Iran FM says 'no military solution' to Yemen conflict

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.

Catch up on Friday's top developments here:

• US military launches 13th night of strikes on Iran
• Trump says frozen Iranian assets will pay for damage to shipping
• Trump says Xi, Putin assured him they would not sell weapons to Iran
• US targets Babak Zanjani network over Iran sanctions evasion
• Saudi-led coalition says responded after Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia exchange views on regional developments, reaffirm close ties in call 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 15:43 GMT | by Web Desk

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday spoke with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and exchanged views on the latest regional developments and reaffirmed close ties between Islamabad and Riyadh.

“They underscored the importance of continued diplomacy and shared their commitment to promoting constructive engagement, peace, and stability in the region,” the foreign office said in a post on X.

Qatar and Egypt discuss regional stability and de-escalation efforts in Doha meeting

Published: July 25, 2026 | 15:43 GMT | by AFP

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Doha.

In a post on X, Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says they discussed “joint coordination to de-escalate tensions and enhance security and stability in the region”.

The post said Qatar urged the US and Iran “to commit to dialogue and diplomacy, and to implement what was agreed upon within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding” signed by both parties in June.

The post said Sheikh Mohammed stressed that both parties should ensure “freedom of navigation on the Strait of Hormuz, to maintain regional security.”

Vessels to resume activities in Qatar starting on Sunday

Published: July 25, 2026 | 15:43 GMT | by AFP

Qatar’s Transport Ministry said ships and other maritime vessels can fully resume activities starting on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported.

In a post on X, the ministry urged “everyone to abide by the maritime regulations and instructions in effect, to ensure highest levels of safety & security for all trips.”

Restrictions were imposed after the US and Iran restarted nearly two weeks of deadly tit-for-tat strikes.

Palestinians bury four killed in West Bank clash with Israeli settlers

Published: July 25, 2026 | 15:43 GMT | by AFP

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Tell on Saturday buried four men killed during a clash with Israeli settlers the previous day, local officials said.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and the clash in Tell has already had political repercussions.

On Friday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that, following the deaths of two Israelis in the village, he would allow the establishment of more settlements in the region.

Israel, he said, would conduct more raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants and accelerate "the legalisation of farm outposts and establishment of new ones".

Iran FM says 'no military solution' to Yemen conflict

Published: July 25, 2026 | 14:57 GMT | by AFP

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no military solution to the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, after both sides traded attacks.

"We believe that there is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab, and other regional issues," said Araghchi in an interview published on Saturday by the state-run Iran Daily newspaper, calling for "dialogue".

He said the situation in Yemen "cannot be attributed to Iran" and that the incidents in the Bab al-Mandab Strait were "rooted in old disputes and issues between Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region".

Iran Guards say stopped four ships trying to transit Hormuz strait

Published: July 25, 2026 | 13:22 GMT | by AFP

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their forces stopped four ships attempting to transit the strategic Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours.

"Four vessels that had intended to transit through the southern area of the Strait of Hormuz via an illegal and unsafe route were stopped over the past 24 hours after warning shots were fired by the IRGC Navy," the Guards said in a statement quoted by state television, adding that the ships had "altered course".

Iran has in recent weeks hit tankers using a route hugging the Omani coast to traverse the strait, in a bid to strongarm vessels into using its own waters and pay for safe passage.

Yemen's Houthis say targeted Saudi oil facilities on Red Sea 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 12:49 GMT | by AFP

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Saturday they had targeted Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on the Red Sea coast, as the Tehran-backed group threatened to intensify its response if struck by the Gulf monarchy.

IN a video statement, military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted sites operated by the Saudi oil giant Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu using drones and missiles and threatened "to expand our movements and escalate... during the coming hours and days".

UN chief says situation in Syria's Golan area 'unacceptable'

Published: July 25, 2026 | 11:58 GMT | by AFP

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday said the situation around Syria's Golan Heights was unacceptable, as Syria's foreign minister urged Israeli forces to withdraw from a UN-patrolled buffer zone where they deployed in 2024.

"What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable," Guterres told a press conference alongside Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who called for an "immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal" from the area where they had advanced.

UK lawmaker appreciates Pakistan's efforts for regional peace

Published: July 25, 2026 | 10:17 GMT | by Web Desk

A UK lawmaker Lord Zamir Chaudhry appreciated Pakistan's efforts for peace in the region in a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday. 

A post on X by Pakistan's Ministry of Interior said, "Lord Zamir Chaudhry appreciates Pakistan's efforts for peace in the region. The Prime Minister, Field Marshal, made commendable efforts for regional stability."

Iran FM says 'no military solution' to Yemen conflict

Published: July 25, 2026 | 09:57 GMT | by AFP

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday there was no military solution to the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen after both sides traded attacks.

"We believe that there is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab, and other regional issues," said Araghchi in an interview published on Saturday by the state-run Iran Daily newspaper, calling for "dialogue".

UN chief appeals for international support for Syria 'at this pivotal moment'

Published: July 25, 2026 | 08:21 GMT | by AFP

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged international support for Syria on Saturday as he visited the country, which is in transition following years of war and the 2024 overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

"I have just arrived in Damascus for a visit of solidarity. My message is clear: The UN stands with Syria at this pivotal moment and I appeal to the international community to spare no effort to support the people of Syria as well," he said on X.

Palestinians bury four killed in West Bank 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 08:20 GMT | by AFP

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Tell on Saturday buried four men killed during a clash with Israeli settlers in the village the previous day, local officials said.

"Families of the four martyrs held a common funeral early this morning, around 1:00 am (2200 GMT), but the army restricted who could attend and only about 30 people were able to be there," Walid Zidan, head of the Tell village council, told AFP.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the Gaza war began with on Oct. 7, 2023.

Iran accuses EU of 'hypocrisy' over rights concerns 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 07:39 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has accused European Union (EU) of "hypocrisy" over its human rights concerns regarding Iran. 

Baqaei in a post on X on Saturday stated, ".@Kajakallas speaks of the European Union’s “human rights concerns” regarding Iran. How can a professed commitment to human rights be so easily reconciled with providing logistical and technical support for lethal aggressions against the Iranian people — aggressions that deliberately target civilians and critical national infrastructure?"

"All while refusing to condemn even the most blatant war crimes, and offering not a single word of sympathy for Iranian children slaughtered by American-Israeli bombs and missiles enabled by the EU’s own “logistical and technical support.”"

He called it, "...the purest form of hypocrisy."

EU ‘deeply concerned’ by escalating violence in occupied West Bank

Published: July 25, 2026 | 07:05 GMT | by Web Desk

The European Union has voiced its “deep concern” over the rising violence in the occupied West Bank, calling on all sides to refrain from provocative language and work toward reducing tensions.

According to a statement cited by Al Jazeera, the EU offered its “deepest condolences” to the families of those who lost their lives, noting that the recent violence highlights “the fragility of the situation on the ground.”

The statement was issued as a fresh wave of Israeli military raids and attacks by settlers took place in various parts of the occupied West Bank overnight.

Israeli forces raid Tubas in occupied West Bank

Published: July 25, 2026 | 06:25 GMT | by Web Desk

Israeli forces continued raids across parts of the occupied West Bank Saturday morning, including the city of Tubas and the nearby al-Far’a refugee camp to its south, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

At daybreak, a large contingent of military vehicles and infantry entered Tubas, deploying across several neighborhoods and carrying out extensive searches of residents' homes.

The forces left the city after nearly three hours, with no arrests reported.

Danger has passed in Yanbu governorate, says Saudi civil defense 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 06:17 GMT | by Web Desk

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has said that the danger has now passed in Yanbu Governorate, according to a General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense social media post on Saturday.

Israel allocated over $1B for public diplomacy since Oct. 7: Quincy Institute 

Published: July 25, 2026 | 05:27 GMT | by Web Desk

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli government has allocated more than $1 billion to direct public diplomacy efforts, marking a sharp increase in such spending, according to new research from the Quincy Institute.

This reflects Israel’s growing dependence on government-funded influence campaigns in the United States, which are subject to US laws governing foreign influence.

US, UK planning international conference on Hormuz

Published: July 25, 2026 | 04:47 GMT | by Web Desk

The United States and the United Kingdom are set to hold a high-level meeting in London next week to discuss forming an international coalition aimed at safeguarding maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios.

The talks will focus on coordinating efforts to protect commercial vessels in the strategic waterway, Axios reported citing two European diplomats and two other sources familiar with the plans.

Houthis claim strike on Saudi Arabia as conflict deepens

Published: July 25, 2026 | 04:30 GMT | by AFP

Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, hours after vowing to retaliate against the kingdom for attacks as the Middle East war expanded.

Riyadh struck Houthi military targets in Hodeida on Friday, with rebel media reporting two wounded after the Yemeni group announced a maritime blockade of the top oil producer and hit its ships.

Trump weighs harder Iran strikes as conflict widens

Published: July 25, 2026 | 00:23 GMT | by AFP

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had not yet decided whether to launch major strikes on Iran, as the renewed conflict threatened to widen across the region with Saudi Arabia striking Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Trump said he would hold off on a major operation as Tehran was now getting "serious" in talks with Washington, for now dialing back reports that he was increasingly frustrated with the state of the war and mulling a large-scale military operation against Iran.

"No, I haven't," Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked if he had made a decision on hitting Iran hard.

"Look, we're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason."

For earlier developments, read our July 24 live blog here.