Hostilities

US targets Iran’s Larak Island in first exchange of fire in more than a month, sparking reprisals against US forces in Jordan and UAEUS strikes Iranian launchers in strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacksWelcome to our live coverage as hostilities between the US and Iran flared again for the first time in a month, with American strikes on Iran prompting retaliation from Tehran.A supertanker caught ⁠fire and was brought to a complete ⁠halt after ⁠hitting two naval mines in ⁠the southern strait of Hormuz, Iran state ⁠TV reported on Monday, ​citing ‌a statement ‌from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Iran’s supreme leader called the US and Israel enemies of all Islamic nations. In a written message issued six months on from the start of the war, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei also urged rulers of Muslim nations to “know your real enemy, understand its plans and confront it”, the official Irna news agency reported.Israel’s Shin Bet security agency says it urgently evacuated prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s oldest son from the US due to a threat against him. In a brief statement the Associated Press obtained on Sunday, the Shin Bet confirmed there had been a “significant threat” to Yair Netanyahu, without elaborating.US treasury secretary Scott Bessent will step up efforts to isolate Iran economically as he hosts G20 counterparts this week, a US official has said.Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is due to take part in a summit starting on Monday of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional bloc that seeks to be a counter-influence to the west. Russia’s Vladimir Putin is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with Pezeshkian and China’s Xi Jinping, among other leaders, a Kremlin spokesperson said. Continue reading...

• Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for deadly strikes targeting government military camps across two eastern provinces in Yemen. • The attacks signal an escalation in hostilities following a tenuous 2022 truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. • This surge in violence is driven by persistent factional rivalries and Houthi efforts to breach a Saudi-led blockade that has worsened the regional humanitarian crisis.

• A Senate motion to prevent the Trump administration from continuing hostilities against Iran failed in a narrow 49-50 vote. • Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul broke party lines to vote in favor of the motion. • The political landscape is shifting as Senators Cornyn and Tillis are set to leave office next year, with Cornyn having lost his primary in May.

• Military hostilities have renewed in the Gulf region, with escalating strikes overshadowing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. • Both opposing sides are continuing a cycle of retaliation, with neither party showing a willingness to reduce tensions or lower the temperature. • This escalation is critical because it brings the region closer to an all-out war that could threaten both regional and global security.

• Intensified hostilities in Ukraine and surrounding areas are devastating civilians and threatening global food security, according to senior UN officials. • The conflict has led to a 20 per cent spike in wheat prices since the start of July, as well as attacks on third-party merchant vessels. • UN officials warned the Security Council about the impact of these hostilities, citing the imperiled global food security as a major concern.

• Stock futures surged on Monday as the market entered the busiest week of the corporate earnings season. • Oil prices plummeted following a pause in military strikes and hostilities between the United States and Iran. • The shift reflects a decrease in geopolitical tension, providing a boost to investor confidence and global markets.

• Wall Street index futures rose on Monday following an announcement that the United States and Iran have paused hostilities over the weekend. • The geopolitical de-escalation caused oil prices to drop sharply, boosting premarket trading for energy-sensitive stocks, including United Airlines and American Airlines. • Investors are now shifting focus toward critical economic data, with June durable goods reports expected later on Monday.