Rubio Meets With Lebanese President Ahead Of Discussions With Trump
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed Lebanon for its "move towards peace" following a meeting with the embattled Middle East nation's president, Joseph Aoun, in Washington on July 19.
The secretary "commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," the State Department said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Aoun is expected meet with US President Donald Trump later this week to present a plan on how to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. Aoun would become is the first Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years to visit the White House.
Israeli forces occupy a large strip of Lebanon's south, while hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens remain displaced following Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah has rejected the Lebanese government's direct talks with Israel.
Israel has said its attacks on southern Lebanon and areas around Beirut are designed to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah militants who have launched missiles into Israeli territory.
France Summons Iranian Diplomat Over Detention Of Embassy Staff
France's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's charge d'affaires on July 21 after two French Embassy staff members were detained by Iranian security services in Tehran, with one allegedly physically assaulted.
"France expects the Iranian authorities to shed full light on this incident, to bring those responsible to justice, and to guarantee the security of our premises and personnel, in accordance with their international obligations," the ministry said.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on July 20 that "two agents of the French Embassy in Iran were the target of an extremely serious act of intimidation by the Iranian security services, in blatant violation of the diplomatic immunities from which they benefit."
Barrot said the two staff members were "detained without reason for several hours" and "questioned," while "one of them was physically assaulted," before they were able to return to the French Embassy.
"This extremely serious and unacceptable violation of the integrity of our agents cannot remain without consequences," Barrot said, adding that he had conveyed the message to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi.
Could The US-Iran Battle For Hormuz Be A Win For Russia And China?
MANILA -- For years, policymakers in Washington have viewed Asia primarily through the lens of Taiwan, the South China Sea, and China's military rise. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has only reinforced that perspective, cementing Europe and East Asia as the principal arenas of geopolitical competition.
But security experts in Southeast Asia increasingly argue that another crisis thousands of kilometers away in the Middle East may ultimately reshape the regional balance of power far more profoundly than either Ukraine or Taiwan.
The strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes, has become impossible for governments across Southeast Asia to ignore.
As tensions involving Iran threaten one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, analysts say the consequences are already altering regional calculations about security, diplomacy, and alliances.
To read the full analysis, click here.
Qatar: Iran Must Pay For Damages From Recent Attacks
The Qatari government has sent letters to the United Nations and the Security Council condemning Iran's recent attacks on its territory.
The letters refer to Iran's reported attack on the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7 and its missile strike on Qatar on July 12. Doha has accused Iran of violating international law and demanded that Tehran compensate for all damages caused by these attacks.
The two letters were sent on July 20 to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Zenon Mukono Ngai, the rotating president of the Security Council in July.
Qatar described Iran's attacks on its territory as "blatant aggressions," which, according to Doha, are a "dangerous and unacceptable" escalation that "directly" threatens the country's security and stability, as well as regional and international peace and security.
Qatar said it holds Iran fully responsible for the consequences of these actions, adding Tehran is legally obligated to compensate for all damages caused by these attacks.
The letters emphasized Qatar's right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, adding that the country will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to preserve its sovereignty, protect its citizens and residents, and defend its territorial integrity.
In Iran's South, A Renewed War Means No Power, No Fuel, And Boats Lost
Some blame Tehran. Others blame Washington. But pretty much everyone on Iran's southern coast can agree on one thing: The renewal of air strikes between the United States and Iran is hitting hard, bringing a summer without electricity, fuel, or a way to make a living.
Across the shores of Khuzestan and Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, and along the Makran coast in Hormozgan on the Sea of Oman, life has long been tied to the water.
But recent US strikes -- which Washington says were sparked by Iranian attacks on commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz -- on ports, vessels, and fishing boats have upended the livelihoods of fishermen, sailors, and anyone dependent on maritime trade.
"So many boats have sunk, gone under the missiles," a resident of the south said in a video shared on social media. "So many boats burned… Forget the money -- think how many lives were lost."
Read more here
Iranian President Claims Interaction With Supreme Leader Khamenei Increasing
- By RFE/RL
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian says access and interaction with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since an air strike on February 28 killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is increasing.
Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the National Day of Industry and Mining on July 21, Pezeshkian said "measures have been organized based on his [Mojtaba Khamenei's] guidelines" with regard to the war with the United States.
Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly seriously wounded in the same Israeli air strike that killed his father and has not been seen in public since his succession in March. The son and successor of Iran’s longtime leader, was even out of sight earlier this month throughout elaborate mourning ceremonies and rallies for his father.
While the 56-year-old has made written statements, no image, video, or voice recording of him has been issued.
Despite his absence from public life, Mojtaba Khamenei still plays a prominent role in war strategy and managing peace talks with the United States, according to US intelligence.
Nearly 100 US Troops Injured in Iranian Attacks Since July 7, Says Pentagon
The US Department of Defense says that dozens of American soldiers have been injured in Iranian attacks over the past two weeks.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on X on July 20 that “nearly 100 service members were deemed to have some degree of injury since July 7.” He added that 96 percent of them had already returned to duty and were “determined to get back in the fight.”
Parnell described the “vast majority” of the injuries as “minor concussions.”
Over the past 10 days, the Iranian government has responded to overnight US strikes in southern Iran by launching missiles at American military bases in Arab countries across the Persian Gulf.
After three American soldiers were killed in these attacks, The New York Times published a report on July 20 alleging that the Pentagon had “withheld dozens of US injuries” in the Iran war.
Hours before releasing the latest casualty figure, Parnell rejected the claims made in the report, saying they were "baseless and malicious."
Iranian Interior Minister Visits Pakistan
Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Islamabad late on July 20 for talks with top Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The Iranian delegation was welcomed by Pakistan Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, at Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi. Briefly speaking to reporters, Momeni said the two sides would discuss bilateral relations, trade and development, among other issues.
Pakistan and Iran share a 900-kilometer border with ethnic Baluch communities mostly living on either side of the geographical divide. The border region is also used by armed religious and sectarian groups that periodically launch attacks in both countries.
The militant and separatist violence has frequently strained ties between Tehran and Islamabad, who otherwise claim to enjoy cordial relations.
In January 2024, Iran carried out missile and drone strikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province to target the Iranian Baloch militant group, Jaish al-Adl. Two days later, Pakistan retaliated with air strikes in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan Province, claiming that they targeted the hideouts of Pakistani Baloch separatists.
Despite these tensions, Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Senior Pakistani officials held repeated diplomatic contacts with Tehran as Islamabad sought to broker a cease-fire between the two sides.
Pakistan also recently hosted the first direct talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, the first since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran Claims To Have Struck Amazon Data Infrastructure In Bahrain
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims it "destroyed" what it described as Amazon's "central data infrastructure" in Bahrain in a cruise missile strike in the early hours of July 21.
Earlier, its Aerospace Force also claimed it had carried out "extensive missile and drone attacks" against "a Patriot air defense system and a US forces radar in Muharraq and a Patriot system in Riffa, Bahrain."
Additionally, the IRGC said it targeted facilities at the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base and a hangar housing US MQ-9 drones at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
The IRGC claimed the targets had been completely destroyed. The US military, Kuwait, and Bahrain have not yet commented.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
US Completes 10th Consecutive Night Of Strikes On Iran
The US military said it completed another round of strikes against Iran on July 20, targeting military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were intended "to degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz," where Washington and Tehran have been battling for control during the conflict in the Middle East.
It marked the 10th consecutive night of US strikes on Iran.
CENTCOM also said commercial shipping continued through the waterway and that US forces had helped facilitate the transit of about 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil since early May.
US Resumes Strikes Against Iran
US military’s Central Command announced yet another round of night air strikes against Iran to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iranian media reports explosions in a number of areas.