UNGA 81: Gaza, Ukraine and Middle East conflicts take centre stage at UN
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle...
The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran after two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan. U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute to the fallen troops as Iran warned of further escalation.
U.S. Central Command said American forces continue to enforce the naval blockade against Iran, with sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn remaining on high alert.
According to CENTCOM, as of 19 July, U.S. forces had redirected six commercial vessels and disabled one vessel to ensure compliance with the blockade.
The military did not provide further details on the identity of the disabled vessel or the circumstances surrounding the operation.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will visit Tehran within the coming week, Iraq's state news agency reported on Sunday.
During the visit, al-Zaidi is expected to sign a series of memoranda of understanding with Iranian officials covering areas of bilateral cooperation, according to the report.
An explosion was heard in the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan on Sunday, according to Iranian state media.
No immediate details were provided on the cause of the explosion, potential damage or casualties.
The report comes as Iran and the United States continue to exchange strikes following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement.
Fourteen U.S. military refuelling aircraft arrived in Israel over the weekend amidst renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran, Israeli media reported.
The Walla news website, citing an unnamed Israeli Air Force source, said the United States plans to deploy up to 100 refuelling aircraft at Israeli military bases and Ramon Airport.
The source said additional aircraft would be needed if the U.S. intensified its attacks on Iran.
Some aircraft could also be stationed at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, where 33 U.S. refuelling aircraft are reportedly already parked.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the Trump administration had informed Israeli officials of plans to adjust the U.S. military presence in the region.
Several aircraft have reportedly arrived at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel, while others are expected at additional bases.
The deployment comes as clashes between the U.S. and Iran have intensified again over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Jordanian army said Sunday that it shot down three Iranian missiles targeting the country's territory as air raid sirens sounded in the country.
A fourth missile fell in a remote area in the kingdom, said a military statement carried by the state news agency Petra.
No casualties or damage were reported from the attack.
Kuwait's Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said a power and water desalination plant came under a new Iranian attack on Sunday, triggering a fire.
This marks the second such attack targeting Kuwait's power facilities from Iran, the ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run news agency KUNA.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran condemned a U.S. attack on the site of the nuclear power plant under contruction in Darkhovin, saying the strike violated international law, Mehr news agency reported on Sunday without saying when the strike occurred.
Construction of the plant in southwestern Iran's Khuzestan province began in 2022.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that two ships were involved in an "accident" after attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz via an "unsafe route", while two other vessels abandoned that route, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
The Guards said the four vessels had ignored Iranian warnings and acted with U.S. backing.
"Vessels that are influenced by the words of the Americans and enter unsafe routes will certainly face accidents," the Guards warned in a statement.
Yemen's internationally recognised government said that it had prevented an Iranian aircraft from completing its flight to Sanaa International Airport, which is under the control of the Houthi group.
“No flights will be allowed to operate without obtaining the required authorisations from the internationally recognised government,” Transport Minister Mohsen Al-Amri said in statements.
He said the decision was taken because the flight "did not go through the approved official channels and procedures," without providing further details.
The U.S. Embassy in Amman has advised American citizens not to travel to the airport or seaport in Aqaba after Jordanian authorities evacuated the facilities over what they described as a “specific and credible threat.”
In a statement, the embassy urged citizens to follow Jordanian security instructions and continue avoiding travel to military bases in the country.
Air raid alerts were activated across Bahrain on Sunday as Iran continued to launch missile and drone attacks against Gulf countries amid escalating tensions with the U.S.
In a statement, the Bahraini Interior Ministry called on residents and citizens "to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place."
The United Arab Emirates' non-oil foreign trade rose 13.1% year-on-year to 1.937 trillion UAE dirhams ($527.42 billion) in the first half of 2026, Dubai's ruler and the country's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said in a post on X on Sunday.
Non-oil exports reached a record 452.8 billion dirhams during the period, he said.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB reported on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials on the claim
Kuwait's army said it was intercepting Iranian missiles and drones targeting the country, while state media reported air raid sirens sounded across parts of Kuwait.
The U.S. military completed its eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, targeting coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, U.S. Central Command said.
The operation also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces (IRGC) that CENTCOM said were responsible for attacks on U.S. service members in Jordan on 17 July.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the airstrikes began at 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) on Saturday, at President Donald Trump's direction.
"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night," it said.
Iran's Mehr news agency said the U.S. carried out an attack near Sirik in southern Iran, adding that no casualties or damage to infrastructure have been reported. The Tasnim news agency said the U.S. military also targeted a location near Shadegan, close to the border with Iraq.
The Iranian army then carried out a drone attack that targeted U.S. military assets and equipment at Kuwait's Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, Iran's state TV reported early Sunday, citing a statement from the army. Both bases were targeted as part of Iran's attacks against U.S. assets and allies in the Gulf since last week.
Central Command said the two deaths occurred on Friday and that a third U.S. service member was missing in action. The announcement brought the number of U.S. service members killed since the war began to 16, while more than 420 have been wounded.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X, "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
U.S. Central Command said its forces struck Iranian coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites as part of the latest wave of attacks.
Iran's Tasnim news agency, citing a local official, reported that the U.S. military targeted a location near Shadegan. The report did not immediately provide details on casualties or damage.
The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said, after two American service members were killed in Jordan and another was reported missing following an Iranian attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
While addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Washington and Tehran will reach a deal after the U.S. midterm elections.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country, after Stockholm expelled an Iranian embassy staffer, as diplomatic tensions between Tehran and several European countries deepen.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he hoped the war against Iran was nearing its end and that Tehran wanted to reach a deal, but Iran dismissed his comments as “mixed signals” as the conflict approaches its seventh month.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
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