The United States Army has reportedly used up most its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its war with Iran, reaching the fifth month, Reuters reported.
Citing sources familiar with the data, the report said the information raises concerns about the army’s preparedness for future clashes.
Progress on Hormuz talks but no final deal yet, says Marco Rubio
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the US made progress in negotiations with Iran intended to increase ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but no final agreement has been made.
“There’s been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We’re hoping that will happen very shortly,” Rubio told reporters at the State Department.
US says Iran deal on Hormuz to happen ‘today or tomorrow’
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday, August 4, that a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is likely to happen in two days.
“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent said in a CNBC interview.
When asked if Iran would continue charging a toll, he said the deal would permit freedom of movement in the Strait. “It would be freedom of movement. Even though things are still a little dicey there over the past few days, we saw quite a few ships coming out even now.”
The Treasury Secretary also said that he expects the energy prices to settle back down, even with the tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Even though things are still a little dicey there over the past few days, we’ve seen quite a few ships coming out even now,” Bessent said. “So, you know, I’d expect the energy prices to settle back down, which, as I said, will be good for the entire world.”
Pakistan invites Araghchi at the earliest for US-Iran talks
Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with Iran, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar inviting his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad “at the earliest” for discussions.
The invitation, according to top officials familiar with the outreach, signals Islamabad’s determination to remain a key diplomatic bridge between Tehran and Washington.
It came two days after US President Donald Trump called off planned military strikes against Iran following appeals from key regional allies.
However, Iran’s response to the invitation is not immediately known.
Separately, Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has reportedly invited his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to Islamabad.
Cargo ship reports being struck in Strait of Hormuz
A British maritime monitoring agency said a cargo ship reported being hit by a projectile overnight off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States and Iran made opposing claims about whether they were holding talks.
The cargo ship reported being “hit by an unknown projectile” at 2 am local time while it was 37 kilometres northeast of Al Khasab in Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said.
The UKMTO did not provide further information on the ship, including what flag the vessel was sailing under or whether it was carrying cargo.
The town of Al Khasab sits on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula that juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war.
The strait has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February, while the US also has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the waterway.
Yemen’s Houthis say they fired a drone toward airport in Saudi Arabia
A military spokesman for the Iranian-backed rebels, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, claimed the drone hit a “sensitive target” at the airport in the southwestern city of Najran. He did not provide evidence.
He said the drone attack was in response to what he called Saudi breaching of Yemen’s airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah. There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis recently announced they were imposing a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea. The rebels have long been at odds with Saudi Arabia, having fought a war against the kingdom and its allies. Major fighting ended with a truce in 2022.
Qatar says mediation underway after US, Iran offer conflicting claims
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said Tuesday that mediation efforts were underway with all parties. “We’re looking into a diplomatic solution,” he said during a briefing. He did not elaborate, or mention the conflicting statements from the US and Iran about direct talks.
Lebanon, Israel begin direct talks in Rome
Lebanon and Israel began a seventh round of direct negotiations in Rome, Italy, under the sponsorship of the United States, reported Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Delegations of both sides are involved in the talks to discuss implementation of the US-mediated framework agreement signed in June.
Hezbollah says Israel negotiations bring “shame, humiliation’ to Lebanon
Nasim Qassem, Hezbollah Secretary-General, has stated that Lebanon’s direct talks with Israel will bring Beirut “nothing other than shame, humiliation, disappointment and constant concessions.” In a televised speech on Tuesday, he criticised the negotiations and President Joseph Aoun’s role.
“He (Joseph Aoun) did not act as an arbiter and unifier, but instead became a source of division, and this is entirely inconsistent with both his role and Lebanon’s strength,” said Qassem.
(With inputs from agencies)
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