On a day when the Middle East seemed to be fighting and negotiating in the same breath, the old pattern of escalation and talk played out again across the Gulf. Iran is said to have fired ballistic missiles at an American base in Jordan, the US and Saudi Arabia have answered with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and Tehran's Revolutionary Guards claim to have hit three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries much of the world's energy. Yet beneath the gunfire, diplomats are quietly sketching an interim arrangement for the strait and an Omani idea of voluntary fees, a c
Live Updates: Strikes, Strait of Hormuz Talks and Netanyahu's Secret US Trip Dominate Middle East Coverage
Missiles and tanker attacks continue while diplomats talk interim shipping terms
On a day when the Middle East seemed to be fighting and negotiating in the same breath, the old pattern of escalation and talk played out again across the Gulf. Iran is said to have fired ballistic missiles at an American base in Jordan, the US and Saudi Arabia have answered with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and Tehran's Revolutionary Guards claim to have hit three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries much of the world's energy. Yet beneath the gunfire, diplomats are quietly sketching an interim arrangement for the strait and an Omani idea of voluntary fees, a compromise between a Tehran that will not return to the past and Gulf states that refuse to pay it tribute. Much of this remains in the realm of single claims and unconfirmed details, and the world waits to see whether the talking can outpace the shooting.
A photograph from July 22, 2026 shows smoke rising after a reported Iranian missile launch toward Jordan, and it anchors a live roundup of the day's Middle East developments. A US official told the Jerusalem Post that Iran fired at least four ballistic missiles at an American base in Jordan, calling it a major attack. The United States and Saudi Arabia then reportedly struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, though the details of targets, casualties and the fate of the missiles remain unclear.
At sea, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. No details about the vessels have been given, so the claim rests entirely on the IRGC's own word.
Diplomacy, meanwhile, is moving. Two Middle Eastern diplomats said progress has been made toward a temporary shipping arrangement for the strait, but no final deal exists. Oman has proposed a management system based on voluntary fees, an idea designed to sit between Iran's insistence that the strait cannot return to its pre-war state and the Gulf states' refusal to make any mandatory payment to Tehran.
In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu called his meeting with President Trump successful, and a public diplomacy official said Washington is not pressing Israel to withdraw from Gaza, Lebanon or Syria. Israel's Channel 12 also reported that Netanyahu's flight was arranged under secretive conditions after intelligence warned of Iranian plans against Israeli officials. The region's fighting and negotiating now run side by side, and the coming days will show whether the Hormuz arrangement is finalized and whether Oman's proposal can close the gap.
A photograph dated July 22, 2026 shows smoke rising after a reported missile launch from Iran toward Jordan. It anchors the top item in a Jerusalem Post live roundup of the day's Middle East developments, and it points to the most serious claim in the batch: that Iran fired missiles at American bases in the region.
A US official told the Jerusalem Post that Iran launched at least four ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan. The official called it "a major attack." The roundup reports that the US and Saudi Arabia then carried out a joint attack on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The headline links the strike to the earlier Iranian fire on US bases. The summaries do not say how many militia sites were hit, what casualties resulted, or what happened to the missiles launched at Jordan.
The maritime picture is also tense. Reuters reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The summary gives no details on the vessels, their flags or their condition, so the claim rests on the IRGC's own statement.
Against that, diplomacy is moving. Two Middle Eastern diplomats said Tuesday that progress had been made toward a temporary shipping arrangement for the strait, though no final agreement had been reached. A separate Reuters report, citing a source, says Oman has proposed a management system for Hormuz built on voluntary fees. The positions are far apart. Iran has said the strait cannot return to its pre-war status of freely flowing shipping, while Gulf states insist that no mandatory payment be made to Iran. A voluntary-fee model appears designed to sit between those two positions.
In Israeli politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his meeting with President Trump was successful. According to Israel's public diplomacy chief, the US is not pressing Israel to withdraw from Gaza, Lebanon or Syria. The summary of that report also recounts an exchange in which Netanyahu eulogized former senator Lindsey Graham as Israel's "number one friend." Trump answered: "No, I'm Israel's number one friend. Lindsey is number two."
The trip itself drew attention for how it began. Israel's Channel 12 (N12) reported that Israeli security forces recommended Netanyahu's flight leave under secretive conditions. The reason, per that report, was intelligence that Iran was stepping up efforts to attack Israeli officials. The image attached to that item is an illustrative file photo from July 2025, not a picture of this journey.
Taken together, the items describe a region where military exchanges and negotiations are running at the same time. Missiles, militia strikes and tanker attacks continue while diplomats talk about interim shipping terms. Much of it is attributed to a single official, a single source or a single claimant. What to watch next is whether the temporary Hormuz arrangement is finalized, and whether Oman's voluntary-fee proposal can bridge the gap between Tehran and the Gulf states.
Citazioni salienti
This was a major attack.— US official, speaking to The Jerusalem Post
No, I'm Israel's number one friend. Lindsey is number two.— Trump, responding to Netanyahu
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