Trump says US will hit Iran 'very hard,' wants to 'win' war

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington will continue striking Iran "very hard," adding that the US wants to "win" the war.

Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, Trump said: "We just want to win. We're doing very well. We're trying to be as nice as you can be in a situation like that. But they're being decimated."

“It's very simple,” he said, adding: “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

"We’ll be hitting Iran very hard, and at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore’,” Trump added.

TODAY: President Trump gathers his Cabinet at Camp David to touts what he's calling a "historic" agreement aimed at disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza.

Senior White House Correspondent @pdoocy has the latest. pic.twitter.com/kZ5BXVGA80

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) July 31, 2026

The US president also rejected reports suggesting Iran remains in a strong position.

"Iran is doing very poorly," he said. "They've been very dishonest. They've been very dishonorable to deal with."

Trump compared the war on Iran with previous US wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan, saying the US has been involved for only five months and it has "obliterated" Iran's military capacity.

On negotiations with Iran, Trump said: “I'm losing faith in them because they do lie.”

"We were in the midst of a negotiation. I'm waiting for Steve (Witkoff) to call me, I was in negotiation, and instead I got a call from Pete (Hegseth) that they just shot five missiles at one of our bases in Jordan, and we have bases in Jordan," he added.

US military rejects Iranian claim that Strait of Hormuz is closed

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday rejected Iran's claims that Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, calling the assertion "false".

"Once again, the Iranian government claims it has closed the Strait of Hormuz. This is false," CENTCOM said on the US social media platform X.

The command said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial vessel traffic and stressed that Iran does not control the vital maritime passage.

🚫 CLAIM: Once again, the Iranian government claims it has closed the Strait of Hormuz. This is FALSE.

✅ FACT: The Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it. Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the… pic.twitter.com/sdDJ08MLHo

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 31, 2026

"The Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it. Thousands of ships have sailed through the international waterway over the past four months."

Gaza agreement a ‘comprehensive package’, not just about weapons: Hamas official

In new comments to Al Jazeera, Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has said the Gaza agreement is a “comprehensive package” that goes beyond disarmament.

It includes an end to Israel’s military offensive, the full withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip, the deployment of the National Committee and international forces and reconstruction, he said.

On the issue of heavy weapons, Hamad said the group spoke “clearly and unequivocally” about its intention to store its arsenal under the responsibility and supervision of the National Committee.

“This is conditional upon Israel fulfilling a number of commitments, particularly the full implementation of the first phase, the beginning of the gradual withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the entry of the National Committee, the deployment of international forces, and the dismantling of armed gangs,” the official added.

Hamas ‘made concessions for the sake of our Palestinian people’, official says

Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has told Al Jazeera that the group “made concessions for the sake of our Palestinian people”.

“Our primary objective is to protect our people in the Gaza Strip from the ongoing hostile measures and criminal plans pursued by the Israeli occupation,” he said.

Iranian armed forces say Strait of Hormuz remains closed, rejecting US CENTCOM claims

Iranian Armed Forces on Friday reiterated the closure of the Strait of Hormuz despite claims of uninterrupted maritime traffic by the United States (US) military's Central Command (CENTCOM), according to state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

“The Strait of Hormuz is CLOSED, and any passage will be possible only in coordination with Iranian naval forces,” IRIB cited the armed forces in a post on X, adding that CENTCOM falsely claimed shipping companies could cross the strait under US military escort.

Iranian armed forces:

The Strait of Hormuz is CLOSED, and any passage will be possible only in coordination with Iranian naval forces.

CENTCOM falsely claims traffic is continuing and that shipping companies can cross the strait without difficulty under US military escort.

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) July 31, 2026

14 Israeli soldiers dismissed from combat duty over ‘mutiny’ at Sde Teiman base

The Israeli military said 14 soldiers of the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion, who took part in Thursday’s mass desertion at the Sde Teiman army base in southern Israel, have been sentenced to 30 days in military jail, Al Jazeera said.

It further said that the commander of the Givati Brigade also permanently dismissed those soldiers from combat duty.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers abandoned their weapons and walked out of the military base in a dispute with a senior commander reportedly trying to restore discipline.

Soldiers at the base have long been accused of flagrant violations of laws, including the torture of Palestinian detainees.

US-Saudi strikes on PMF launched without Baghdad’s knowledge, says Iraq government spokesperson

The Iraqi government spokesperson says that the US–Saudi airstrikes targeting the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) were carried out without Baghdad’s prior knowledge, Iran’s state-run IRNA reported.

“The government had no prior knowledge of the attacks carried out on Iraqi territory,” Haider al-Aboudi told the state-owned Iraqi News Agency (INA) late on Thursday, noting, “The government has not granted any approval to carry out attacks on specific sites or targeted groups within Iraqi territory.”

Aboudi said that the Iraqi government “formed investigative committees regarding Riyadh’s allegations, and they were not proven,” calling on Riyadh “to share the security information it possesses in order to verify it.”

“The bombardment of seven Iraqi provinces resulted in more than 18 martyrs and 20 wounded from the Popular Mobilisation Forces,” he added.

Italy’s defence minister defends Gulf troop deployment

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has rejected opposition criticism about the deployment of troops and military assets ⁠to the Gulf ⁠region, saying the mission’s framework had been properly disclosed, Al Jazeera reported.

According to the defence ministry’s website, about 400 Italian air force personnel have ⁠been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain since March.

Lawmakers from Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party have accused the government of failing to seek parliamentary authorisation for the mission, saying Saudi Arabia was outside the scope of ‌a mandate approved for overseas military assignments.

Meloni’s government voiced support for Gulf allies after they came under Iranian retaliatory ⁠attacks following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, saying partner countries in the region had requested air-defence and counter-drone support.

Kuwait says it destroyed Iranian drones after attack on vital, military facilities

Kuwait’s army said on Friday it destroyed "hostile drones" detected in the country’s airspace after what it described as an Iranian attack targeting vital and military facilities.

Defence Ministry Spokesperson Col Saud Abdulaziz al-Atwan said in a statement that "the armed forces detected hostile drones inside Kuwaiti airspace since dawn today, and they were dealt with and destroyed."

He said the Iranian attack targeted several vital and military facilities, adding that the drones were intercepted and destroyed.

The incident caused material damage from falling debris, but no casualties were reported, al-Atwan said.

بيان رقم (81)

صرّح المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع، العقيد الركن سعود عبدالعزيز العطوان،

بأن القوات المسلحة رصدت، منذ فجر اليوم، طائرات مسيّرة معادية داخل المجال الجوي الكويتي، وقد تم التعامل معها وتدميرها.

وأضاف أن العدوان الإيراني الآثم استهدف عددًا من المنشآت الحيوية… pic.twitter.com/ZhS2XXCixG

— KUWAIT ARMY - الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) July 31, 2026

Iran's IRGC says it hit two tankers, forced four others to turn back in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Friday that its naval forces hit and stopped two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, while four others turned back after receiving Iranian warnings.

In a statement, the IRGC said the incident occurred early Friday when two tankers transited what it described as an “undeclared route” under US air escort and ignored Iranian warnings.

The two tankers were “hit and stopped,” while four others “quickly changed course and returned to their location,” it said.

“Last night, in response to CENTCOM’s false statement, we informed all owners of shipping and insurance companies not to pay attention to CENTCOM statements,” the IRGC said.

Earlier Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces had redirected 24 commercial vessels and disabled and boarded four others “to ensure full compliance.”

CENTCOM also rejected IRGC claims that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is unsafe, saying the primary threat to civilian crews remains the IRGC’s actions.

Iran's army claims drone attack on US facilities at Kuwait air base

The Iranian army said on Friday that it launched a drone attack on “strategic" US facilities at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.

In a statement, the army said “fighter aircraft hangars, satellite communication systems, and equipment warehouses” at the base were targeted by explosive drones.

The army described Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base as a “key hub” for US aerial and surveillance operations and logistical support.

There was no immediate comment from Kuwait or the US on the Iranian report.

Israeli army blows up caves, homes in southern Lebanon despite US-mediated framework agreement

Israeli forces carried out large-scale explosions in southern Lebanon late on Thursday and early on Friday, blowing up caves and homes, according to Lebanese state media.

Powerful explosions occurred in the towns of Yohmor al-Shaqif, Arnoun and Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The blasts echoed across southern Lebanon and were heard as far as Iqlim al-Kharroub and Khaldeh, south of Beirut, the agency said.

Explosions near Beaufort Castle shattered windows and damaged homes in the town of Qlaiaa in the Marjayoun district, it added.

Residents told the agency that a powerful shock wave shook the town as the smell of gunpowder spread through the area.

Early Friday, Israeli forces blew up several caves and homes near the towns of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in the Tyre district.

On Thursday evening, Israeli forces opened machine-gun fire around Mansouri and Bayt al-Sayyad and shelled Mansouri with several rounds, according to the agency.

The sounds of Israeli tanks were also heard on the Baraachit hill toward the town of Ainata in the Bint Jbeil district, coinciding with explosions and tremors across the eastern and western sectors of southern Lebanon.

No injuries were immediately reported.

In a joint statement late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz acknowledged the explosions, claiming the army had destroyed tunnels beneath Beaufort Castle.

Iran receives bodies of IRGC members killed in US-Saudi strikes

The IRGC on Friday received the bodies of five members of the IRGC from the "recent US and Saudi attacks on the command centres of the Popular Mobilisation Forces."

پیکر مطهر پنج تن از شهدای ایرانی حملات اخیر آمریکا و عربستان به مقرهای نیروهای حشدالشعبی در خاک عراق، از طریق مرز مهران وارد کشور شدhttps://t.co/ZFXfgTrAb8 pic.twitter.com/rdCmN7gUoW

— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) July 31, 2026

The bodies were brought into the country via the Mehran border crossing.

Separately, Iran's ambassador to Iraq stated that Iraq's tribes "announced their complete readiness to defend Iran"

سفیر ایران در عراق: عشایر عراق آمادگی کامل خود را برای دفاع از جمهوری اسلامی ایران اعلام کردند pic.twitter.com/HXRwOPB6zB

— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) July 31, 2026

Iraq rejects claims it facilitated US-Saudi strikes, says ‘no prior knowledge’ of attacks

Iraq’s government on Thursday rejected allegations that it had facilitated recent US-Saudi strikes, saying it neither approved nor had prior knowledge of the attacks and would not allow its territory to be used to target neighbouring countries.

Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said the Ministerial Council for National Security condemned the US-Saudi attacks as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

“The government has always believed that diplomacy and dialogue are the only way to spare the region further crises and escalation,” Aboudi said.

Read: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, 12 other countries announce multinational maritime defence coalition

He stressed that Iraq “has not and will not allow” its territory to be used as a launchpad for attacks against neighbouring countries, saying the government had neither granted approval for strikes on specific sites or groups inside Iraq nor had any prior knowledge of the attacks.

Aboudi said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia had been postponed following the attacks.

He added that Iraq remained committed to partnership and good-neighbourly relations with all countries and had avoided being drawn into regional conflicts.

According to Aboudi, the strikes targeted seven Iraqi provinces, killing more than 18 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces and wounding 20 others.

He said Baghdad had asked Saudi Arabia to provide evidence supporting its allegations that Iraqi territory had been used to launch attacks, adding that investigative committees formed by the Iraqi government had found no evidence to substantiate the claims.

“We call on Saudi Arabia to share the security information it possesses so it can be verified,” he said.

Aboudi reiterated that September 30 remains the deadline for ending the presence of the US-led international coalition against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq.

The remarks came a day after the US and Saudi Arabia carried out coordinated strikes on targets in Iraq early Wednesday, with Baghdad condemning the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Saudi Arabia said the strikes were conducted in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter following attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the kingdom’s petroleum facilities.

US President Donald Trump has said the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government. Baghdad has repeatedly denied the claim, insisting it neither authorised nor had prior knowledge of the operation.

Israeli occupiers raid areas near Nablus, army arrests 14 Palestinians in raids across West Bank

Israeli occupiers, under army protection, raided areas west of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby town of Tell on Friday morning, while the army arrested 14 Palestinians and injured 11 others during multiple raids in multiple cities.

An Anadolu correspondent said dozens of occupiers entered the Ain al-Mazrab area of Tell, as well as the al-Ameriya area and its surroundings west of Nablus, under the protection of Israeli forces.

The occupiers left less than 30 minutes after arriving.

The raid came after occupier groups called for a mass march to Tell on Friday.

It also came a day after the Israeli army turned four homes in the town into military outposts.

The latest raid follows an occupier attack on Tell a week earlier that killed four Palestinians, wounded several others, and set homes, vehicles, and other Palestinian property ablaze.

Two Israelis were also killed in the violence, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Local sources and the Prisoners’ Media Office said Israeli forces arrested 14 Palestinians, including former prisoners, after raiding homes across the West Bank.

Eight of the arrests were reported in Nablus province in the northern West Bank.

The sources said Israeli forces also arrested two Palestinians in Hebron and two others in Bethlehem in the south, while one Palestinian was detained at a military checkpoint in Ramallah and al-Bireh province in central West Bank, and another after Israeli forces raided his home in Tulkarm in the north.

Separately, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its teams treated 11 Palestinians during confrontations with Israeli forces in the village of al-Juneid, southwest of Nablus.

One young man was shot in the abdomen, while 10 others suffered tear gas inhalation, including four children, it said.

The confrontations erupted after the Israeli army secured a settler march in the villages of al-Juneid, Surra and Tell in Nablus province, local sources told Anadolu.

Israeli forces fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinians who protested the settler incursion, causing several suffocation cases, the sources said.

The Israeli army carries out near-daily raids and arrests in West Bank cities, towns and refugee camps, alongside intensified military operations since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society, Israel has arrested 24,600 Palestinians since October 2023, including 1,900 children and 785 women.

Around 9,400 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 94 women, more than 350 children held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons, 3,244 administrative detainees and 1,320 people Israel classifies as “unlawful combatants,” according to the group.

Occupier attacks have escalated across the occupied West Bank alongside near-daily Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities, towns, and refugee camps.

Islamic Jihad says reported deal between Palestinian factions, Israel ‘inaccurate’

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said on Friday that the announced agreement between Palestinian factions and Israel was "inaccurate," adding that it has reservations over the deal in its current form.

In a statement, the movement's spokesperson said: "What has been announced regarding an agreement between the Palestinian factions and the enemy (Israel) is inaccurate, and we have reservations about it in its currently circulated form."

Hamas says no disarmament before Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

A senior Hamas official said Friday that the Palestinian group will not take any steps toward disarmament before Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ negotiating delegation, said the issue of disarmament is linked to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the territory’s reconstruction.

In remarks to Al Jazeera, Hamad said Israel would have no role in the disarmament process, which would instead be carried out by a Palestinian national committee.

He stressed that Hamas would not implement any disarmament measures unless Israel first fulfils its obligations under the agreement.

Hamad described the negotiations as “difficult and tough,” saying Hamas sought to secure the best possible outcome while remaining committed to safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people.

He also thanked Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye for their mediation efforts in helping reach the agreement.

Hamad’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with Israeli forces set to withdraw in phases as the process moves forward.

Trump also credited Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye for helping broker what he described as a “historic breakthrough,” saying the agreement would be implemented gradually, with an International Stabilisation Force working alongside a new Palestinian police force to assume responsibility for security in Gaza.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 174,000 others, most of them women and children, while destroying about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure.

The ceasefire was brokered under Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, which is being overseen by the Board of Peace, which he chairs.

Despite the ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025, Israel has continued daily attacks across Gaza, killing 1,214 Palestinians and injuring 3,977 others, most of them women and children, while causing widespread destruction.

Iran's Aragchi presses European counterparts over use of bases in US operations

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged Bulgaria to reconsider its decision ​to allow the temporary deployment of US military aircraft at the ‌Bezmer air base, Iranian state media reported on Thursday.

During a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Araghchi said Sofia's approval of a US request to station military ​aircraft at the base to support military operations amounted to facilitating ​aggression against Iran, adding the move was unacceptable and contrary ⁠to the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.

Iran has repeatedly warned ​countries allowing their territory to be used for US military operations against it ​that they could "face consequences".

Araghchi held a separate phone call with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, during which he stressed the importance of preventing foreign military bases in Cyprus from being ​used against Iran.

Bulgaria's parliament last week approved the temporary deployment of up to ​eight US KC-135 tanker aircraft and up to 250 personnel at Bezmer air base despite ‌Iranian ⁠objections. Sofia has said no offensive weapons would be deployed and that the move did not make Bulgaria a party to military operations.

Cyprus hosts two British sovereign military bases, including RAF Akrotiri, which was struck by an Iranian drone ​in early March, ​a few days ⁠after Israel and the US initiated strikes on Iran.

Britain agreed early on in the war to a US request ​to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in ​storage ⁠depots or launchers. Britain later clarified RAF Akrotiri would not be involved in its defensive agreement with the United States to use UK bases.

The broader defence arrangement was ⁠maintained ​by the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham ​in July, prompting Iran's Revolutionary Guards to warn Britain against facilitating US military operations against Iran.

Netanyahu, Israel's defence minister say Israeli forces blew up Hezbollah tunnels in southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said early on Friday that Israeli forces had blown up a tunnel system used by the Hezbollah group in southern Lebanon.

In a joint statement, they said the tunnels in the Beaufort area formed a key part of Hezbollah’s plan to infiltrate communities in the Galilee.

They noted that around 700 tons of explosives were used in the operation, describing it as part of an ongoing campaign to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The statement said the operation came after Hezbollah’s “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.

Earlier, Lebanese media reported a series of explosions as Israeli forces detonated explosives in the town of Hadatha, the outskirts of Deir Mimas near Beaufort Castle and the area between Arnoun and Yahmar.

The developments came despite the signing of the US-sponsored "framework formula" agreement between Lebanon and Israel on June 26.

The agreement provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army along with the disarmament of armed groups, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah.

On July 21, the Lebanese army began deploying in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as part of the first phase of implementing the agreement following the Israeli army's withdrawal. Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is one of the "pilot areas" included in the first phase.

Despite the agreement, Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the 2023-2024 war. During its latest operations, Israeli forces also advanced more than 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.

Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 4,333 people and injured 12,236 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.