Saudi Arabia, Houthis trade attacks, escalation intensifies

Saudi Arabia launches strikes on Yemen’s Houthi-held city of Hodeidah in the latest escalation during the regional war between the United States and Iran.
President Donald Trump says dialogue between Washington and Tehran continues and a threatened “massive” attack may be unnecessary, although the US remains “locked and loaded”.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Before we go, here’s a quick recap of the main developments:

US President Donald Trump says Iran is in talks with the US and he is willing to listen, during a speech at the annual correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC, on Friday.
The US military says 16 commercial vessels that are “trying to run” Iran’s blockade have been stopped. “As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled two that didn’t comply, and boarded two to ensure total compliance,” CENTCOM said.
Iran strongly condemns a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the attack caused an explosion on the ship that killed one sailor and injured another.
Saudi Arabia has launched strikes on Yemen’s Houthi-held city of Hodeidah and Kamaran Island.
Israeli forces target Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital
At least one person was killed and several injured when Israeli drones hit a group of Palestinians near Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital.Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum was outside the hospital as the attack happened.
Watch his report here:
Palestinian man killed by Israeli drone strike on Gaza
A Palestinian man called Suleiman Taysir Shammoud has died from his injuries after being targeted in an Israeli strike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Quds News Network and Palestinian WAFA News Agency.

A WAFA correspondent said earlier that Shammoud sustained critical injuries after an Israeli drone struck Al-Mawasi, as Israeli forces carry out demolition operations east of Khan Younis. Quds later confirmed Shammoud’s death after being injured earlier in the afternoon.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has risen to 73,318, with 173,961 others injured. It added that the number of Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect last October has risen to 1,192, with 3,853 people injured.
Iranian army spokesman claims ‘almost all’ US infrastructure in Erbil destroyed
Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia has claimed on Iranian state television that “almost all” US military infrastructure has been destroyed during recent attacks by the IRGC on Erbil in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, as reported by the Anadolu news agency.

Akraminia claimed Tehran was now deploying newer attack drones with greater accuracy and were more advanced than the Arash-2.

He added that Iran had inflicted serious damage on US military bases across the region, claiming many of them had lost much of their operational capability.

The spokesman added that Iran was prepared to continue military operations “until the Americans realise they cannot impose their will on the Iranian nation through aggression”.
US military says 16 commercial vessels ‘trying to run blockade’ of Iran stopped
“The US naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect,” US Central Command says in a statement on X.

“As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 2 that didn’t comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance,” it continued.
Araghchi condemns Ukraine’s attack on Iranian vessel in call with EU Chief Kaja Kallas
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, held a phone call to discuss the latest regional developments, according to a statement shared on Telegram by Araghchi’s office.

The statement said that Araghchi strongly condemned Ukraine’s military attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. Araghchi reportedly “called for a firm response from the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, and the international community, and for the perpetrators and supporters of this criminal act to be held accountable.”

Araghchi and Kallas also discussed the need “to adopt diplomatic initiatives to manage tensions” in the Strait of Hormuz, the statement added, following the IRGC’s military response to US attacks on Iran.