Key facts
- The US fired on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted Iranian coastal defenses.
- Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, escalating regional tensions.
- Iran released Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen detained since 2024.
- A Venezuelan man died in ICE custody in Georgia, the 22nd such death this year.
- Mexico requested US state attorneys general investigate immigrant deaths in ICE custody.
- JD Vance acknowledged mishandling the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The United States fired on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted Iranian coastal defenses as part of an ongoing conflict with Iran. State media reported strikes on Tehran. Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, escalating tensions days after a ceasefire appeared to collapse.
In a separate development, Iran released Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen who had been detained since 2024. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz informed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of Israel's resolve to maintain forces in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
Separately, a 45-year-old Venezuelan man, Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, died on Monday while being transferred between detention facilities in Georgia, marking the 22nd death in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year. His family and immigrant rights groups claim ICE did not provide him with necessary medication. Mexico has formally requested that US state attorneys general criminally investigate cases of immigrants who have died in ICE custody or during raids.
US Vice President JD Vance admitted that the Trump administration mishandled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, stating on a podcast that "we absolutely screwed up the comms." He clarified that this was not due to an attempt to hide information but a communication failure.
In other news, Argentina will face Spain in the Fifa World Cup final after a comeback victory over England. The House defeated a measure to slash military aid to Israel, with over 100 Democrats voting in favor. House Republicans have revived the Save America Act to ban mail-in ballots and impose voter ID requirements. Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Ukraine's defense minister. A new $1 coin featuring Donald Trump is reportedly in production.