The United States has fired on an oil tanker attempting to reach Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating its blockade of Iranian ports. US forces targeted coastal defenses, missile sites, and positions farther north, with state media reporting strikes for the first time on Tehran. The US also disabled the unladen tanker by firing Hellfire missiles into its smokestack after it ignored multiple warnings.
Iran Responds with Attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait
Iran retaliated by attacking sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. These escalating attacks come days after a ceasefire between the two sides appeared to have collapsed entirely, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.
Other Regional Developments
Donald Trump announced that Iran released a US citizen detained since 2024, identified as Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Israel is determined to keep its forces in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
22nd Death in ICE Custody This Year
A Venezuelan man, Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, 45, died on Monday while being transferred between detention facilities in Georgia. He was found unresponsive on a transport bus, and ICE cited cardiac arrest as the suspected cause. His family and immigrant rights groups allege that ICE failed to provide necessary medications for an unnamed condition, despite pleas during his arrest last week.
Mexico Requests Criminal Investigation
Mexico has formally requested that US state attorneys general criminally investigate cases of immigrants who died in ICE custody or during raids. Since the start of Donald Trump's second term, 17 Mexican immigrants have died during immigration enforcement—14 in ICE custody and three in agency operations.
JD Vance Admits Errors Over Epstein Files Release
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that the Trump administration mishandled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, telling podcast host Joe Rogan: 'We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did.' The files have been a significant political liability for Trump. Lawmakers passed a measure compelling the release of documents related to federal investigations of Epstein, but heavily redacted files and missed deadlines drew criticism.
Other News Highlights
Lionel Messi and Argentina will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup final after a comeback victory over England. The House defeated a measure to slash military aid to Israel, but over 100 Democrats voted for it. House Republicans revived the Save America Act by adding it to the spending bill to ban mail-in ballots and impose voter ID requirements. Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Ukraine's defense minister despite pleas from foreign partners. The Treasury announced a new $1 coin featuring Donald Trump, the first time a living US president appears on currency.
Stat of the Day: Over 500 Feared Dead in Shipwrecks off Myanmar
The UN reports that more than 500 people are feared dead after two large shipwrecks off Myanmar since late June. The vessels departed from Myanmar's Rakhine state, carrying mainly Rohingya Muslims.
Climate Check: Global Heating Supercharged West Africa Floods
Scientists concluded that rains causing floods in West Africa were supercharged by climate breakdown. Dozens drowned, hundreds were rescued, and thousands were displaced when floods struck coastal areas last month. Global heating turned a routine weather event into a climate catastrophe.
Last Thing: Australian Woman Bitten by Deadly Snake Caught in Bike Wheel
A woman in her 60s is recovering after being bitten by an eastern brown snake, the world's second most venomous snake, which became entangled in her bike chain in Australia.
