🇮🇷 Iran in Oman Talks as U.S. Demands Hormuz Pledge
Iran's foreign minister arrived in Oman on Saturday for talks on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington demanding a public pledge guaranteeing free and secure transit through the strategic waterway.
Trump declared the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran over, while also saying both sides had agreed to continue negotiations. No attacks were reported on Friday or early Saturday. Analysts warn Iran could gain significant strategic leverage if it retains effective control over the strait, through which a significant share of global oil shipments pass.
🪖 Russia Hits Kyiv With 121 Drones and Ballistic Missiles
Russia launched a large overnight strike on Kyiv on 11 July, injuring at least 10 people, including a child, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine's air force reported the attack comprised 6 Iskander ballistic missiles, 4 Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, 2 Kh-31 anti-radiation missiles, and 121 attack drones — one of the largest combined salvos of recent weeks in what officials describe as one of the war's deadliest months.
🇮🇷 Trump: 1,000 Missiles Aimed at Iran if He Is Targeted
President Donald Trump announced Friday he has ordered the military to be prepared to launch strikes against Iran if Tehran carries out or attempts an assassination of the U.S. president.
"1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President," Trump stated.
The warning comes amid what Trump described as Iranian threats against his life circulating globally.
🕌 Israeli Strikes Cause Catastrophic Damage to Lebanon's Historic Sites
Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon have caused widespread destruction, damaging historic landmarks and cultural heritage sites across the region.
The strikes have left significant structural damage to sites of historical significance, with the scale of destruction described as catastrophic. Southern Lebanon has been the focus of sustained Israeli military operations.
The damage to heritage sites adds a cultural dimension to the ongoing conflict's toll on Lebanon's civilian infrastructure and national patrimony.
🪖 Ukraine Launches European Drive for Homegrown Patriot Alternative
Ukraine is set to hold its first coalition meeting in France "in the coming days" to develop Freya, a domestically designed ballistic missile defense system intended as a cheaper alternative to the U.S. Patriot.
President Zelensky is rallying European allies to back the project as Ukraine seeks to reduce dependence on Western-supplied air defense systems against Russia's ongoing ballistic missile campaign.
Environmentalists Sue Europe’s Largest Port to Force Radical Fossil Fuel Divestment
The Port of Rotterdam Authority faces a major legal challenge from environmental advocacy group Advocates for the Future, demanding a concrete phase-out plan for coal, oil, and gas.
The sprawling logistics hub hosts five massive oil refineries, with the fossil fuels passing through the port generating 600 megatonnes of CO2 annually—exceeding the carbon output of many entire nations.
Activists argue that as a state-owned enterprise, the port has a binding legal obligation to actively accelerate the green transition.