Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- US military says Iranian ballistic missiles intercepted
- The confrontation comes after a days-long lull in fighting
- US, Saudi Arabia announce striking Iranian-backed militias in Iraq
- Netanyahu hails his White House meeting with Trump despite tensions
Read below for the latest developments concerning the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday, July 29, 2026:
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Skip next section Saudi Arabia says strikes on Iraqi militants in retaliation for earlier strikesPublished 07/29/2026Published July 29, 2026last updated 07/29/2026last updated July 29, 2026
Saudi Arabia says strikes on Iraqi militants in retaliation for earlier strikes
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday confirmed it took part in US strikes on Iran-backed Iraqi militants, saying they came in response to drone strikes by Iraqi militants that attempted to target oil facilities in Sharqiya and Riyadh.
The Saudi Defense Ministry stressed in a statement on X its “right to self defense.”
“The kingdom stresses it does not seek escalation but it will respond to any aggression it faces,” the statement read.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HuyTSkip next section US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed militants in Iraq07/29/2026July 29, 2026
US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed militants in Iraq
The US military said it conducted alongside Saudi Arabia a series of strikes on Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeting Iraqi militias were in retaliation for strikes on US troops in the region and Saudi energy infrastructure by “Iran-aligned terrorists” in Iraq.
“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” the US military’s Central Command said.
CENTCOM said the latest strikes against Saudi Arabia, which ended a days-long lull in fighting, were directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response,” it said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HuyVSkip next section READ: As US-Iran war rages, who’s risking the Strait of Hormuz?07/29/2026July 29, 2026
READ: As US-Iran war rages, who’s risking the Strait of Hormuz?
Gianna-Carina Grün | Farah Bahgat
The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the world’s most dangerous waterways since March, when Iran began attacking shipping vessels as a pressure tactic in its ceasefire talks with the United States.
Still, though a significant proportion of the global oil trade bottlenecks at the strait, shipping traffic never completely halted.
With the United States and Iran issuing conflicting statements as to whether the Strait of Hormuz is open, DW analyzed public data sources to track how shipping traffic has changed during the course of the war and which vessels are still taking the risk of transiting the maritime choke point, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HuyLSkip next section Netanyahu, Trump cite ‘positive and productive’ closed-door meeting07/29/2026July 29, 2026
Netanyahu, Trump cite ‘positive and productive’ closed-door meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump and their teams praised cooperation between their two administrations after a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
The sit down, the first since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, looked likely to go either way before Netanyahu arrived for Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral, with Trump boisterously complaining about the Israeli leader in public, most notably on Fox News.
Tuesday’s talks, which lasted for 90 minutes, were described as “positive and productive” by the White House.
In a social media video posted after the meeting, Netanyahu called it “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with the president of the United States,” adding that it touched on “our common goal: ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.”
Trump said he had a “very good meeting” with Netanyahu in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Obviously, many important subjects were discussed,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.
Tuesday’s meeting comes ahead of elections in Israel. The Reuters news agency cited unnamed sources as saying Netanyahu aimed to get Trump’s support for his reelection campaign ahead of the October 27 vote.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Huy4Skip next section US intercepts Iranian missile attack in Middle East07/29/2026July 29, 2026
US intercepts Iranian missile attack in Middle East
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it stopped an Iranian missile attack on Tuesday afternoon.
“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East,” CENTCOM said on X.
“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. US forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
CENTCOM did not specify where the missiles were fired.
American troops stationed on bases in the Gulf states as well as Jordan have been targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks this year.
The latest attack marks an end to a lull in fighting that has stretched for days.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Huy6Skip next section Welcome to our coverage07/29/2026July 29, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Zac Crellin | Rana Taha Editor
Welcome to our coverage of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Conflict has flared up again after the US reported that it intercepted an “surprise” missile attack from Iran against its troops in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed “productive” talks with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington.
Follow our blog for the latest updates. You can catch up on what happened on Tuesday, Jul 28 on our blog here.
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