Iranian Strike Kills 1 In Kuwait, Jordan Says It Downed 5 Missiles
An Iranian strike hit a building belonging to a Chinese company in northern Kuwait on July 30, killing one worker and causing extensive damage, Kuwaiti authorities said.
The victim's nationality was not immediately disclosed.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry described the incident as "heinous Iranian aggression" and said it caused "severe material damage" to the building.
Elsewhere, Jordan's military said its air defenses intercepted and shot down five missiles "launched from Iran" earlier on July 30, with no casualties reported.
Kuwait, Jordan and other countries hosting US military facilities have faced repeated Iranian attacks since the outbreak of the war in the Persian Gulf in late February.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Egypt Says Fire At Mediterranean Port Caused By Drone
The Egyptian cabinet said on July 30 that an initial investigation found a fire aboard two vessels at the key gas port of Damietta the previous day had been caused by a drone of unknown origin.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the suspected attack, and authorities said investigations were continuing to "determine the circumstances" and safeguard national security.
The fire, which broke out on a regasification ship and a storage vessel during cargo unloading operations, caused no injuries or fatalities.
The incident comes amid escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran.
With reporting by dpa
US Carries Out 'Heavy Wave' Of Strikes On Iran In Response To Attacks On Gulf State Sites
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out a "heavy wave" of strikes against Iranian targets in what it described as a response to Tehran's attempted missile attacks on US forces in the Persian Gulf. (Video by RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Will Tizard)
US Military Completes 'Heavy Wave' Of Strikes Against Iran
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 30 that its forces had completed "a heavy wave" of strikes against Iranian targets in what it described as a response to Tehran's attempted missile attacks on US forces in the Gulf.
"CENTCOM assets struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities," the US military said in a post on X.
A senior US official had earlier confirmed to RFE/RL that the military was carrying out strikes inside Iran.
Iranian state media reported hits on several cities in the southwestern Khuzestan Province, as well as on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.
According to CENTCOM, IRGC forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran on July 28 in an attempted surprise attack on US forces based in the Middle East, adding that all the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.
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US Launches Strikes On Iran After Reported Attack On Base In Jordan
The US military launched strikes against Iran late on July 29, saying the operation was in response to what Washington described as Iranian attacks on US forces in the Middle East.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X that the strikes began at 8 p.m. ET (00:00 GMT).
"The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East," CENTCOM said.
A senior US official confirmed to RFE/RL that the US Army was carrying out strikes inside Iran.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations.
According to US officials, the action follows an attack on Tuesday, July 28, in which Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired five missiles at a US military base in Jordan. Hours later, the US and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq, escalating tensions across the region.
US President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday signaled that military action was imminent. In an interview with Fox News, he said the United States would respond forcefully to the alleged Iranian attack.
Later on July 29, speaking at the White House, Trump told reporters it was the US military's "turn" to strike Iran. "They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it, but they tried shooting at us last night," Trump said.
The latest strikes follow a brief pause in US military operations against Iran after Trump delayed further action over the weekend to leave room for possible diplomatic engagement with Tehran.
The renewed military action raises fears of a broader regional conflict as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.
Drone Reportedly Hits US-Owned Gas Vessel At Egyptian Port
A drone struck a US-owned floating gas storage vessel at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on July 29, British maritime security firm Ambrey said, in an incident that could signal a further widening of conflict across the Middle East.
Egypt's Petroleum Ministry confirmed a fire involving a gasification vessel and a storage vessel at the port but did not identify the cause.
It said the blaze was quickly contained, with no injuries or fatalities, and Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the site to oversee the response.
Three trading sources said the drone hit the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Energos Winter, causing a fire that spread to another tanker, Gaslog Salem.
Two security sources said the blast was assessed as likely caused by a drone strike, while maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile.
Responsibility for the incident was not immediately clear.
It came hours after Iran launched missiles at US forces in Jordan, while Washington and Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed groups in Iraq, raising concerns the conflict could spread further across the region.
Reuters verified videos showing the damaged vessels at Damietta port.
With reporting by Reuters
CENTCOM Says 1,000 Ships Passed Through Hormuz With US Support In Last 3 Months
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that commercial shipping continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz with American military support, despite what it described as threats and attempted attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
In a post on X on July 26, CENTCOM said its forces had helped about 1,000 vessels carrying 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the waterway since early May.
It also rejected the IRGC's claims that international shipping should use only routes approved that it had approved, saying the Strait of Hormuz "is an international waterway" and the IRGC "has no authority to dictate routes."
US Sanctions Iran-Linked Maritime Insurers, Shadow Fleet In Latest Pressure Campaign
WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed fresh Iran-related sanctions targeting two Iranian maritime insurance entities, eight oil tankers, and 10 companies, accusing Tehran of using coercive insurance schemes and a "shadow fleet" to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and evade US sanctions.
The US Treasury Department said on July 29 that it had sanctioned the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and Hormuz Safe Marine Services Authority, alleging they ran an IRGC-backed scheme that forced commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to purchase insurance against risks "created by Iran itself," including the threat of vessel seizures.
Treasury also designated eight companies operating tankers that it said transported illicit Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products to China and the United Arab Emirates, describing the vessels as part of Iran's shadow fleet used to circumvent international sanctions.
"With its economy in freefall and inflation in the triple digits, the regime is desperate for cash," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, adding that Washington would not allow Iran "to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to finance the IRGC's terrorism, aggression, and repression."
The measures block any US-based property or interests belonging to the sanctioned entities and generally prohibit US persons from conducting transactions with them.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the sanctions support a US campaign that has now targeted more than 100 vessels this year and are aimed at countering what Washington described as Iran's exploitation of the Strait of Hormuz through coercive insurance schemes and deceptive financial networks.
The latest action underscores the continued hardline US approach toward Tehran despite intermittent diplomatic efforts.
"Iran is clearly trying to proactively establish companies to extract revenues from the Strait in the event they get their desired outcome from this war," Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert at Obsidian Risk Advisors, told RFE/RL.
"This is effectively a public admission from Washington that the US and Iran are still very far apart on negotiations," he added.
'Do Not Execute': Iranian Writers And Artists Join Outcry After Public Hangings In Isfahan
Iranian writers, filmmakers, and other cultural figures have joined the local and international outcry against a surge of executions in the country, using the hashtag "Do Not Execute" to criticize the continued use of the death penalty in a crackdown on political dissent from mass protests that shook the country in January.
Following two executions on July 28 that marked the first public hangings to take place in a year, writer and novelist Hossein Sanapour condemned the actions, criticizing what he described as opaque judicial proceedings and arguing that the authorities were attempting to suppress public anger following the January protests.
Iran's judicial authorities executed Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi on July 28 in the city of Isfahan. The two men had been sentenced to death in connection with unrest during the January protests.
Since the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran has witnessed a surge in executions of people human rights groups consider political prisoners -- from demonstrators to alleged members of banned groups and those convicted of spying.
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