Middle East War

[phkrause]

No smooth sailing through Hormuz

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are resuming faster than many analysts predicted. But new hostilities are threatening the trend, Axios' Ben Geman reports. Marine traffic jumped last week before pulling back after a container ship was attacked Thursday, per multiple vessel-tracking services. 🛢️ Marine intel firm Windward reported that oil volumes leaving Hormuz reached 13.4 million barrels on June 24, and 11.7 million barrels on June 25. That's by far the highest since the war started — but well below the roughly 20 million prewar number. 🤔 Reality check: The situation is tenuous, with many trackers showing a drop in shipping traffic Friday and over the weekend. The U.S. struck Iranian targets on Friday and Saturday in response to Iranian actions in recent days, including what U.S. officials called an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps drone strike on a commercial oil tanker. Analysts are also watching how many empty ships enter the waterway to load up after the recent jump in outbound tankers. Landon Derentz, senior director at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, says: "I wouldn't confuse a burst of outbound shipments with a return to normal." Go deeper. 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 What's next: The U.S. and Iranian sides plan to hold talks in Qatar this week to sort out their dispute over the strait, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

[phkrause]

Iran says this. The US says that. A guide to what they appear to disagree about now The 60-day clock is ticking on further talks between the United States and Iran on the interim deal, but it’s not even clear when negotiators will meet again. Read more.

What to know: Other issues include control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says shippers must use its designated routes and coordinate with its authorities. It has objected to a new route overseen by the U.S. that runs along Oman. That sparked the fighting over the weekend.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ The Strait of Hormuz’s future is unsettled in wake of latest strikes   Israeli troops face resistance from residents as they push into a town in Syria

[phkrause]

Peace talks

Qatar says indirect US-Iran talks have made "positive progress," offering a hopeful sign for diplomacy. Meanwhile, the US Navy is searching for a crew member after a helicopter made an emergency landing Wednesday in the Arabian Sea, underscoring the ongoing risks troops face even as talks halt fighting. Read more.   Gaza faces uncertain future as Palestinians and Israelis mark 1,000 days of war It’s the 1,000th day since a Hamas-led attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Other conflicts have emerged in the region, and fragile ceasefires show scars of persistent attacks. Both Israelis and Palestinians are weary of the strain. https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinian-israel-thousand-days-war-ceasefire-f81c32c32a96cd7dd7952ef9b70b06b3?

[phkrause]

Hamas dissolves its government in Gaza to transfer power to a UN-backed committee

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group said Monday it had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-hamas-war-government-146f9a609580d4c8c42ab35fbe60d5b3?

US launches new strikes against Iran after three ships were hit in Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military launched new strikes against Iran early Wednesday, hours after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest exchange of fire to threaten the interim deal to end the fighting between the two countries.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-4732228810c9839a1258309ad43b8289?

[phkrause]

US carries out another round of strikes on Iran after Trump says ceasefire is over

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-july-8-2026-fee04dcea661c08de12c04914ff2751b?

[phkrause]

US launches new airstrikes on Iran, with Tehran firing back at 3 Gulf Arab states

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by hitting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Persian Gulf.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-july-8-2026-fee04dcea661c08de12c04914ff2751b?

ps:I wonder how much longer the other Arab states are going to keep taking the pounding from Iran before they start telling the U.S. they've had enough and tell them to stop this ignorant war?????

Iran Ceasefire Collapses

The US carried out a new wave of airstrikes against Iran hours after President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was “over.” See live updates here. The US accuses Iran of attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, after requiring all vessels passing through the strait to use an approved route. In response, the US says it struck Iran’s air defense system and over 60 small boats used by its paramilitary. The US also revoked a waiver allowing the sale of Iranian oil on the international market. The standoff surrounds Iran’s ongoing promises to charge fees on ships passing through the strait, potentially in exchange for guaranteeing their safe passage (what’s the difference between a fee and a toll?). The latest flare-up comes as Iran plans to bury former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today, capping a nearly weeklong funeral procession. See scenes from the procession here. (w/photo)

[phkrause]

🛢️ Trump shifts to battle for Hormuz

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The White House is preparing for what could become a multiday or even multiweek exchange of fire with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: A war that began with the goal of degrading Iran's missile capabilities and destroying what remained of its nuclear program has evolved into an open-ended fight over the world's most important energy chokepoint. A U.S. official said the current escalation could last a day or two, a week or a month, depending on whether Iran continues attacking commercial ships in the strait. "We're going to slap them a bit so they understand we're not f*cking around," the U.S. official said. Keep reading.