potential deal, President Donald Trump declined to provide details, stating only that the waterway remains partially open.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased during the week of July 27 to August 2, reaching 84 transits compared to 45 the previous week, though this remains significantly below the pre-crisis average of over 700 weekly transits. Shipping entities reported that at least two vessels sustained damage in recent days, while others experienced near-misses or received warnings attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, characterized as Iran-backed by regional observers, continued to assert claims of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, though these assertions could not be independently confirmed.
Yemen experienced significant escalation in military operations Thursday when Houthi rebels conducted simultaneous strikes across multiple regions. An attack in the southern province of Najran injured more than 10 civilians, including a young child, according to Saudi military reports. Earlier attacks claimed by the Houthis in central and eastern Yemen reportedly resulted in at least 30 government troop deaths and 50 wounded. Houthi leadership asserted that Saudi-backed forces were targeted and that casualties numbered in the hundreds. The violence represents a major uptick from a 2022 truce that had substantially reduced active conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Yemen has experienced civil conflict since 2014.
In Lebanon, two Israeli soldiers died and four others sustained serious injuries from an explosion in the southern region Thursday, marking the first Israeli fatalities since a June ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military conducted retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, citing alleged Hezbollah violations of the truce. Concurrently, Lebanese and Israeli negotiators convened in Rome to discuss implementation of the June agreement, which envisions Israeli withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanese territory in exchange for Hezbollah disarmament.
Additional regional developments included Uganda’s parliamentary approval for troop deployment to a proposed International Stabilization Force for Gaza, and Iraqi authorities’ announcement that armed activities outside state control will face prosecution under anti-terrorism law after September 30.
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