Oman Proposes a Legal Route to Reopen Hormuz
Oman has drafted a plan to split shipping through the Strait of Hormuz into two corridors, an attempt to break the deadlock over one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints. Under the proposal, reported by CNN, vessels taking a southern route through Omani waters would sail freely under pre-war rules, while those using a northern route through Iranian waters would need Tehran's approval but pay no fees.The plan may favour the West more than it first appears. Because the strait's main shipping lanes run largely through Omani waters, Muscat can open the southern route on its own authority. Channelling commercial fleets there gives shipowners a lane protected by international law — and a way around the transit fees of $1–2 million per vessel that Iran's new Persian Gulf Strait Authority has tried to impose, without a direct naval fight.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi brought the plan to Muscat on…
Iran’s Missiles Turn the Gulf Against It
The United States has struck more than 300 Iranian military targets over three nights — radar, launchers, and missile and drone stores — according to CENTCOM, after Iran hit a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's strikes have now reached across the Gulf, and its neighbours are turning on it.Kuwait reported a "hostile, criminal attack" on three northern border posts and a drone strike on an offshore oil platform that hurt one worker, Arab News reported. Qatar said shrapnel from intercepted Iranian fire wounded three people, including a child. Jordan and the UAE reported no casualties.The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the attacks on its members and Jordan, with Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi calling them a grave violation of international law, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Qatar and Oman signing on mattered most: both have long been Tehran's quiet channels to the West. Egypt joined too, its foreign minister pressing Qatar…
Russia Finds a Way to Stay in Tartous
Russia has found a way to keep its foothold in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, pairing a reduced naval presence at Tartous with a new commercial logistics hub. Under the plan, one of the port's two berths would handle cargo while the other stays open to the Russian navy, Reuters reported, citing Syrian officials and project documents.The hub, run by the Syrian logistics firm Rus Line alongside Russian companies, would open a regular route between Novorossiysk and Tartous carrying grain, timber, coal and steel — about 250,000 tonnes a month, starting in mid-July. The project was discussed when Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Moscow in January.Damascus is not united behind it. The General Authority for Land and Sea Ports called reports of a Russian hub "entirely false," even as other officials push it forward. Syria is caught between an $800 million DP World…
Germany Funds 50,000 Ukrainian FPV Strike Drones
Germany is financing the procurement of 50,000 Ukrainian-made Shrike strike drones under a €90 million order, according to Reuters, joining a broader Western shift toward funding weapons produced directly by Ukraine’s defence industry.The contract combines airframes mass-produced by Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall with guidance software from U.S. defence-technology company Auterion.Germany is not pioneering the model. Denmark launched direct foreign financing of Ukrainian defence production in 2024 under what became known as the “Danish model,” initially funding Bohdana artillery systems before expanding support to drones and missiles. Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and proceeds from frozen Russian assets together financed about €538 million in Ukrainian-made weapons that year.The German order also follows the July 7–8 NATO summit in Ankara, where European Allies and Canada pledged €70 billion in military support for Ukraine in 2026.The pattern is coming into focus. Western governments are no longer just drawing on their own arsenals to arm Ukraine; they…
Ukraine Hits Syzran Refinery as Fuel Logistics Campaign Widens
Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara region overnight, causing a fire at one of the Middle Volga's largest refining facilities. The military said explosions were recorded and the extent of the damage was still being assessed, while Samara regional authorities acknowledged a drone attack without describing the refinery's condition. According to Telegram-based OSINT channels, including Dnipro Osint, the strike may have hit the refinery's ELOU-AVT-5 unit, a primary crude-distillation column reported to handle roughly 30 percent of the plant's initial processing capacity. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian authorities have confirmed that assessment.The Rosneft-operated Syzran refinery has a processing capacity of roughly 8.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year, making it an important regional producer of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. Its location on the Volga River also gives it a logistical role in supplying central and southern Russia.The significance of the strike…
Russia Strikes Odesa Ports Overnight
Russia fired 13 missiles and 115 drones at Ukraine overnight, combining guided missiles with Shahed attack drones and low-cost decoys in another effort to stretch Ukrainian air defenses while targeting Black Sea logistics. Ukraine's Air Force said defenders destroyed or electronically suppressed 102 of the 128 aerial weapons, while two missiles and 19 drones struck 12 locations, with debris falling across another 12 sites. According to the Air Force, the attack included nine Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missiles, four Kh-31 anti-radiation missiles and a mix of Shahed-type drones launched from Kursk, Oryol, Bryansk and occupied Crimea.A significant portion of the drone package was designed not to destroy targets but to exhaust Ukraine's defenses. The Air Force identified the 115 drones as a combination of Shahed strike drones and Gerbera, Italmas and "Parodiya" ("Parody") decoys – low-cost unmanned aircraft built to imitate the Shahed's radar and visual signature. Because defenders cannot reliably…
