Oil hits $100 barrel - Trump his Iranian civilians

• Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi: "Iranian doctrine is simple — attack us, attack back, and anyone who helps should not expect a seat in the audience."
• The deputy governor of Khuzestan reported that the death toll so far has reached  2 martyrs & 11 injuries as a result of the US attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran-Iraq  in southwestern Iran last night. The US terrorist state is now turning to bombing Iranian civilians. The IRGC says in response to US’ war criminal attack on a route used by pilgrims it retaliated.  This was a war crime.  

• US official told Reuters that the US military could get a whole lot more over extended if Yemen continues to block the Red Sea. “Naval assets, fighter jets, intel and dwindling munitions could come under further pressure.”
• Wall Street Journal: Special operations forces have deployed to the region from their US bases, according to flight tracking data and officials. Fighter squadrons have been deployed across the Middle East, and bomber aircraft at bases in the US and the UK are on high alert. Washington is bolstering its forces, medical personnel, and weapons in the region to give Trump broader military options regarding Iran.

• Yemen military: "Why have condemnations come from every country against Yemen over the blockade on Saudi Arabia? Where were you when Saudi Arabia was blockading our people for the past 12 years—and now? Where were your condemnations when Israel was bombing and besieging Gaza? A hypocritical world that understands only the language of force. A decision we have made—there is no turning back."
• An Israeli security source: We are preparing for a military operation larger than Operation Lion's Roar in Iran.
• Final vote total for the NDAA yesterday in House of Representatives which tragically merges our military technology, intel, surveillance and supply chains with Israel. There would be no Congressional oversight. Let’s hope this version fails in the Senate because Section 219 is a betrayal of our national sovereignty. 

• Iran Warns Bulgaria of Consequences for Hosting US Military Aircraft: An official representative of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly reacted to a statement by the Bulgarian Prime Minister regarding the consideration of a US request to deploy American military aircraft in the country for operations against Iran. Iran emphasized that the Bulgarian government is fully aware of the illegal nature of US attacks against Iran and their blatant violation of the UN Charter.
• Reuters: US intelligence analysts are investigating whether Russia helped Iran target CIA facilities in recent drone attacks across the Gulf, though no conclusions have been reached. The inquiry follows Iranian strikes that hit multiple CIA sites, including the CIA station at the US Embassy in Riyadh and another facility in eastern Iraq. 

• Yesterday two Saudi Arabian oil tankers from Yanbu were struck with several ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones by Yemen, 70km north of the Yemeni border. They caught on fire. 10 other ships were forced to turn away after being warned by Yemen amid the Red Sea blockade.
• Washington Post: U.S. signs nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that gives it path to enriching fuel. The agreement with a kingdom signaling it wants a nuclear weapon has sparked alarm among nonproliferation experts. Congress has 90 days to act on the deal. Then Trumps says the folloowing:

• Washington Post: House passes $1.15 trillion defense bill, tees up billions more for Iran war. The bipartisan consensus on defense collapsed as Republicans quashed objections from Democrats, who say Congress has failed to rein in Trump’s use of military force.

• Sky News UK citing a poll from YouGov: Only 6% of people in the UK would volunteer to fight for the country in the face of an "imminent"  invasion.  
• The Lavrov-Rubio meeting on the sidelines of ASEAN in Manilla was over after about 30 minutes. Russia’s top diplomat laid out Russian troops battlefield assessment directly to US secretary of state. Lavrov doubled down on Russia’s commitment to the US-floated proposals from the Alaska talks;  Lavrov drew a red line on continued Western arms flows to Kiev, warning Rubio that more weapons mean more escalation;  The pair tackled the strained state of US-Russia diplomatic missions, and how to get them back to normal;  Lavrov and Rubio then turned to the Persian Gulf, where both powers are watching a volatile strategic landscape.  Russia said this meeting was requested by the US. 

• Washington Post: Gig workers join Walmart and Amazon employees as top recipients of SNAP and Medicaid study finds. Amazon workers on federal aid nearly tripled between 2020 and 2025, while ride-hailing and food delivery app drivers shot up on lists compiled by the US Government Accountability Office.
• This photo was published by the United Venezuelan Socialist Party, founded by the late Hugo Chavez in 2007. Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela is shaking hands with Roni Kaplan, none other than the spokesman of the IDF in Spanish! He is a double Uruguayan-Israeli citizen against whom an official criminal complaint has been filed in Uruguay due to his complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Palestinian people. This IOF official alongside others have been parading their military uniforms in Venezuela freely!  Delcy Rodriguez met them to thank them before they leave Venezuela for their help after the devastating earthquake on 24 June. Venezuela cut ties with Israel 17 years ago. This is quite a shock!  Venezuelan government is under pressure from Trump to receive Israelis. On 24 July an anti Zionist march will take place in Caracas. 

• Nicolas Maduro’s trial date has been set for June 1, 2027.  The case has fallen apart by the US own documentation. Maduro has long accused the US of seeking his ⁠ouster to gain greater control of the OPEC nation's vast oil reserves. 

• CBS: A Pentagon watchdog report found that in the roughly two years since it was built, an ammunition plant in Mesquite, Texas, has not produced any parts for 155mm artillery rounds, hindering the Army's goal to help backfill stocks of ammunition for Ukraine. The Defense Department inspector general found that as of March 2026, the plant had not produced any metal projectile parts that met the specifications laid out in the contract and "the Army's expenditure of $469 million to establish the Mesquite facility could have been used to address other Army or [Department of Defense] priorities."

• South China Morning Post: India’s student-led “cockroach” protests, which began as anger over alleged entrance exam leaks, are now becoming a broader test of whether Prime Minister Modi’s government can contain young Indians’ frustration over education, jobs and accountability. The fast-growing movement gained political momentum on Tuesday when opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were forcibly removed after a gathering with about 100 fellow lawmakers outside Modi’s residence to condemn the use of force against student protesters. Analysts say the protests have exposed a rare opening for the opposition: a youth grievance that cuts across party lines, speaks directly to middle-class anxieties over opportunity and fairness and puts pressure on a ruling party more used to setting the political agenda.