West Asia war LIVE: International benchmark oil prices cross $100 per barrel

July 23, 2026 22:22 U.K. government slams Houthi tanker strikes as 'serious violation'Britain today strongly condemned strikes by Iran’s Houthi allies on Saudi shipping which have sent oil prices soaring.

“These reckless actions endanger lives, risk environmental catastrophe and regional stability, in serious violation of international law,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and urge the Houthis to stop,” it added in a post on X.- AFPJuly 23, 2026 22:10 Trump seriously considering restarting major combat operations in IranU.

S. President Donald ‌Trump told Axios in an ⁠interview today that ‌he is seriously ‌considering restarting ‌major ⁠combat ⁠operations in Iran, which could include larger ‌strikes than those carried out ‌during “Operaton Epic Fury,” the news outlet ⁠reported.“They haven’t received enough ‌pain yet,” Axios quoted Mr.

Trump as saying, adding ‌that Trump said he had ⁠not yet made ⁠a final decision.- ReutersJuly 23, 2026 22:01 Pakistan vows retaliation against any attack on its vessels amid West Asia conflictPakistan today vowed “swift” retaliation to any hostile act against vessels carrying its flag or maritime interests in the Red Sea, warning that such acts will be regarded as “grave threats” to its national security.Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi’s remarks at a weekly press briefing came after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the day.

Mr. Andrabi said that any attack against Pakistani-flagged vessels or against its commercial vessels will be “treated as an attack against Pakistan and will be swiftly retaliated” against.The hostile act will be regarded as a grave threat to its national security, he said, adding: “We will do so in our exercise of self-defence.”

Pakistan has so far avoided being drawn into the armed conflict despite a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia.- PTIJuly 23, 2026 21:41 U.S.

House votes to halt Iran war, in another symbolic rebuke of TrumpThe Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation today directing President Donald Trump to halt U.

S. ‌military action against Iran, the latest symbolic rebuke of the Republican president from ⁠Congress.The vote was 214-208 in favor of the war powers resolution as four Republicans joined Democrats ‌in voting for it.

The resolution, introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal, a ‌Washington Democrat, directs Mr. Trump “to remove the ‌use of ⁠United States Armed Forces from hostilities” ⁠against Iran unless Congress authorizes it. However, it was largely symbolic.

Lawmakers have passed similar resolutions repeatedly in recent months, but they ‌have not led to cessation of the war.- ReutersJuly 23, 2026 21:15 Germany 'very worried' about risk of West Asia 'escalation', says MinisterGermany is “very worried” that attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militants risk escalation of conflicts in the region, the country’s Defence Minister said today.“Recent developments, specifically concerning the Houthis and Saudi Arabian tankers, raise concerns that an escalation could be imminent,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that the situation has “dire consequences” for those living in the region and global energy supplies.

- AFPJuly 23, 2026 20:44 Israel says Saudi recognition would be 'historic' for regional peaceIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would be a significant step towards peace in West Asia.“Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East [West Asia]”, Mr. Netanyahu’s office said after U.

S. President Donald Trump announced that a U.S.

-Saudi nuclear deal would be contingent on the kingdom recognising Israel.-AFPJuly 23, 2026 19:44 Iran war risks pushing up inflation: ECB's LagardeFresh fighting in West Asia means inflation could now trend higher than expected, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said today.“The risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside,” she said at a press conference after the bank announced it was keeping its key deposit rate unchanged.

“The energy shock could intensify further and its effects on other prices and wages could be stronger than currently expected.”- AFPJuly 23, 2026 19:40 ASEAN calls for open straits as U.S.

-Iran war casts shadowForeign ministers from fuel-stressed Southeast Asia called for freedom of navigation in international straits today as they wrapped a week of meetings largely overshadowed by the U.S.-Iran war.

A joint communique issued at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Manila also repeated calls for self-restraint in the West Asia conflict that has carried economic ripple effects throughout the region.Visiting U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week warned ASEAN envoys that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a “dangerous precedent”.“There