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Iran live updates: Gulf countries under attack after US completes 3rd round of retaliatory strikes

The U.S. strikes came after a cargo ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 1:38 AM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations last month aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran nonetheless exchanged limited strikes in late June despite the signing of the memorandum and amid the continuation of peace talks.

Jul 11, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT

Oman talks wind down with no breakthrough

As talks in Oman wind down, the key delegations are departing without any signs of an immediate breakthrough -- but there’s still a chance that could change in the coming hours, according to a U.S. official and another source familiar.

Public statements from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart indicate only that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was discussed during the meeting -- obviously falling well short of the Trump administration’s demand for a public statement from Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and vessels transiting through it are safe from attacks.

However, the sources said Araghchi is returning to Iran with an Omani proposal for managing the Strait of Hormuz that would see the southern lane of the waterway operate unimpeded, but require ships traveling in the northern lane, which runs through Iran’s territorial waters, to receive approval from -- but not pay a toll to -- Tehran.

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman, U.A.E., on July 10, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images

Other proposals for dividing the waterway were also considered, the sources added.

At this point, it’s unclear if the Omani plan has the full support of the Trump administration or if it can win approval from Iranian leadership. But it was always expected that the Iranian delegation in Oman would need to return to their country to consult top levels of leadership before moving forward or even issuing a more substantial statement, leaving the door open for now.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Jul 11, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT

Huckabee confirms 'very specific plot' to kill Trump

Israeli intelligence "tipped off" the U.S. to "a very specific plot" to assassinate President Donald Trump, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Fox News Saturday.

"This week Israeli intelligence tipped off our side to -- the president and our officials -- that there was a very specific plot that was designed to take out President Trump," Huckabee told a Fox News anchor, who asked him how the U.S. could negotiate with a country that wants to kill the president.

Huckabee said that while the issue was "pretty serious," it was important to note Iran has long threatened the U.S.

His answer on Fox News contradicted Trump, who told the New York Post that "Israel came up with nothing" when asked about the plot, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Huckabee said he couldn't say whether the president took a different plane specifically because of the plot when departing Ankara.

Jul 11, 2026, 3:39 PM EDT

US teams not present in Oman for Iran talks

U.S. negotiators are not present in Oman for talks with Iran, a U.S. official told ABC News Saturday.

"US technical teams will not be present in Oman but will be in touch with the Omanis and Qataris as developments occur," the official said.

On Friday, a senior U.S. official had said that negotiations would resume in Oman, but did not say if U.S. teams would be physically present. Another U.S. official said they expected Iran to publicly say they’ll stop attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz after those talks, but according to the statement from Iran’s official news agency IRNA, no such commitment was made.

Iran’s official news agency IRNA said Omani and Iranian officials discussed “mechanisms for the safe passage of ships” and stressed Oman’s position on “the use of diplomacy to prevent the escalation of tension in the region.”


-ABC News' Selina Wang

Jul 11, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge for his father's death

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that avenging his slain predecessor and father was "the demand of the nation" and "must certainly" take place, according to a message released by state television.

Khamenei issued the message on the occasion of funeral ceremonies for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held months after he was killed in the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

"We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," Khamenei said in the message.

-ABC News' Rashid Haddou

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