Wednesday

July 1, 2026

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis

2026 Iran war

2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations

Islamabad Memorandum

United States vice president JD Vance says that Iran and the U.S. have held technical talks based on the recent 14-point memorandum of understanding in Doha, Qatar, to discuss the Strait of Hormuz. He also states that the U.S. will not return to military action unless necessary. (Haaretz) (Reuters)

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

South Korea's ocean ministry says that the Panamaflagged cargo vessel HMM Namu will leave the Strait of Hormuz in mid-July once major repair is complete on the vessel after it was attacked in a explosion on May 4 while it was stranded in the waterway. (Reuters)

Iranian state television reports that a foreign container ship was grounded in shallow waters after using an unapproved route through the strait. (MS Now)

Gaza war

The Israeli military confirms that that they have launched strikes in the northern Gaza Strip that killed four militants of the Hamas military wing Al-Qassam Brigades and destroyed several missile launchers used by the organization. (India Today) (The Jerusalem Post)

Myanmar civil war

ACLED reports that more than 100,000 people have died from the civil war in Myanmar since the military junta took power in the coup d'état in 2021. (AFP via The Irrawaddy) (SBS News)

2026 Thessaloniki firebombs

A firebombing on the homes of ruling New Democracy party members in Thessaloniki, Greece, kills one person and injures three others. (AP)

Arts and culture

Sony says it will stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical optical discs from January 2028, citing consumer preference for digital media, and will offer new titles through the PlayStation Store and other digital retailers. (AFP via France 24)

Religion in the United Arab Emirates

The Emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates reopens its Catholic churches, including St. Mary's and St. Francis of Assisi in Jebel Ali, after three months of closure amidst the Iran war. (Gulf News)