New attacks on Iran were absolutely necessary, NATO chief says

The new attacks by the US on Iran were "absolutely necessary", NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react," Rutte told reporters before a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara.

Iran targets sites in Bahrain, Kuwait after wave of US strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday after the US launched a wave of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the latest blow to the fragile ceasefire agreement, ​the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against key US military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain's Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air ‌Base in Kuwait, and shot down a US MQ9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation.

US and Iran exchange fire again after attacks in Hormuz strait

The US military launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets early on Wednesday hours after revoking a temporary sanctions waiver for oil export, following three tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command (Centcom) said.

In a statement posted to social media, Centcom said American forces launched the strikes "to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway in unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire".

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department canceled a license announced in June that had allowed Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21. "Iran's actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences," a US official said.

The official told AFP that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was "entirely performance-based," warning that Tehran would see benefits only if it showed "good behavior." But US negotiators were continuing to work "in good faith towards a final deal," the official said.

British maritime security agency UKMTO said an "unknown projectile" hit a tanker overnight, causing a fire, before two more vessels were struck, at least one by a drone. All three vessels were struck close to Oman. Qatar said one of the vessels was its LNG tanker and blamed Iran for "unacceptable" attack.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump landed in the Turkiye capital Ankara for a two-day meeting of the heads of state and government of the member states of NATO, the first gathering of the Alliance members since the Iran war.

In Ankara, Trump overshadowed the summit with fresh criticism of alliance members, a renewed demand for US control of Greenland, a pledge to lift sanctions on Turkiye and signals that Washington could allow Ankara back into the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Against a backdrop of lingering tensions within the alliance following the US strikes on Iran, NATO leaders unveiled defence deals worth tens of billions of dollars, seeking to demonstrate they were responding to American demands for greater military spending.

Meeting host President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara, Trump announced that the United States would remove sanctions imposed on Turkiye under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 air defence systems in 2020.

He also indicated that his administration would decide on a potential sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkiye, a move that would reverse one of the most contentious disputes between the two NATO allies, although legal and congressional hurdles remain.

Repeating his long-standing complaints that European allies had failed to shoulder a fair share of collective defence responsibilities, he said he remained disappointed with NATO, singling out Britain, France, Germany and Italy for "inadequate support" during the US military campaign against Iran.

Despite his criticism of European allies, Trump expressed optimism about efforts to end the war in Ukraine, saying he had spoken separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy before the summit.

Speaking alongside Erdogan, Trump also reignited controversy by renewing his insistence that Greenland should come under US control. He argued that the strategically located Arctic island should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark, saying Copenhagen had failed to adequately support Greenland.

The remarks drew an immediate response from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said allies should respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and reiterated that Greenland was not for sale. Greenland's Foreign Minister Mute Egede also rejected Trump's comments, saying the island's future would be decided solely by its own people while continuing close cooperation with allies.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, addressing a defence industry forum on the sidelines of the summit, sought to reassure Washington that European allies were significantly increasing defence investment.

He called for a "revolution" in the alliance's defence industrial base, warning that the security environment required a rapid expansion of military production to counter threats from Russia as well as challenges posed by China, North Korea and Iran.

NATO announced defence initiatives and procurement agreements estimated to be worth at least $50 billion. The deals included European countries purchasing surveillance drones from US defence company Northrop Grumman and NATO acquiring aircraft from Sweden's Saab.

A draft agreement was also signed between Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall to jointly produce ATACMS missiles in Germany, marking the first planned production of the missile system outside the United States. Rutte said NATO allies would invest more than $40 billion over the next five years in anti-drone capabilities.

The summit also highlighted continuing anxiety over Ukraine. NATO members are expected to reaffirm their support for Kyiv and pledge $70 billion in assistance for 2026, while Zelenskiy has appealed for additional air defence systems amid intensified Russian attacks.

Trump's visit to Ankara was accompanied by an elaborate state welcome organised by Erdogan, featuring mounted guards, military honours and fighter jet flypasts at the sprawling presidential complex. The display reflected the close personal rapport between the two leaders.

Although NATO leaders sought to present a united front in Ankara, the summit again exposed the difficult balance between accommodating Trump's demands for greater European military contributions and preserving alliance cohesion at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.

While major defence spending commitments and new arms deals demonstrated movement towards Washington's objectives, disagreements over Greenland, the aftermath of the Iran conflict and the future of US engagement in Europe ensured that familiar tensions continued to shape the alliance's agenda.

Qatar urges Iran to halt threats to maritime security after attack on Qatari vessel near Hormuz

Qatar condemned on Tuesday an Iranian attack on a Qatari vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, calling on Tehran to immediately halt actions threatening maritime security and global energy supplies.

In a statement on the US social media company X, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the targeting of the Qatari-owned LNG carrier Al Rekayyat as it was transiting near the strategic waterway constituted “an unacceptable attack on the security and safety of international maritime navigation.”

The targeting of the Qatari vessel "Al-Rekayyat" while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an unacceptable attack on the security & safety of international maritime navigation, the security of global energy supplies, & a grave & explicit violation of international…

— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) July 7, 2026

He said the attack also threatened global energy supplies and amounted to “a grave and explicit violation of international law,” particularly the rules guaranteeing freedom of navigation and safe passage through international waterways.

“We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security or threaten the safety of international maritime navigation and refrain from endangering global energy supplies and the resources of the countries of the region in pursuit of narrow interests,” Ansari said.

He added that Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible” for the attack and for any resulting damage and consequences.

The Al-Rekayyat vessel was reportedly among two commercial vessels struck near the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian missiles while transiting the waterway late Monday, causing significant damage but no casualties.

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, citing unnamed sources, claimed that a Qatari oil tanker attempting to transit the Omani route through the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy support was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings from Iranian forces.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf producers.

Iran warns against unilateral action in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned on Tuesday against actions in the Strait of Hormuz taken without coordination with Iran after reports of an attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman.

Al Jazeera reported that, according to the IRIB state broadcaster, Boroujerdi said: “any action in the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iran is doomed to failure”.

He insisted on Iran’s control of the waterway, saying the decision was “made at the highest levels of the system” and influenced by the US-Israel’s latest war against the country.

“The law on the management of the Strait of Hormuz will also be approved by the parliamentarians at the earliest opportunity, and the relevant bodies will be obliged to fully implement its provisions,” Boroujerdi said.

He added that Iran “pursues any action related to the Strait of Hormuz within the framework of its national interests and security”.

US threats are an impediment to deal-making: Iranian FM

Talks to reach a final deal between Tehran and Washington won't start if US threats continue, Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday, following US President Donald Trump's threat to "finish the job" if a deal is not made.

"Para 13 of the MoU is clear: negotiations on final deal will not commence if threats continue. Honor your signature," Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.

Araghchi's post was referring to an interim deal signed last month by Iran and the US that calls upon both sides to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.

Iran resumes attacks on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz: Report

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to a media report.

The US is likely to retaliate with strikes against Iranian targets following the attacks, said the Axios news site, citing two US officials.

Iran's state broadcaster wrote on the US social media platform X, citing sources, that a Qatari oil tanker “intended to pass through the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy support but was targeted after ignoring repeated warnings.”

Read: Trump says there will either be a deal with Iran or US will 'finish the job'

The report came after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said a tanker was hit off the coast of Oman, triggering a fire aboard the vessel.

UKMTO said it received a report of an incident 8 nautical miles east of Limah.

“A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile on the port side, causing a fire, whilst travelling southbound,” the agency said in a warning notice.

The agency said authorities were investigating the incident and advised vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

No casualties or environmental damage were reported, according to UKMTO.