Iran on Monday accused the United States of behaving like Islamic State following threats of strikes against civilian infrastructure.Iranian foreign minister Esmail Baghaei said a reported attack on a watchtower in the southeastern city of Chabahar, as well as recent threats against bridges and power plants, were reminiscent of the conduct of “terrorist groups like ISIS”.He said the actions were “completely incompatible with international law and the principles of civilised humanitarian conduct”.Iran has also been accused of war crimes in recent days via the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including a vital desalination plant in Kuwait.Both sides traded strikes for a ninth consecutive day on Monday as the US was said to be preparing for a greater escalation, according to a report.An American official familiar with internal discussions told the Washington Post that the US is still “planning for a wider war” by rushing military aircraft to the region as hopes of a return to diplomacy fade.The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that US operations would be limited by low stockpiles of air defences and long-range munitions, however.Recap: Pentagon withheld dozens of US military injuries during Iran war - reportDozens of US service members were injured in a fresh Iranian attack on Friday, several US officials have said, despite no announcement from the Pentagon.The attacks injured US forces and damaged helicopters, they told the New York Times on condition of anonymity.Those strikes were not disclosed by the Pentagon, however, which an official said is not required to release information about injured service members.The NYT cast the revelation as the latest example of friction between the Pentagon’s insistence on security versus the government’s obligation to be transparent with the public about its war conduct.James Reynolds20 July 2026 14:00In full: Oil prices surpass 90 dollars a barrel after fresh attacks in US-Iran warOil prices have risen above 90 dollars a barrel for the first time in nearly six weeks as investor hopes of an effective peace deal between the US and Iran crumble.The US carrying out a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran early on Monday helped spark fresh volatility in the world’s energy markets.The price of Brent crude oil rose by about 1.5% to surpass 90 US dollars a barrel on Monday morning for the first time since early June.Read the full story:James Reynolds20 July 2026 13:30Burnham says first calls will be to Trump and ZelenskyBritain’s new prime minister said on Monday that among his first calls to foreign leaders will be to US president Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.He said he would make clear to Zelenskiy that there would be "no change" in Britain's backing for Ukraine and that he would support the Ukrainian leader "100%" as his predecessor Keir Starmer had done.Trump had criticised the UK’s policy on Iran under Starmer, saying Britain should be more involved in trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.James Reynolds20 July 2026 13:11James Reynolds20 July 2026 13:00Ryanair profits slump as Iran war sends jet fuel prices soaringRyanair has reported a significant slump in its quarterly profits, with figures falling by more than a third, as the budget airline grappled with a doubling of jet fuel prices and a strategic decision to lower fares.The Irish carrier announced a 34 per cent drop in after-tax profits, reaching €538 million (£457 million) for the three months ending in June.This downturn was primarily attributed to surging jet fuel costs, which impacted the 20 per cent of its fuel requirements not covered by hedging agreements, alongside a 6 per cent reduction in average fares.James Reynolds20 July 2026 12:30Pentagon withheld dozens of US military injuries during Iran war: reportDozens of US service members were injured in a fresh Iranian attack on Friday, several US officials have said, despite no announcement from the Pentagon.The attacks injured US forces and damaged helicopters, they told the New York Times on condition of anonymity.Those strikes were not disclosed by the Pentagon, however, which an official said is not required to release information about injured service members.The NYT cast the revelation as the latest example of friction between the Pentagon’s insistence on security versus the government’s obligation to be transparent with the public about its war conduct.James Reynolds20 July 2026 12:00Oil prices up 2 per cent as Iran and US inch closer to all out warOil prices jumped more than 2% on Monday, with Brent crude above $90 a barrel as the U.S. and Iran moved closer to resuming an all-out war.Brent crude, the international standard, rose 2.6% to $90.40 per barrel and benchmark U.S. crude climbed 2.2% to $83.58 per barrel.Early Monday, the U.S. announced more attacks for a ninth straight night. Iran has been responding to strikes by hitting U.S.-allies across the Middle East.“The U.S. and Iran continue to exchange strikes, which are proving to be deadly for both sides,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a commentary Monday.“If this escalation goes unchecked, we could return to an environment of wide-scale attacks across the Persian Gulf.”Read the full story:James Reynolds20 July 2026 11:30Iran congratulates 'friendly' Spain on World Cup winIranian president Masoud Pezeshian took to social media to congratulate Spain on their World Cup win.“I congratulate the people and government of Spain on the national football team's success and well-deserved championship title in the World Cup,” he said this morning.“The joy of the friendly people and government of Spain is the joy of the people and government of Iran.”James Reynolds20 July 2026 11:00Iran still hearing from mediators: foreign ministryIran continues to receive messages from intermediaries despite the apparent halt to talks aimed at ending the war, the foreign ministry said today.Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected the dichotomy of war or diplomacy and said Iran would use both as a “tool” to pursue its national interests.James Reynolds20 July 2026 10:30Iran to 'pursue diplomacy based on its national interests'Tehran pursues war and diplomacy based on its national interests, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after being asked whether the door to talks with the U.S. was now closed.“I reject the duality of either war or diplomacy. Diplomacy is a tool through which we pursue our national interests, just like war,” Esmaeil Baghaei said.James Reynolds20 July 2026 10:00