Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi issued an especially insulting response to Defense Minister Israel Katz's remarks that Israel was considering independent action against Iran. "POTUS has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them," Araqchi said.
Senior American envoys deploy to Qatar Tuesday to salvage a fragile ceasefire after escalating tensions and drone strikes in the Persian Gulf.
After an Iranian drone hit an oil tanker carrying more than 2 million oil barrels, US Central Command forces struck military infrastructure, defense systems and drone facilities. Iran attacked Kuwait and Bahrain. President Donald Trump issued a threatening message: "The Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist."
Several senior figures from a Sunni political party were arrested as part of a massive corruption case that has shaken Iraq. The politicians were arrested after local court rulings stripped them of their parliamentary immunity.
A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals that Iranian missile and drone attacks caused unprecedented damage to at least 20 US sites. The Pentagon is now considering moving command centers underground, reducing forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and shifting operations westward to move them out of the line of fire
Tehran rejects statements by IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi, while the IRGC forces three vessels to turn back from the strategic waterway.
Tehran insists that only shipping lanes it has approved are legitimate for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned of measures against vessels that violate the directives.
Iran's judiciary said more than 3,000 citizens had been arrested on suspicion of cooperating with Israel. According to the judiciary spokesman, 684 of the detainees will be charged with carrying out "operational activities" for Israel, while 1,258 will be charged with political propaganda against the regime.
The US Treasury Department issued a temporary 60-day license allowing the production, sale and delivery of Iranian oil, a step promised under the memorandum of understanding to end the war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran had agreed in return to free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into its territory.
Iran’s oil exports are returning to levels seen during the original nuclear deal. While its nuclear project has suffered severe blows, the new cash flow threatens to rebuild its missile array and regional terror proxies within months
