Welcome and summary

Hello and welcome to ongoing coverage of developments across the Middle East region.

Iran faced another round of missile strikes for the second night in succession, as US forces reported hitting 170 locations inside the country during the past 48 hours.

US Central Command noted the strikes were intended to limit Iran's capacity to disrupt commercial vessels and civilian crews passing through the strait of Hormuz.

Iranian outlets described blasts in multiple urban areas, mainly across southern zones, while its military launched counter strikes at US installations located in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

The exchange of fire over control of the vital waterway risks ending the recent pause in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

Each side has promised stronger responses to further actions, with Donald Trump indicating more severe measures ahead and Iran warning of wider operations against regional US sites.

At the Nato gathering in Turkey, Trump stated the agreement with Iran is finished and noted he prefers not to engage further with them.

Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf insisted the strait of Hormuz stays under local oversight and will reopen solely via Iranian terms rather than American pressure, according to a post on X.

The latest exchanges occurred while Iranians ready the burial of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his birthplace of Mashhad in the north-east. The interment follows several days of ceremonies that drew large crowds in cities throughout Iran and Iraq.

Key events

31m ago Iran calls in the British envoy regarding unfounded security claims from UK officials, according to state reports
1h ago Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf cautions that strikes will meet with retaliation
1h ago Iranian military reports operations against sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar
2h ago Health officials in Tehran report 14 deaths from the latest series of US strikes
2h ago Welcome and summary

Large groups have started moving through the streets of Mashhad in north-east Iran ahead of the burial of slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei scheduled for later in the day.

This comes after a week of memorial events across Iran and Iraq that overlapped with renewed clashes involving the US.

Iran calls in British envoy over unfounded security claims from UK officials, state reports indicate

Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran, state outlets report, two days after London summoned Iran's acting representative following the sentencing of two Romanian nationals for the stabbing of an Iranian journalist.

The ministry stated its western Europe director general Alireza Yousefi delivered a formal protest rejecting what were described as unfounded and incorrect claims by British authorities regarding security risks linked to Iran.

The UK had summoned Ali Nasimfar on Tuesday after George Stana and Nandito Badea received prison terms of 12 years and eight years for their involvement in the 2024 attack on Pouria Zeraati, a journalist critical of the Tehran authorities.

The UK Foreign Office noted the court found the assault was conducted in support of Iranian state interests.

The Iranian foreign ministry dismissed the claims and accused the UK of making fabricated statements to shift focus from its own actions.

It called for changes in UK conduct toward Iran and an end to its backing of Israel, which it called the main threat to global stability.

If you strike, you will face consequences, says Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, has charged the US with breaking the truce that had limited fighting over the previous three weeks.

In a post on X, he stated: America has yet to grasp that intimidation and failing to keep commitments now carry real costs. To be clear, any strike will bring a response. Avoid pointless actions that only deepen the problem. The strait of Hormuz will reopen solely under Iranian terms, not American pressure.

Iranian military reports operations against Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar

Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait faced fresh strikes this morning as Iran continues its responses against US bases across the area.

Sirens sounded in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, as well as in Kuwait and Qatar while air defenses intercepted incoming Iranian drones and missiles. No damage has been reported so far.

According to a statement from Iran's official Irna agency, the military targeted a US Patriot system in Kuwait, an early warning satellite facility in Qatar and fuel storage belonging to US forces in Bahrain.

Health ministry reports 14 deaths in Iran from recent US strikes

The latest series of US strikes inside Iran have resulted in 14 deaths and 78 injuries, according to the Iranian health ministry.

Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations for the ministry, posted on X that while a ceasefire held, US forces struck five Iranian provinces on 7 and 8 July, leading to 14 deaths and 78 wounded.

Of those injured, 47 are still receiving hospital care while the rest have been released following treatment.