Iran-US war latest: Trump warns Tehran will be ‘hit very hard’ unless Hormuz reopens

Yemen’s foreign ministry this morning issued a statement condemning the Houthi attack on an Indian commercial tanker on the Red Sea.

The Yemeni coast guard rescued the 14 crew members of the MSV Faize Noore Oliya, 13 of them Indian, and took them to the port of Mokha, India’s shipping and waterways minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said.

Yemen said the attack “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the rules of international maritime law, and poses a direct threat to the security and safety of navigation and the freedom of trade along international waterways”.

An Indian vessel sank in the Red Sea after it was struck by a projectile off the coast of Yemen, officials confirmed.

The Yemeni coast guard rescued the ship’s 14 crew members, 13 of them Indian, and took them to the port of Mokha, India’s shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

Sonowal described the incident involving the MSV Faize Noore Oliya as an “unprovoked attack” and said the directorate general of maritime administration had been instructed to coordinate with relevant agencies to safeguard Indian seafarers in the region and give assistance to the rescued crew members.

President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned US strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The announcement follows a familiar pattern in Trump’s handling of the five-month conflict, with repeated threats of military action followed by abrupt pauses as diplomatic efforts resume. Several previous ceasefires and negotiating windows have collapsed within days, leading to fresh rounds of US strikes.

Senior US officials struck an optimistic tone, suggesting a deal to reopen the strait could be reached soon.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed there has been progress made in talks between Iran and Oman, “but not finality yet.”

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that “there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict.”

The Strait of Hormuz is the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war. It has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February.

Antisemitism in the UK spiked in the immediate aftermath of the US and Israel launching their war on Iran and following a double stabbing of two visibly Jewish men in London, according to a report.

Data from the Community Security Trust (CST), showed there were 1,926 antisemitic incidents recorded across the UK in January to June of 2026 – up by a fifth on the first half of last year from 1,598.

It is the second-highest total reported to CST in the first six months of any year, exceeded only by the 2,019 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024.

The statistics have been branded “appalling” by policing and crime minister Sarah Jones, who said each incident represents “people living in fear just for being who they are”.

US president Donald Trump said there ⁠was an “all-day negotiation” yesterday ⁠with ​Iran, characterizing ⁠the talks ⁠positively while ​also ⁠threatening to hit ‌Iran “really hard” if ‌a deal ‌was not reached.

Oil prices fell below $80 a barrel after US official said there was progress in talks with Iran and Oman about ships moving through Strait of Hormuz.

However, US secretary of state Marco Rubio yesterday said a final agreement had yet to be ​reached. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent earlier said that a deal with Iran to reopen the strait could come as soon ⁠as yesterday or today.

Brent crude futures fell $4.41, or 5.3 per cent, to settle at $79.36 a barrel, the lowest since 13 July.

US West Texas Intermediate futures ​dropped $4.57, or 5.7 per cent, to settle at $75.77 a barrel, also a three-week low.

A cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” while traversing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center.

The center said the reported strike damaged the vessel at around 2 am local time while it was about 37km northeast of Al Khasab, a port city in Oman.

On the Red Sea, meanwhile, an Indian-flagged commercial ship sank off Yemen after being struck by an explosive-laden boat, Yemeni and Indian authorities said.

Yemen’s coast guard rescued the crew, which included 13 Indians and a Yemeni.

India’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, though no one immediately claimed responsibility. Iran-backed Houthi militants have repeatedly struck ships traversing the Red Sea near Yemen.

Donald Trump has claimed that the US was having a “very good discussion” with Iran after issuing a “last chance” warning to Tehran to bring them back to the negotiating table.

Trump told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz “will open very soon” or Iran “will take a very hard hit”.

“They called me and asked very politely, ‘Please, can we talk?’” Trump claimed.

US Central Command has said it has helped more than 1,000 ships transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months.

CENTCOM claimed the key oil waterway in the Middle East “remains free and open,” but maritime traffic remains muted.