US-Iran War News LIVE: Iran Halts Strikes, Mike Waltz Says Trump ‘Giving Some Space to Talks’ | Today’s news
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran and the United States halted a firefight on July 26, giving shipping and the oil industry in the Persian Gulf a major respite from missile attacks, as US President Donald Trump’s envoy said he was “giving some space to talks”. Tehran said it had halted retaliatory strikes against Washington’s allies in the Middle East, with US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz saying that while forces remained “locked and loaded”, Trump would give negotiations “some space”. Before Friday, the US military had carried out 13 consecutive nights of strikes against Iran, the biggest resurgence in the roughly five-month-old war since an April ceasefire.
Trump shares AI-generated images to highlight US military might
Trump shared a series of AI-generated images on Sunday (local time) to highlight America’s military superiority, particularly vis-à-vis Iran, and to push political themes around the 2028 election campaign. The US president shared the images on his Truth Social account and includes direct depictions of armed conflicts and naval raids, futuristic defense visuals, historical comparisons and domestic political symbolism. In one of the images labeled “Guardians of the World,” a massive Trump stands over the horizon behind US stealth fighter jets labeled “USA” flying over giant explosions that rip through land targets labeled “IRAN” while US warships patrol underwater.
After the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia, shipping on the Red Sea has slowed down
Shipping data from Kpler showed on Monday that shipping through Bab el-Mandeb fell on July 26 after Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi oil facilities along the Red Sea coast, while transit through the Strait of Hormuz remained low over the weekend. The data showed that 11 commodity vessels had passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait the previous day, marking the lowest level in months. Traffic in the Red Sea has been disrupted off Yemen’s coast since last week by pro-Tehran Houthis, who want to block Saudi exports, widening the US-Iran conflict that has already cut off oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
The seven vessels that passed through Bab el-Mandeb were oil tankers, three of which entered the Red Sea. Two of them are very large crude carriers (VLCCs) bound for the port of Yanbu to load Saudi crude, while the third is a ship connected to Russia, the data show.
Oil prices fall as US pause in strikes on Iran cools regional tensions
Oil fell earlier in the week after the US suspended strikes against Iran over the weekend, easing risks to energy supplies in the Middle East, even as the Houthis said they would attack targets in Saudi Arabia. Brent fell more than 7% in the first minutes of the session, falling below $90 a barrel before trading near $92. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude also fell along with European natural gas.
