What you need to know
- President Donald Trump says the US and Israel will refrain from threatened strikes on Iran to give diplomacy another chance
- Trump nonetheless said that the US was 'locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran'
- Iran has warned against any 'adventurous action' by the US
Read below for all the latest headlines on the Iran war on the weekend of August 1-2.
Trump says no new strikes on Iran if peace deal is reached soon
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Israelhad agreed to refrain from carrying out threatened attacks on Iran under the condition that a peace deal with Tehran was reached quickly.
Trump said the US was "locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran," but that Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him not to carry out fresh strikes.
"Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
"The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE," he added.
His remarks come after he on Friday threatened to hit Iran "very hard," with reports saying US attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure were being considered.
According to the US media reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump before Saturday's social media postings to express concerns over the reports of planned new attacks.
The report, which cited US sources close to the talks, said the crown prince urged Trump to de-escalate.
Welcome back to our coverage
We are resuming our reporting on events in the Middle East as the more-than-five-month-long US war on Iran continues to ebb and flow.
Sunday seems likely to see another at least temporary ebb, with US President Donald Trump — who on Friday threatened to hit Iran "very hard" — saying the US and Israel had agreed to hold off on new strikes on the Islamic Republic if a peace deal is "rapidly" reached.
Iran, meanwhile, has reacted to Friday's threat by saying its armed forces would give a decisive response to any renewed acts of aggression.
Read on for more details about the conflict in the Middle East, which is threatening to draw in ever more countries in the region.
We've paused coverage
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he expected US military action against Iran to continue for some time. He said the US will hit Iran "very hard" until they can't take it anymore.
Hours later on Saturday, Kuwait said it responded to a new round of drone attacks from Iran while a tanker was struck in the strategic waterway.
We'll have more on each of those major news angles when we return to this blog on Sunday.
UN warns against ongoing destruction in southern Lebanon
The United Nations on Saturday said it is deeply concerned by ongoing Israeli demolitions in southern Lebanon.
Under a ceasefire deal, Lebanon's army is expected to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Israeli forces withdraw from designated zones in the south before Lebanese troops deploy.
"The scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south Lebanon is deeply concerning, with a devastating impact on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities," the office of the UN special coordinator for Lebanon said in a statement on X.
The statement comes a day after the Israeli military triggered explosions near Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, which was added to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using around 700 tonnes of explosives.
"The escalating pattern of destruction must stop as diplomatic channels exist to resolve any outstanding issues," the UN said.
Gaza authorities say three killed in Israeli attacks
Israeli airstrikes killed three people in the Gaza Strip on Saturday according to Palestinian civil defense and health authority sources.
Israel said it had targeted "terrorists" and dismantled five weapons storage facilities in Saturday operations.
The attacks came on the heels of a recent announcement by US President Donald Trump promising the Islamist militant group Hamas would disarm and Israel's army would withdraw from Gaza.
Hamas led the October 7, 2023, surprise attacks on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
According to sources in the enclave, two Palestinians were killed in drone strikes in Gaza City and another man was killed during a missile strike on a hospital camp in Deir al-Balah.
Footage of the camp showed a large crater and scattered medical equipment, medical supplies and boxes near tents and two warehouses.
Israel accused Hamas of establishing a weapons depot at the site, citing intelligence reports without making evidence public.
Hospital workers said the warehouses were used to store essential dialysis equipment and supplies and that many people in need of critical medical care had been sheltering in tents near the site.
A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October 2025, but Israel has recently killed suspected members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on Trump's ceasefire plan for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas disarmament. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called the deal unacceptable, demanding the continuation of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel claims to have killed several Hezbollah fighters
Israel's military on Saturday said its forces killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. A post on the military's official X account said that one of its combat officers was injured during the armed encounter and had been hospitalized.
The post pledged that the Israeli military would "continue to operate to remove any threat its forces and will not allow the Hezbollah terror organization to harm the citizens of the state of Israel."
The incident came despite a ceasefire being in place between Israel and the Iranian-backed militants. While Hezbollah has formally denounced the deal, the group has not claimed any attacks since theUS-sponsored framework agreement was signed by Israel and Lebanon and then put in place in late June.
The agreement remains fragile, with Hezbollah refusing to disarm and Israel refusing to leave southern Lebanon — both points outlined in the agreement.
Despite the relative decline in violence in southern Lebanon, Israel has continued to conduct airstrikes and carry out other military operations.
Lebanon has condemned Israel's operations, saying that its continued military operations make it impossible to fully deploy the Lebanese army as outlined in the deal.
US urges citizens to prepare to leave Middle East
US embassies across the Middle East have urged US nationals to consider leaving the region or be ready to depart if the conflict escalates further.
"Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation," security alerts posted by US missions in Amman, Jerusalem and Baghdad said.
The warnings told citizens to check flight information, follow local safety instructions and prepare for cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruption.
Those in Jordan were advised to stay away from US military bases, which have recently come under Iranian missile attack.
In Israel, US citizens were urged to identify the nearest bomb shelter.
"The Iranian regime is unpredictable," the US Embassy in Jerusalem said, citing recent attacks across the region and an expansion to areas not previously targeted, including Egypt.
A drone struck a US-owned gas vessel moored at an Egyptian port on Wednesday, sparking a fire. Egyptian authorities are investigating and have not publicly blamed any group.
New attacks hit Kuwait and Strait of Hormuz shipping
Kuwait's military says it is responding to a fresh wave of Iranian drone attacks that struck several "vital facilities" in the country.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi said the targets included a government facility in northern Kuwait. No casualties were reported.
Separate incidents also hit commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said an unidentified projectile struck a tanker on Friday about 11 nautical miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Lima, Oman, damaging its engine room.
On Saturday, another tanker reported a large splash and an explosion nearby while sailing around 21 nautical miles northwest of Khasab.
No casualties were reported in either maritime incident.
Iran has repeatedly targeted vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization during the conflict with the United States.
Houthis claim Saudi oil shipments diverted
Yemen's Houthi movement says eight Saudi oil tankers have been pushed off their usual routes as part of a newly declared blockade targeting the kingdom's energy exports.
According to the Iran-backed group, the ships will now have to make the much longer journey around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope to reach Asian markets.
Riyadh has not confirmed that any tankers were diverted.
The Houthis announced the blockade last week, framing it as retaliation for what they describe as years of Saudi pressure on Houthi-held parts of Yemen.
The group controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, after seizing territory in 2014 and setting off a war that drew in a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government.
A major concern for global shipping is the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow passage between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Any serious disruption there would add to pressure on trade routes already affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis said they do not intend to levy transit charges on vessels using the strait.
Iran warns regional states against helping US
Iran's military has accused the United States of "escalating tensions" in the Middle East and warned regional neighbors against supporting Washington during the conflict.
"The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region," Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran's military central command, said in a statement broadcast on state television on Saturday.
"Any country serving as [a] defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war," he added.
The warning came after US President Donald Trump again threatened to hit Iran "very hard."
US media reported that Trump was considering renewed large-scale strikes as early as this weekend, potentially including attacks on energy infrastructure.
Iran and the United States resumed exchanges of fire this week after several days of relative calm, although no strikes were reported overnight from Friday into Saturday.
Welcome to our coverage
Welcome to DW's coverage of the situation in Iran and wider Middle East.
After US President Donald Trump again threatened to hit Iran, the head of Iran's military central command accused Washington of "escalating tensions" in the region.
Elsewhere, Yemen's Houthi movement says it has forced eight Saudi oil tankers away from their usual routes as part of a new blockade targeting the kingdom's energy exports.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis. For our previous day coverage of the conflict and the wider Middle East on July 31, 2026, you can catch our blog here.