Iran and Oman Close to Hormuz Shipping Deal
Iran and Oman have finalized a draft agreement for a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Bloomberg — the clearest sign yet that reopening talks are nearing completion. The draft awaits approval from Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who took office in March after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the US-Israeli strikes that opened the war on February 28.The proposed arrangement would route vessels into the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled channel and out via an Oman-controlled corridor, with Iran charging service fees for passage. According to The Globe and Mail, Washington remains strongly opposed to any fee arrangement, and any final deal is likely contingent on the US lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports.Trump said Tuesday an announcement "could happen tomorrow or the next day." But events on the water tell a different story: Al Jazeera reports Iran's Foreign Ministry says…
U.S.-Ukraine Intelligence Sharing Returns to Pre-2025 Levels
U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine has rebounded to its pre-suspension levels, Politico reported Wednesday, citing U.S. lawmakers and officials. The renewed cooperation comes as Kyiv expands its campaign of long-range drone and missile strikes against military and industrial targets deep inside Russia.Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Politico that the intelligence relationship had "improved" and described cooperation as critical to Ukraine's military operations. Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Roger Wicker likewise said intelligence sharing had increased, while Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he had also seen signs of closer coordination. The White House did not comment publicly on the scope of the intelligence relationship.The Trump administration suspended intelligence sharing and military assistance following the February 28, 2025 Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky that ended in a public dispute. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the pause on March 5, and…
Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Russian Oil Refinery Again
Ukrainian drones struck the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region for a second consecutive night, with residents posting videos showing a large fire and smoke rising over the city. Independent Russian monitoring channel Astra geolocated the footage to the refinery, and Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev acknowledged drones were attacking the region, reporting traffic restrictions on roads near the Southwestern Ring Road and Moskovsky Prospekt, where the plant is located. Yevrayev made no mention of the refinery itself, and Russian authorities had not confirmed operational damage at the time of writing.The refinery lies roughly 250 kilometers northeast of Moscow but more than 700 kilometers from Ukraine's border, illustrating the growing reach of Kyiv's long-range drone campaign. The facility processes about 15 million tonnes of crude annually, placing it among Russia's five largest refineries and making it a major fuel supplier for central Russia. Ukrainian military officials have previously described YANOS…
Netanyahu Rejects US-Backed Hamas Disarmament Deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government has not agreed to a US-backed draft under which Hamas would disarm and demilitarize Gaza, according to The National. "They sent us a draft. We did not agree to it," he said.Trump announced the Board of Peace roadmap on July 30, and Hamas approved it the next day, according to FDD's Long War Journal. The rejection centers on sequencing: the roadmap ties a phased Israeli withdrawal to the gradual transfer of Hamas weaponry to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), under International Stabilization Force (ISF) oversight and International Verification Committee (IVC) certification — deliberately termed "decommissioning" rather than "surrender," according to Board of Peace officials cited by the Times of Israel. Israel has instead demanded front-loaded disarmament before any drawdown.Hamas has said its own compliance is contingent on a full Israeli troop withdrawal to the October ceasefire's "Yellow Line"…
Ukraine Says Interceptor Shortage Cost Lives
Russian strikes killed at least 17 people and injured 44 in Kyiv overnight; Ukraine's air force said it intercepted none of 24 ballistic missiles launched, though it downed 98 of 115 drones, the Financial Times reported.President Volodymyr Zelensky said interceptors "could have saved the lives of those killed today," blaming delayed Western supply. Ukraine's Patriot interceptor shortage has collided with unresolved talks over domestic production: President Trump has grown cautious about licensing the technology, and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said a long-term production deal remains unlikely before winter. Trump separately declined a request for hundreds more interceptors last week, citing shortages needed to defend U.S. assets amid the Middle East war with Iran.Zelensky called for expanded sanctions on Russia's missile production instead. Russia's defense ministry said it hit logistics and drone-production sites; Zelensky said the targets were civilian, including a brewery and construction-materials warehouses.The attack came as Ukraine's…
Drone With Suspected Explosive Found at German Airport
German authorities suspended flight operations overnight at Leipzig/Halle Airport after a drone was found near the southern runway, prompting a bomb-disposal response. Saxony Police confirmed a robot was used to examine the object and that the southern runway remained closed as a precaution, with several flights diverted to other airports; operations later resumed on the northern runway.The tabloid Bild reported additional details not confirmed in the police statement: that the drone had a detonator attached, that investigators classified it as a possible explosive device, and that it was found near a cargo plane belonging to Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, according to Watson, citing German outlet t-online.Leipzig/Halle is a significant logistics node: it hosts DHL Aviation's main European hub and, since Antonov relocated its fleet following the 2022 destruction of Hostomel Airport near Kyiv, has served as the primary base for Antonov Airlines' An-124 heavy-lift freighters, historically used for oversized cargo including…
