Day 173 | UAE accuses Iran of firing ballistic missiles at shipping

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Read more: Day 174 | Iran warns Gulf countries against helping US after UAE cuts trade ties

The head of 'Israel's' Mossad spy agency, Roman Gofman, held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on August 14 to discuss Turkey's military presence in Syria, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The call came days before 'Israel' launched airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase in the north of the country, the sources said.

The conversation marks one of the highest-level contacts reported between 'Israel' and Syria's new government since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

US President Donald Trump has said the situation with Iran is “good” for now, as Washington pauses negotiations with Tehran and tensions continue around the Strait of Hormuz.

“Right now, I think the situation is so good,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, suggesting that talks with Iran could resume “at some point”.

Trump also reiterated his claim that the United States is in “complete control” of the strategically important waterway, which has become a key point of tension during the ongoing conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since fighting began in late February, disrupting a major route for global oil shipments. Trump said Iran has occasionally disrupted traffic through the strait by launching drones.

Trump has repeatedly said his priority is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, as his administration weighs its next steps in the conflict.

His comments came a day after he instructed administration envoys to halt talks with Iran, according to a US official.

'Israeli' military chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has said 'Israel' must prevent the emergence of military threats along its borders, in his first comments since 'Israeli' attacks on an airbase in Syria, according to 'Israeli' media.

Zamir made the remarks during a tour of 'Israeli'-occupied areas in southern Syria, saying 'Israel' would not allow hostile forces to establish a presence along its borders and would use military force when necessary.

'Israel' said Tuesday’s attack on Abu al-Duhur Airbase near Aleppo was aimed at preventing Turkish troops from deploying there. It claimed Syria was close to violating a security agreement by allowing the deployment.

Turkiye has rejected the 'Israeli' allegations as “frivolous”.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has praised Iran’s “supportive stance” towards Iraq, particularly its support during the country’s war against Daesh a decade ago, according to Iran’s state-run news agency.

Al-Zaidi made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who began an official three-day visit to Iraq today.

The two officials discussed prospects for cooperation and joint action, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations across various fields.

Ghalibaf, meanwhile, praised the Iraqi government’s efforts to deepen relations and expand cooperation in pursuit of the shared interests of the Iraqi and Iranian peoples.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged continued government support for the country’s armed forces, according to state-run news agency IRNA.

Speaking to his cabinet, Pezeshkian said the government would make every effort within its authority to meet the needs of the armed forces and strengthen Iran’s defence capabilities.

He also called on all executive bodies to cooperate in achieving these goals, stressing the importance of coordinated government efforts to support the country’s military preparedness.

An ‘Israeli’ airstrike has killed Colonel Fatina al-Sahhar, head of the women’s police in Gaza, along with several other police commanders.

The reported killings come amid continued ‘Israeli’ attacks targeting members of Gaza’s police force.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed Wednesday that they have targeted eight Saudi oil tankers since July 20, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping, the Houthi-run Saba news agency reported.

The group said five tankers were targeted in the Red Sea and three in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It also claimed that nearly 50 Saudi oil tankers were prevented from transiting the waters and forced to turn back.

Saba further reported that the Houthis claimed to have sunk two military landing ships near Mokha, which they said were carrying Saudi weapons, as well as more than 10 Saudi warships. The group provided no evidence for the claims.

The claims come amid intensified clashes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis said Monday that they had attacked what they described as a Saudi military landing ship and four escort vessels off Mokha, following a weekend escalation.

• Tehran threatens states facilitating American operations.
• Iranian chief cites Gulf refueling aircraft.
• Warning follows US carrier redeployment to region.

Iran issued a stern warning to Gulf states on Wednesday against providing any assistance to the U.S. military that could support Washington's military operations against the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency quoted Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, emphasizing that any regional support would be viewed as direct military involvement alongside American forces.

"Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military is considered participation with American military forces" in their operations, Major General Abdollahi stated.

The regional war erupted on February 28 following joint 'Israeli'-American bombardment on Iran. In response, Tehran launched retaliatory attacks targeting US-allied Gulf nations.

Major General Abdollahi specifically challenged assertions by Gulf governments that they are unaware of how U.S. military assets operate from bases within their territories:

"The presence of such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refueling tankers, at regional bases without the knowledge of the host countries seems highly unlikely," Abdollahi noted.

The warning comes as Washington redeploys the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to take over operations from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Addressing official neutrality pledges issued by neighboring countries, Abdollahi emphasized that Iranian intelligence is monitoring regional activities closely:

"The countries on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf, which issue various statements declaring they will not allow America to use their territory against Iran, must know that nothing is hidden from us."

• Tehran threatens states facilitating American operations.
• Iranian chief cites Gulf refueling aircraft.
• Warning follows US carrier redeployment to region.

Iran issued a stern warning to Gulf states on Wednesday against providing any assistance to the U.S. military that could support Washington's military operations against the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency quoted Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, emphasizing that any regional support would be viewed as direct military involvement alongside American forces.

"Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor US military is considered participation with American military forces" in their operations, Major General Abdollahi stated.

The regional war erupted on February 28 following joint 'Israeli'-American bombardment on Iran. In response, Tehran launched retaliatory attacks targeting US-allied Gulf nations.

Major General Abdollahi specifically challenged assertions by Gulf governments that they are unaware of how U.S. military assets operate from bases within their territories:

"The presence of such a large number of military aircraft, particularly refueling tankers, at regional bases without the knowledge of the host countries seems highly unlikely," Abdollahi noted.

The warning comes as Washington redeploys the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to take over operations from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Addressing official neutrality pledges issued by neighboring countries, Abdollahi emphasized that Iranian intelligence is monitoring regional activities closely:

"The countries on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf, which issue various statements declaring they will not allow America to use their territory against Iran, must know that nothing is hidden from us."

France will expel two Iranian diplomats in the coming days in direct response to the detention and intimidation of two French embassy staff members in Tehran last month, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced.

In a post on X, Barrot stated: “I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. And so it has. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the very near future.”

He added that the decision had been formally notified to Iran’s ambassador, who was summoned to the Quai d’Orsay.

The move comes one day after Tehran declared the two French diplomats persona non grata and barred them from returning.

The original incident occurred on the evening of July 19.

French authorities say Iranian security services detained the two embassy staff—one of them the cultural attaché—for several hours without justification.

Their phones were confiscated, they were denied contact with the embassy, they were interrogated, and one was physically abused.

Barrot described it at the time as “an extremely serious act of intimidation” carried out “in flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity.”

He later characterized the episode as a “serious” and “premeditated” action in which one diplomat was “manhandled,” “brutalized” and “beaten.”

Iran has rejected the French account.

Officials said the diplomats were only briefly questioned after meeting individuals under investigation for national-security reasons and that no mistreatment occurred.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei later accused the pair of violating the Vienna Convention by engaging in activities that supported Iranian civil society, framing it as interference in internal affairs.

“Insisting that these individuals were engaged in activities related to supporting civil society is itself an admission that the Vienna Convention was violated,” Baghaei said.

Tehran’s intelligence ministry further claimed the diplomats had taken part in a secret meeting linked to foreign infiltration.

Paris has dismissed these claims as fabrications.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux stated that “the Iranian authorities have chosen to make completely false accusations against our agents and to fabricate a case of interference to justify their actions.”

The diplomats, he said, were acting in a professional capacity, meeting a supplier for the embassy in connection with cultural programs.

Barrot said on Tuesday: “It is precisely because France stands shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people, supporting their artists, scientists and researchers, that two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately attacked on 19 July.”

The meeting has been linked to the Villa Zadig cultural-exchange and residency program run by the French embassy’s cultural service.

Relatives of two Iranian graphic designers, Aria Kasaei, 46, and Elly Naghilou, 36, told AFP that the pair were arrested on the same day during the gathering and remain in detention.

The European Union also condemned the July incident, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling it an “aggression” that constituted “a blatant violation of the Vienna Conventions.”

The reciprocal expulsions mark a further deterioration in already strained France-Iran relations.

France has long positioned itself as a supporter of Iranian civil society, artists and researchers, while Tehran remains highly sensitive to any perceived Western meddling in its internal affairs.

Turkey rejected on Wednesday ‘Israeli’ allegations that it posed a threat by preparing to send troops to a base in Syria, which was hit in a strike that the United States blamed on ‘Israel’.

The strike marked extraordinary defiance by ‘Israel’ of the United States, which has sought to support Syria's new government allied with Turkey.

"Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement after a day of official silence by ‘Israel’.

"Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings," said the statement, which stopped short of acknowledging ‘Israeli’ responsibility.

Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation to recognise ‘Israel’ and is a NATO ally of the United States.

But ‘Israel’ has tense relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose roots are in political Islam and who has vociferously denounced ‘Israel’, especially over its devastating assault on Gaza.

The Turkish government slammed ‘Israel's’ remarks in a statement on Wednesday quoted by the Anadolu state news agency.

“The frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister's office aim to legitimize Israel's unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said.

US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said earlier Tuesday it was confirmed that ‘Israel’ carried out the strikes on the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province.

The attacks "constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability", Barrack, a business friend of President Donald Trump who is also ambassador to Turkey, wrote on X.

"We encourage all parties to prioritise logical discourse over further military incidents," he said.

Expansion of fight against Turkey

‘Israel’ has launched hundreds of strikes on Syria since the December 2024 toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who relies on support from Turkey.

It has also sent troops into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that had separated ‘Israeli’ and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan since 1974, and carries out regular incursions deeper inside Syrian territory.

But the strike goes much further into Syria than the so-called security zone.

‘Israel’ has been seen as seeking to press its advantage at a weak moment for historic adversary Syria, which welcomed Russian forces during Assad's reign.

Syrian state media, quoting a military source, said that ‘Israeli’ aircraft targeted the runway of the base with eight strikes, damaging infrastructure but without causing casualties.

The facility has been out of service since 2012 and is protected by Syrian defence ministry forces, a security source told AFP.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, the strikes came after "a visit by a Turkish military delegation to the airfield in recent days as part of efforts to reactivate it".

The relationship between Netanyahu and Erdogan has become increasingly poisoned.

A billboard for Netanyahu's Likud party ahead of October elections in ‘Israel’ pictured the Turkish leader alongside figures including Naim Qassem, head of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, boasting that the Muslim leaders want Netanyahu to lose.

Syria's foreign ministry condemned "in the strongest terms the Israeli airstrikes" targeting the base, calling them "an unjustified act of aggression" and urging action by the UN Security Council.

The attacks come as Syria "has exercised restraint and worked to consolidate stability and avoid escalation", it added.

Despite tensions between the neighbours, ‘Israel’ and Syria's new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks and have agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism.

Last month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani demanded an unconditional withdrawal by ‘Israel’, warning that "the unlawful occupation of our land beyond the 1974 line is a direct threat to the security of the region".

But last week Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that his country planned to keep troops in Syria.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on a visit to Damascus last month said that "violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable and must cease," adding that "the Golan Heights are Syrian territory."

‘Israel’ captured most of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the areas under its control, in a move not recognised by most of the international community.

US President Donald Trump told his top administration envoys to halt their talks with Iran, according to a US official cited by CNN.

It comes after Trump “seemed to adopt a new approach” after weeks of talks with no developments, in which the US President is “unsatisfied” with Iran’s unwillingness to bend to his demands.

Trump told his negotiating team, which includes Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to not engage with Tehran.

According to the CNN report, White House officials have also shifted their strategy from “hammer Iran ASAP” to “strangle them” over time.

Iran denied launching missiles toward the UAE on Tuesday, after Abu Dhabi accused Tehran of firing two ballistic missiles that it said were targeting “maritime navigation,” with one of them falling in its territorial waters.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei as “categorically rejecting” the UAE’s claims that Iran had launched a missile toward its territory.

He said the claim “runs counter to the principle of good neighborliness and undermines efforts to build trust among the countries of the region and prevent the deterioration of insecurity.”

He urged regional parties “to refrain from making unfounded accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it had suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran.

"In light of regional escalations... all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice," UAE foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli said.

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Read more: Day 172 | Trump threatens Oman: latest developments in US-Iran war