Armed conflicts and attacks
Middle Eastern crisis
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy says it has stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Arab News)
2026 United States naval blockade of Iran
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says it has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one since the naval blockade on Iran resumed on July 14. (Middle East Eye)
July 2026 United States strikes against Iran
The Islamic Republic News Agency reports that the U.S. military struck the Shalamcheh area near the Iran–Iraq border. Two people are reported to be killed and 11 are reported injured. (The Guardian) (Middle East Eye)
The U.S. CENTCOM reports on X that they have conducted strikes against Iran for a 13th consecutive night amidst clashes over shipping routes, with explosions reported in Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, and Qeshm Island. (MENA via The New Arab) (WLS-TV)
Kuwait's defense ministry reports that a drone has hit the Abdali area near the Iraqi border. (KUNA via Arab Times Kuwait) (Kurdistan24)
The Houthis claim to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea for their violation of the blockade by Yemen's Houthi-led armed forces. There are no reported casualties. (Al Jazeera)
Shipping data shows that two Chinese very-large crude carriers carrying four million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil, the Singaporean-flagged VLCC Xin Long Yang and Chinese-flagged VLCC Cosnew Lake, are heading towards Bab-el-Mandeb strait. (Reuters)
Germany's defence ministry moves the Frankenthal-class minehunter Fulda and the replenishment oiler Mosel from the coast of Djibouti to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, citing uncertainty over a planned Strait of Hormuz mission and concerns about prolonged deployment affecting the vessels. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
Reuters reports that Iran sent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, along with drone- and missile-related equipment, on a Mahan Air flight to Houthi-controlled Yemen on July 13, in preparation for the blockade on Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
Sudanese civil war
Emergency lawyers report that a drone strike has killed several civilians in the Badia area of Sudan's Blue Nile State. (Sudan Tribune)
Business and economy
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war
Oil prices, including Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate, increase to over US$101 per barrel and to nearly $93 per barrel, respectively, after the escalation in the Red Sea. The United States gasoline national average increases to $4.09 per gallon. (NBC News)
Foie gras controversy
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signs a law banning the production and sale of foie gras, citing animal cruelty. The measure effectively ends Brazilian imports of the product. (Reuters)
Tariffs in the second Trump administration
The United States imposes tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, citing forced-labor concerns. The duties take effect Friday and exempt USMCA-covered goods and products already subject to sector-specific tariffs. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)