★USA
U.S. Expands Iran Campaign After Crippling Coastal Defenses
CENTCOM launched a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military capabilities used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported strikes or explosions in Tabriz, Bandar Mahshahr, Bandar Imam Khomeini, Konarak, Chabahar, Sirik, Hormozgan, and Bushehr. During the eighth night, U.S. forces struck coastal-surveillance and air-defense sites, naval assets, aircraft and drone storage facilities, missile depots, coastal radars, observation towers, and anti-ship missile batteries. Targets included Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Qeshm, Sirik, Jask, Shahid Rajaee Port, Hengam, Greater Tunb, Abu Musa, Semnan, Khorramabad, Khondab, and Ilam. CENTCOM said the campaign’s initial phase struck more than 80 targets, including command centers, anti-ship missile positions, and dozens of IRGC boats near Hormuz. Washington is also deploying additional F-16s, F-35s, and aerial-refueling aircraft to the region, signaling preparations for a sustained air campaign.
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★IRAN
Iranian Drone Ordnance Kills U.S. Soldier In Iraq
CENTCOM announced that a U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance recovered from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. The incident was separate from Friday’s Iranian attack in Jordan that killed two U.S. personnel and left another missing, bringing the confirmed number of American military deaths from the latest escalation to three. U.S. forces also recovered unidentified remains at the site of Friday’s Iranian attack in Jordan, but officials have not confirmed whether they belong to the American service member still listed as missing.
Iran Again Strikes Kuwait’s Power And Desalination Infrastructure
Iran struck another Kuwaiti electricity-generation and water-desalination facility Sunday, causing a fire and disrupting multiple generating units. Kuwaiti authorities activated emergency plans and began repairs while working to maintain grid stability. Reports described the incident as the second attack on the facility in two days and the third strike against Kuwait’s power-and-water infrastructure in three days.
Jordan Intercepts Iranian Missiles And Summons Diplomat
Jordan intercepted three of four Iranian missiles launched toward the Kingdom, while a fourth fell in an uninhabited area without causing casualties or damage. Jordan and Israel separately intercepted another missile headed toward Aqaba. Amman summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires, condemned the attacks as unjustified aggression, and protested official Iranian statements and state-linked media incitement against Jordan.
Iran Says U.S. Struck Darkhovin Nuclear Project
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said U.S. forces struck the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power project in Khuzestan Province early Sunday, calling the attack a violation of international law and part of Washington’s expanding campaign against Iranian strategic infrastructure. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the site was still in the early stages of construction and contained no nuclear material during its last inspection, adding there was no apparent radiological risk. The United States has not confirmed the strike, and the extent of any damage remains unclear.
Hormuz Traffic Collapses As Oil Surpasses $90
Only four vessels reportedly transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, down from eight Saturday, as competing U.S. and Iranian restrictions further disrupted commercial shipping. Brent crude rose above $90 per barrel, while the United States continued enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran threatened to prevent oil and gas shipments through the strait.
Araghchi Urges Continued Diplomacy While Admitting Security Breach
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that the security breach which enabled the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains unresolved, warning it extends beyond intelligence leaks and may be influencing Iran’s decision-making. He said Iranian security agencies are still investigating the penetration. Despite ongoing U.S. strikes, Araghchi urged Tehran to continue negotiations with Washington, arguing that even a 10% chance of success justifies diplomacy because war carries far greater costs and negotiations demonstrate Iran has exhausted peaceful options.
Iran Claims Third U.S. LUCAS Drone Downed
Iran claimed Sunday that its forces shot down two U.S. drones in separate incidents: a LUCAS one-way attack drone over southern Iran and an MQ-9 Reaper over Ahvaz. Tehran said the LUCAS was intercepted by naval and national air defenses, while the MQ-9 was destroyed by a newly deployed IRGC air-defense system. Iranian media described the American system as a copy of Iran’s Shahed drone. The announcements bring Iran’s unverified claims this week to three LUCAS drones and two MQ-9s, including a July 16 claim near Andimeshk. Iranian media described the LUCAS as an American copy of the Iranian Shahed. Iran released no wreckage, imagery, serial numbers, or precise location for the LUCAS incident, and CENTCOM has not confirmed any of the reported losses.
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★LEBANON
Aoun And Rubio Discuss Israeli Withdrawal
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Beirut and Washington should align on implementing the trilateral framework, beginning with an Israeli withdrawal from the first designated pilot area. Rubio reaffirmed U.S. support for restoring Lebanese state sovereignty throughout the country.
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★IRAQ
Iraq Arrests Suspect In Syria Arms-Smuggling Case
Anbar police arrested Saleh Mohammed Saleh in the al-Sufiya area over an alleged weapons-smuggling operation from Iraq into Syria. Iraqi authorities reportedly detained several additional suspects, while the investigation remains ongoing. The arrests have not yet been publicly confirmed by Iraq’s Interior Ministry or Security Media Cell.
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★TURKIYE
Turkiye Threatens Air Support For Iran If Kurdish Forces Advance
Turkiye reportedly warned it would provide air support to Iran if Kurdish forces entered Iranian territory under an alleged Mossad-backed ground operation, according to Israeli officials. The report said Israel planned to back Iranian Kurdish groups advancing from Iraq with air cover after strikes in western Iran. It also claimed Israeli contacts with the groups continued for more than a year before the conflict.
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★ Disclaimer: This publication is a digest of various news sources compiled by the Early Phoenix team and edited by Rania Kisar. The items are curated, concise summaries of news items hyperlinked within each story. The items and summaries presented do not necessarily represent the views of the American Center for Levant Studies.
