Trump declares Hamas to disarm as Saudi military readies for potential Houthi ground offensive

President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace confirmed Thursday that Hamas agreed to a roadmap for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, including a pledge to disarm under the U.S.-backed plan brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

“The Roadmap represents a historic breakthrough,” the board said in a statement shared on X.

“For the first time, Hamas officially has committed to an actionable plan for relinquishing all its weapons, which will be followed by an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

“It holds the promise of delivering significant benefits to the people of Gaza, who have waited too long for a better future, and security to the people of Israel,” it said.

A Hamas source also told Reuters the "draft agreement" stipulates that heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, plus that the weapons cannot be transferred to Israel.

Saudi Arabia is preparing for a military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, with reports indicating a land offensive is on the horizon as Riyadh works to rally a multinational naval coalition to secure the Red Sea.

Yemeni sources told The Guardian that Saudi troops are pulling back from eastern Yemen and redeploying to prepare for a ground push into the central governorate of al-Bayda, territory captured by the Houthis in 2020 and 2021.

The escalation comes as Saudi Arabia faces a Houthi blockade in the Red Sea and attacks against its energy infrastructure.

The Saudi defence ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting ​that discussed the proposed coalition to guard vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Reuters reported.

Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen also carried out airstrikes on July 24 against Houthi military sites in Hodeidah in response to attacks on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis responded with retaliatory attacks. 

The State Department's Rewards for Justice program announced Thursday that it is offering up to $15 million for information about the financial networks of Kimia Part Sivan (KIPAS), which the U.S. says serves as the drone production arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

The program identified seven alleged senior KIPAS officials: Hasan Arambunezhad, Reza Nahabdani, Mehdi Naghneh, Hadi Zavarkai, Abolfazl Moshkani, Abbas Sartaji and Ehsan Mohaghegh.

In a post on X, Rewards for Justice said it was looking for information about the seven men, their associates and the company's financial network, adding that eligible tipsters could receive a reward of up to $15 million and relocation assistance.

Senate Democrats on Thursday failed again in their bid to curb U.S. military action against Iran, but party leaders say growing Republican unease could shift the debate if the conflict drags into the fall.

The Senate rejected the latest war powers resolution in a 50-49 vote, with just three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joining Democrats.

Democrats argue the prolonged war, rising costs and higher gas prices could increase pressure on Republicans during the August recess.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will reconsider his position by early September if the Trump administration has not sought congressional approval.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also called on the administration to present its strategy to Congress.

According to Politico, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has led the anti-war effort, said Democrats intend to keep forcing votes, noting Republican support has gradually grown.

"Here’s what we’ve noticed: When we started this effort, we had one, and now we have four," Kaine said.

"So our working assumption is there will be more, and that’s one of the reasons we want to do this fairly frequently," he added.

The U.S. military is keeping a close watch over the Middle East region using surveillance aircraft as it enforces its blockade against Iran, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

“A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon approaches a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker for refueling while patrolling the Middle East,” the command said in a post shared on X.

“The P-8 is a specialized reconnaissance aircraft that is among the many assets monitoring regional waters during America's blockade against Iran.”

As of Wednesday, CENTCOM also said its forces have redirected 24 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two to “ensure full compliance.”

An Iranian-born Christian dissident said Thursday that Israel's Interior Ministry has ordered him to leave the country despite his marriage to an Israeli woman and the couple's 1-year-old child, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Ramin Parsa, who has lived in Israel since early 2023 and applied for citizenship in 2024, said his request was denied because he was born in Iran.

After a court ordered the ministry to reconsider the case, he said officials again rejected his application and warned he could be deported if a final appeal on Aug. 27 fails.

Parsa, an American citizen who converted from Islam to Christianity after fleeing Iran, told the Post he has long advocated for Israel and volunteered following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Parsa told the outlet he had escaped Iran, became a U.S. citizen in 2015 and later met his Israeli wife through his pro-Israel advocacy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday warned of Israeli "false flag" operations targeting regional stability, saying Egypt is an important partner whose security is a top priority for Tehran.

His remarks came a day after a drone attack on Egypt's Damietta Port ignited two LNG vessels, the first strike on Egyptian territory since the current Iran conflict began.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Egypt is considered a friend and an important partner in the region, and its security constitutes the utmost priority for us,” Araghchi said in a post shared on X.

“We must all remain vigilant toward Israeli schemes and ‘false flag’ operations that aim to undermine regional peace,” he added before stating that the threat is “clear, shared and fears Muslim solidarity.”

Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan has emerged as an early frontrunner in the race to become the next U.N. secretary-general after the first informal U.N. Security Council "straw poll," Reuters reported Thursday.

If selected, Grynspan would become the first woman to serve as U.N. secretary-general in the organization's 80-year history.

Diplomats told the outlet that Grynspan secured 10 "encourage" votes, followed by former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with nine and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi with seven, earning what one diplomat described as a "surprise" third-place finish.

The informal, nonbinding vote is the first of several expected as candidates compete to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends later this year.

The Security Council is expected to hold multiple rounds of straw polls before formally recommending a candidate to the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly.

The threat level was set at "Severe" across the Gulf maritime region on Thursday, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), following what it said were explosions near a Saudi-flagged tanker in the Red Sea and projectile strikes on two liquefied natural gas carriers at Egypt's Port of Damietta.

London's marine insurance market also expanded the Red Sea area it classifies as high risk following attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthis, according to Reuters.

Chinese-flagged bulk carriers continued to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with maritime intelligence firm Windward AI saying one completed a full transit from China to Jeddah despite the active Houthi blockade and elevated risk level.

"AIS declarations signaled Chinese ownership and crew the entire way," the firm said, adding there was "no dark activity, no GPS manipulation, and no course deviations," indicating "the China-Houthi safe passage arrangement is operational."

The group is also reportedly seeking to charge tolls to vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. 

Wednesday's strike on a U.S.-owned gas tanker at Egypt's Damietta Port was intended as a warning that Tehran could inflict far more disruption on global shipping and energy supplies if the conflict escalated, according to reports.

Citing officials, The New York Times reported that the attack was intended to show Iran's ability to threaten critical energy infrastructure.

Ynet also reported that Iranian state television had identified Damietta Port as a potential retaliation target days before the attack and had shown a map highlighting sites also tied to Ukrainian interests.

Iran has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, which sparked fires aboard two gas-storage tankers.

Maritime security firm Ambrey identified one of the vessels as the U.S.-owned Energos Winter.

Reuters reported that Egypt's Cabinet confirmed Thursday that "preliminary investigations by the relevant authorities found that the incident was caused by a drone." 

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions targeting networks accused of supporting Iran's Mahan Air, an airline Washington says transports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personel and weapons.

The Treasury Department said it designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia and Iran for allegedly acting as sales agents and support networks for the carrier.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said that although Mahan Air presents itself as a "civilian carrier," it has long played a central role in "enabling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), providing travel services for IRGC-Qods Force personnel, facilitating military training, and supporting Iran's procurement and transport of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and weapons."

"Those who provide financial services, logistics, or commercial support to the IRGC or Mahan Air are helping sustain a terrorist enterprise," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. 

The U.S. Navy is poised to overhaul its torpedo inventory under the newly-approved congressional budget as the military shifts toward a "two-war" strategy.

Lawmakers made it clear that the U.S. needs to build quantities of undersea weapons sufficient to maintain two major regional conflicts simultaneously, according to Naval News.

Manufacturers are now focused on building up supplies of the U.S. MK-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedoes and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes to meet the minimum base requirements set by the new budget.

The Navy has not clarified the exact number of undersea weapons that would entail, but it is based on internal estimates about potential conflicts with a near-peer forces.

The Navy is also required to build up a plan to massively increase torpedo production should it become necessary during war or peacetime.

The overhaul comes as the U.S. military is already scrambling to refill stockpiles of missiles and other weapons depleted in the war against Iran.

The Senate killed a Democrat-backed Iran War Powers resolution on a procedural vote Thursday by a vote of 49-50.   

This was the 13th time the Senate's voted on a War Powers resolution aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to step back from the conflict. 

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was absent, while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voted no with Republicans on Thursday. 

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine,  Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted yes with Democrats. 

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this post. 

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that 14 countries have reaffirmed their support for the creation of a “multinational defense maritime coalition” aimed at protecting against threats in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb strait. 

It identified the countries as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. The coalition would protect shipping from Houthi attacks, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Defense said it hosted a meeting Thursday with representatives from 43 nations, “reflecting growing international interest in reinforcing maritime defense cooperation.” 

“Participants discussed the increasing threats targeting maritime security -- including attacks on commercial vessels, energy tankers, and maritime infrastructure -- and the risks they pose to the safety of maritime navigation and the stability of global supply chains. They emphasized the importance of enhancing multilateral defense cooperation to confront these threats, deter them, and preserve the security of international sea lanes,” it said. 

“Furthermore, participants reviewed the draft charter of the multinational defense maritime coalition, its reference documents, organizational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and future action steps. This ensures a robust institutional framework that enhances maritime defense cooperation among participating nations and addresses joint maritime threats in (Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden),” the ministry added. 

“During the meeting, foundational arrangements for the multinational defense maritime coalition project were discussed, foremost of which is that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be the founding nation and leader of the coalition, hosting its headquarters -- reflecting international trust in the Kingdom's leadership role in enhancing collective maritime security,” it also said. 

The United States resumed airstrikes inside Iran Wednesday night in retaliation for Tehran’s attempted surprise ballistic-missile attack on American forces, as an Iran expert warned that the regime has become increasingly willing to test Washington despite its weakened military capabilities.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the surprise nature of Iran’s attack reflected a significant shift in Tehran’s strategy.

"What makes this attack different is that it’s basically a surprise attack," Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "This is the Islamic Republic matching its deeds with its words," he said. "That means a more risk-tolerant, more confident, perhaps less capable, but more dangerous Iran in the Middle East."

U.S. Central Command said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran at U.S. forces in the region at approximately 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday. All were intercepted, and no casualties or damage were immediately reported.

Trump later vowed a forceful response, telling Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst that the United States would be "hitting them hard" and that Iran was "going to get a beating." "We're going to beat the f---ing s--- out of them," Trump said.

Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday disputed a report from Reuters that Beijing is preparing to help Iran replenish its defenses in the war against the U.S., with a spokesperson claiming that China wants to bring an end to the conflict. 

Reuters, citing multiple sources, said Wednesday that Iran is expected in the next few weeks to receive a shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers. The development emerged as the U.S. military has repeatedly been striking and weakening Iranian military infrastructure. 

“China has made its position clear on relevant issues on multiple occasions. The report is not true and has no factual ground at all. China always works for peace and the end of the conflict,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Thursday. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the reports that China is sending 400 rocket launchers to Iran via Pakistan would be "surprising," adding that President Xi Jinping had assured him Beijing would not become involved.   Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the reports by Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich. 

“I mean, things like that happen, but that would be surprising,” he replied. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this post. 

A Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday that the country is doing its “utmost” to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table under the memorandum of understanding reached last month, a report said. 

“Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on [the] Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate,” spokesman Tahir Andrabi was quoted by the AFP as telling reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

“We are doing our utmost to bring all parties back to the Islamabad MOU,” he reportedly added. 

Pakistan served as a mediator in talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the war. 

“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED,” the country’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said in June, before military action resumed between the two countries in recent weeks. “Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."

Qatar on Thursday slammed the Iranian regime for fresh attacks on Jordan and Kuwait, calling them “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries, and a blatant breach of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of good neighborliness.” 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the continuation of these attacks represents a dangerous escalation that would complicate efforts to contain tensions and undermine political and diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the region,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement. 

“The Ministry stresses the need for an immediate and comprehensive cessation of all military operations and attacks that threaten the security and stability of the region, refraining from any actions that could further expand the cycle of escalation, returning to the path of dialogue and negotiations, and adhering to the understandings reached through diplomatic efforts,” it also said. 

Jordan said it intercepted five missiles launched from Iran overnight, while Kuwait’s military said one person was killed Thursday after an Iranian strike hit a building belonging to a Chinese company. 

About two-thirds of U.S. adults believe the war with Iran is not worthwhile, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that 33% of U.S. adults think the war is worth fighting, while 64% do not. It added that 87% of Democrats, 68% of independents and 37% of Republicans aren't in favor of the war.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Just 28% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling Iran, a slight decline from 34% last month, the AP also reported. 

The war, which began on Feb. 28, has impacted gas prices.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March, according to the AP.

When Fox News Digital asked the White House for a response to the poll, assistant press secretary Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital that, “What matters most to the American people is having a Commander in Chief who takes bold action to keep them safe, which is exactly what President Trump is doing."

"The President does not make national security decisions based on fluid opinion polls, but on the best interests of the country, and Americans are already safer for the United States’ bold actions to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon," she added.

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

U.S. Central Command released new images Thursday showing American sailors monitoring F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets as they launched from the USS George H.W. Bush while sailing in the Arabian Sea. 

The aircraft carrier has operated in support of the U.S. military’s blockade of Iranian ports. 

CENTCOM said Wednesday that a restarted blockade has so far resulted in 20 commercial vessels being redirected. 

Kuwait’s military said one person has been killed after an Iranian attack hit a building belonging to a Chinese company on Thursday. 

“The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, stated that the heinous Iranian aggression targeted a building belonging to one of the Chinese companies in the north of the country, resulting in the death of one worker and causing significant material damage to the building,” Kuwait’s Army said in a statement posted on X. 

“The Armed Forces affirm their continued execution of their missions and duties with high efficiency, and the taking of all necessary measures to protect the sovereignty of the homeland, preserve its security and stability, in coordination with the competent authorities, in a manner that preserves the safety of citizens and residents,” the statement added. 

Saudi Arabia released a statement Thursday condemning Iran after Jordan said this morning that it intercepted five missiles launched at its territory from the Islamic Republic. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation in the strongest terms of Iran's continued flagrant aggression against the brotherly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and reaffirms its solidarity with Jordan and its brotherly people in all measures they take regarding these Iranian attacks, which constitute a violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness,” read a statement posted by Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry. 

“The Kingdom underscores the importance of the immediate cessation of Iran's blatant attacks against Jordan and the countries of the region, and stresses the need to take serious steps to safeguard the security and stability of the region and its peoples,” it added. 

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that its troops found “dozens” of weapons belonging to the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in a village along the Israeli-Lebanon border. 

The IDF said during operations in the Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun, its forces discovered “Kalashnikov-type weapons, cartridges, bullets, grenades, explosives, charges, anti-tank missiles and mortar bombs" in civilian infrastructure.

“In addition, they destroyed buildings used by Hezbollah,’ the IDF said. 

The IDF released photos on X showing the weapons haul. 

Jordan’s military said Thursday that its air defenses shot down five missiles coming from Iran, according to the Petra News Agency. 

There were no human casualties during the overnight attack, a report added. 

It unfolded a day after U.S. troops stationed in Jordan were targeted by Iran. 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Jordan, the paramilitary force said in a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. 

President Donald Trump said the American forces in Jordan had just minutes to respond and shoot down the incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.  

U.S. Central Command said all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. 

Earlier this month, three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan during an Iranian attack at the same base. 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this post. 

U.S. Central Command said it carried out a “heavy wave of strikes against Iran” in response to an attempted attack on American troops stationed in the Middle East. 

The military action, which was completed at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, came after Iran had launched a surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. 

“CENTCOM assets struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities,” CENTCOM said. “The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries.” 

CENTCOM added that in the July 28 incident, “IRGC forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East,” but that “All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.” 

“More than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently deployed to the Middle East and remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” it also said. 

Yesterday's Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.