Houthis Announce Immediate Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia
Yemen's Houthi rebels declared an immediate maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday, putting the kingdom's Red Sea oil exports at risk, according to Bloomberg.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree framed the move as retaliation for what the group calls a decade-long Saudi siege on Yemeni ports, airports, and the capital, Sana'a, describing it as an "eye for an eye" and warning that any Saudi response would be met with comprehensive escalation, according to The Jerusalem Post.The announcement follows a truce that had held since 2022 but broke down this month: Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport on July 13 to block a flight carrying a Houthi delegation returning from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral, and the Houthis responded with missiles against Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, according to ABC News.The Houthis have not detailed how the blockade will be enforced. That said, sources close to the group told…
Russia Hits Turkish-Owned Ship Near Odesa
Russia fired three Kh-59/Kh-69 stand-off cruise missiles, launched from tactical aircraft, at the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company, as it left the port of Odesa loaded with grain, according to the South China Morning Post. One missile struck the starboard side of the ship's superstructure, sparking a fire.Ukraine's transport minister, Mykola Kalashnyk, said eight crew members were rescued, two of them injured, while six sailors were confirmed dead and four more remained missing, according to the South China Morning Post. The 18-member crew included citizens of India, Syria, and Ukraine, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha confirmed that a Ukrainian maritime pilot was among those killed.The Ukrainian Navy said the ship was struck while "leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain," and units of the Navy and Maritime Search and Rescue Service were deployed to assist in the rescue operation, according to UNN.
Israeli Strikes Kill 11 in Gaza Despite Ceasefire
Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people across the Gaza Strip late Saturday, including a family of five, in one of the deadliest single days since the October ceasefire took effect, according to Daily Sabah.A family of five, three children and their parents, was killed when a strike hit a residential apartment in northwest Gaza City, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. The family's only surviving member was a child who was not home at the time. Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed it received the five bodies, and an Israeli military spokeswoman said the strike had targeted a Hamas member, according to Daily Sabah.Three more people were killed when a strike hit a group of civilians in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood. Hours later, a woman died after Israeli artillery shelling, rather than an airstrike, hit a tent sheltering displaced people east of the neighborhood, with al-Ahli Hospital confirming it received her body…
Iranian Missiles Intercepted Near Eilat and Aqaba
Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted Iranian missiles fired toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba on Sunday, prompting Israel to launch Iron Dome interceptors near the neighboring resort city of Eilat after shrapnel from an intercepted missile landed just north of the city. American air defense systems intercepted the primary missile warheads before Israeli systems shot down remaining debris, and flights to and from nearby Ramon Airport were briefly suspended during the interceptions, according to The Times of Israel.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israel was closely following the Aqaba attack and that its air defenses remained on high alert. He warned of a "harsh counterstrike" if Iran moved closer to Israeli territory, adding that the military was prepared to return to open war if further harmed, according to The Jerusalem Post.The Jordanian military said it downed three Iranian ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom's territory, while a fourth fell…
US Hits Iran Nuclear Site, Kuwait Plant Again
The United States struck the construction site of Iran's Darkhovin nuclear power plant in Khuzestan Province early Sunday, marking the eighth consecutive night of American strikes on Iran. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the facility was hit with several projectiles at around 3:39 a.m. local time, calling the attack a violation of international law and of the plant's status as a peaceful, internationally safeguarded nuclear site. The agency did not disclose whether the strike caused damage or casualties, according to Daily Sabah.Iran declared the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the interim deal it signed with the United States on June 18, 2026, to wind down the war, "suspended" following the latest round of strikes. President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's withdrawal from the deal, saying he "couldn't care less," according to Al Jazeera.Separately, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy said Iranian attacks damaged the country's power generation and…
Kyiv Hit by Massive Ballistic Attack
Russia launched one of its most massive ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv overnight into July 19, killing one person and injuring 16 others across the capital and surrounding region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy wrote that Russian forces fired more than 40 missiles of various types, most aimed at the capital, along with 120 attack drones, according to Ukrainska Pravda.Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko gave a more detailed local toll, reporting one person killed and 15 injured directly in the capital, with nine hospitalized and three in serious condition, per Ukrainska Pravda. Rescue operations continued at three locations in Kyiv, with nearly 600 emergency workers responding, while related services also worked in Odesa Oblast.Ukraine's Air Force said Russia attacked with 125 drones and 41 air- and ground-launched missiles of various types overnight, for a total of 166 aerial weapons detected by radio-technical forces. As of 8:30 a.m., air defenses had shot…
