Day News Recap: US Iran strikes widen as Gaza toll rises and Europe tightens pressure on Russia

The biggest escalation remained the widening US Iran exchange of strikes, now in its seventh consecutive night, with attacks spreading across the Gulf and hitting critical infrastructure. Iran said it was suspending its commitments under an interim agreement with the United States, while a senior Iranian official warned Tehran could move beyond retaliation if Washington keeps up its military action.  🔗  🔗

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Damage from the Gulf fighting also spread to energy and utilities. A power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait caught fire after a fresh wave of attacks attributed to Iran, and Gulf oil exporters were moving faster to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz as tanker attacks and the wider confrontation deepened. Iraq also signed 48 agreements and partnership declarations aimed at building pipeline alternatives and cutting Hormuz reliance.  🔗  🔗  🔗

At sea, a tanker seized off Yemen's Hadramawt coast added to fears of a renewed piracy threat in the Gulf of Aden, with the vessel identified as Astana. In Dubai, the job market was showing strain from the spillover of the Iran conflict, with migrant workers reporting layoffs, weaker pay and fewer openings.  🔗  🔗

In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 14 Palestinians, including mourners at a funeral procession in Nuseirat, as the war continued to exact a heavy civilian toll. In Lebanon, the education minister said Israeli forces destroyed and looted at least three schools in the south. In Washington, more than 100 House Democrats backed an amendment to cut military aid to Israel, underlining the political strain around the conflict.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Ukraine and Russia remained under heavy pressure from drone warfare and domestic security crackdowns. Russian officials said overnight Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow region logistics sites killed at least eight people and wounded dozens, while Ukraine's long range campaign against Russian fuel infrastructure was deepening petrol shortages across parts of Russia. Moscow also moved against anti war opponents, detaining blogger Ilya Remeslo and barring Boris Nadezhdin from collecting signatures.  🔗  🔗  🔗

Europe kept up its pressure on Moscow and on Israel. The EU imposed sanctions on Russian drone firms after deadly strikes on Kyiv, while foreign policy chief Kallas visited the bloc's naval mission in the Red Sea and the EU marked 12 years since the MH17 downing while backing accountability efforts. Separately, the EU renewed pressure on Israel over West Bank settlement expansion after its security cabinet approved funding for thousands of new settler homes.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

Germany signalled a tougher strategic posture, saying it will join a French nuclear exercise this year as Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushes a new deterrence doctrine. Berlin also deepened energy and strategic ties with Algeria during President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's visit, while Ireland prepared a report on the Russian controlled Aughinish Alumina plant as a possible EU sanctions option remained open.  🔗  🔗  🔗

Elsewhere, central Texas was hit by torrential rain and flash floods that left at least two people dead and more than 230 rescued. In China, a landslide in Chongqing's Pengshui county killed eight people and left 34 missing. Norway's Drammen saw a fast moving wildfire destroy more than 100 homes and force hundreds to evacuate, while wildfire smoke kept air quality warnings in place across large parts of the United States.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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In the Americas and Asia Pacific, Donald Trump renewed claims that China interfered in the 2020 US election and said declassified intelligence and election infrastructure material should be released, while also touting June inflation data and TSMC's planned $100 billion Arizona expansion. India raised concerns after the US moved to cap student, exchange and media visa durations, and the Philippines lodged a protest after China Daily videos depicted Filipinos as monkeys amid the South China Sea row.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

Other developments included the US court revoking the citizenship of Bosnia war crimes suspect Sead Miljkovic, an Albuquerque man being charged over a threat to an FBI agent, a Hawaii man receiving a 10 year sentence for child pornography, and federal prosecutors filing 111 border related cases in Southern California. Djibouti's hunger outlook also worsened, with more than 256,000 people facing crisis or emergency level food insecurity.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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