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us49US strikes reported in multiple regions of Iran; two injured in Bandar Abbas
Background: The US and Iran have been engaged in escalating military exchanges over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reporting 14 killed in earlier US strikes and the IRGC retaliating against US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Today: On 24 July 2026, new US missile strikes hit multiple regions across Iran, including Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Omidiyeh, Andimeshk, Qeshm Island, Konarak, Jask, Khorramabad, Khandab, and central Yazd province. Two people were injured in Bandar Abbas, and an electricity pole was damaged, severing a power line. Air defense systems were activated in Tehran in response to a 'hostile' threat.
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US strikes reported in multiple regions of Iran; two injured in Bandar Abbas
Background: The US and Iran have been engaged in escalating military exchanges over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reporting 14 killed in earlier US strikes and the IRGC retaliating against US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Today: On 24 July 2026, new US missile strikes hit multiple regions across Iran, including Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Omidiyeh, Andimeshk, Qeshm Island, Konarak, Jask, Khorramabad, Khandab, and central Yazd province. Two people were injured in Bandar Abbas, and an electricity pole was damaged, severing a power line. Air defense systems were activated in Tehran in response to a 'hostile' threat.
Background: The US and Iran have been engaged in escalating military exchanges over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reporting 14 killed in earlier US strikes and the IRGC retaliating against US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Today: On 24 July 2026, new US missile strikes hit multiple regions across Iran, including Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Omidiyeh, Andimeshk, Qeshm Island, Konarak, Jask, Khorramabad, Khandab, and central Yazd province. Two people were injured in Bandar Abbas, and an electricity pole was damaged, severing a power line. Air defense systems were activated in Tehran in response to a 'hostile' threat.
us48US strikes kill 4, injure 7 near Ahvaz and Khorramabad in Iran; regional spillover reported
The US-Iran conflict continues as US strikes near Ahvaz and Khorramabad killed four and injured seven, according to Iranian media. Air raid sirens were activated in Jordan's capital Amman, and explosions were heard near US bases in Kuwait, indicating the conflict's regional spillover.
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US strikes kill 4, injure 7 near Ahvaz and Khorramabad in Iran; regional spillover reported
The US-Iran conflict continues as US strikes near Ahvaz and Khorramabad killed four and injured seven, according to Iranian media. Air raid sirens were activated in Jordan's capital Amman, and explosions were heard near US bases in Kuwait, indicating the conflict's regional spillover.
The US-Iran conflict continues as US strikes near Ahvaz and Khorramabad killed four and injured seven, according to Iranian media. Air raid sirens were activated in Jordan's capital Amman, and explosions were heard near US bases in Kuwait, indicating the conflict's regional spillover.
us46Iran rejects US ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi PM
Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to the New York Times. Tehran said the proposal did not address control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials warned of regional escalation if the US strikes Tehran, including targeting Tel Aviv and closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait. US strikes continued for a 13th consecutive night.
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Iran rejects US ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi PM
Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to the New York Times. Tehran said the proposal did not address control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials warned of regional escalation if the US strikes Tehran, including targeting Tel Aviv and closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait. US strikes continued for a 13th consecutive night.
Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to the New York Times. Tehran said the proposal did not address control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials warned of regional escalation if the US strikes Tehran, including targeting Tel Aviv and closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait. US strikes continued for a 13th consecutive night.
us45US strike on Iran school kills 120 children in Minab
On 28 February, a US strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Iran, killed 156 people, including 120 children, during the US-Israeli war with Iran. Evidence indicates the school was hit by a US Tomahawk missile, likely due to outdated intelligence linking it to an adjacent IRGC compound. The US has not admitted responsibility, and an investigation is ongoing. The attack has become a symbol of civilian casualties in the conflict.
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US strike on Iran school kills 120 children in Minab
On 28 February, a US strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Iran, killed 156 people, including 120 children, during the US-Israeli war with Iran. Evidence indicates the school was hit by a US Tomahawk missile, likely due to outdated intelligence linking it to an adjacent IRGC compound. The US has not admitted responsibility, and an investigation is ongoing. The attack has become a symbol of civilian casualties in the conflict.
On 28 February, a US strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Iran, killed 156 people, including 120 children, during the US-Israeli war with Iran. Evidence indicates the school was hit by a US Tomahawk missile, likely due to outdated intelligence linking it to an adjacent IRGC compound. The US has not admitted responsibility, and an investigation is ongoing. The attack has become a symbol of civilian casualties in the conflict.
us43US imposes new tariffs of 10-12.5% on 60 trading partners over forced labor, effective July 24
The Trump administration on July 23, 2026, finalized and imposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including the EU, UK, Canada, China, Japan, India, and Australia, citing insufficient enforcement of bans on goods produced with forced labor. The tariffs, effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, replace a temporary 10% global levy that expired at the same moment, which had been imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and was struck down by the Supreme Court. Goods in transit are exempted until July 28. Countries with existing forced labor import bans or plans to ban such imports—including Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago—face the lower 10% rate; others, including Vietnam and China, face 12.5%. The EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland face combined rates of 10% or 12.5%. Exemptions include steel, aluminum, automobiles, civilian aircraft, rare earth minerals, and goods covered by the USMCA. The U.S. investigation did not provide meaningful evidence to support forced labor allegations. The move has drawn widespread international criticism: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance, noting the EU's strong labor laws and honored transatlantic commitments; China condemned the move and warned against trade wars; and Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and others voiced objections. Canada threatened retaliation. Analysts note the tariffs are lower than previous IEEPA rates and include broad exemptions, reducing their immediate economic impact, but further tariffs may come in the fall related to structural excess capacity. Economists assess the results of Trump's tariff strategy as closer to failure than success, with only marginal reduction in the US trade deficit achieved. The Trump administration is shifting to more traditional, court-tested trade laws to rebuild its tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs. New duties of 10%-12.5% on 60 countries under Section 301 for forced-labor issues cover 99.4% of U.S. imports. Additional probes target excess industrial capacity, intellectual property theft by Vietnam, and national security protections for strategic industries. The move aims to provide more durable tariffs and bring clarity to businesses, though legal challenges and spontaneous tariff announcements remain risks. The new anti-forced labor duties almost directly replace a global 10% temporary tariff that expired on Friday. Another part of the baseline tariffs is likely to be rebuilt by another Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity, targeting 16 big trading partners, including China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Vietnam. The Liberation Day tariffs alone yielded $166 billion in revenue, but refunds to importers have now turned those collections negative. The 150-day temporary tariffs have added $31 billion in assessed revenue through July 5, but if a federal court ruling against them stands, that money is subject to refund. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made clear that Trump will use everything at his disposal to erect tariffs to reshore production and shrink the trade deficit. Greer has said the layers of tariffs being rebuilt will not exceed caps included in deals he has been negotiating, including 15% for the EU, Japan and South Korea and higher rates for Southeast Asian countries. Administration officials say China's rates will not exceed the cap of about 20% agreed by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last November, on top of the 25% tariffs from his first term. Some nominal duties may be higher than actual applied rates, which analysts say may be an enforcement mechanism for countries to stick to agreed trade deal terms. Still, some things continue to come out of the blue, including the 50% duties on Canadian beer, dairy, hockey sticks and other products Trump announced on Monday over Ottawa's refusal to make trade concessions, and his threat to cut off all trade with Spain over not meeting NATO military spending targets.
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US imposes new tariffs of 10-12.5% on 60 trading partners over forced labor, effective July 24
The Trump administration on July 23, 2026, finalized and imposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including the EU, UK, Canada, China, Japan, India, and Australia, citing insufficient enforcement of bans on goods produced with forced labor. The tariffs, effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, replace a temporary 10% global levy that expired at the same moment, which had been imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and was struck down by the Supreme Court. Goods in transit are exempted until July 28. Countries with existing forced labor import bans or plans to ban such imports—including Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago—face the lower 10% rate; others, including Vietnam and China, face 12.5%. The EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland face combined rates of 10% or 12.5%. Exemptions include steel, aluminum, automobiles, civilian aircraft, rare earth minerals, and goods covered by the USMCA. The U.S. investigation did not provide meaningful evidence to support forced labor allegations. The move has drawn widespread international criticism: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance, noting the EU's strong labor laws and honored transatlantic commitments; China condemned the move and warned against trade wars; and Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and others voiced objections. Canada threatened retaliation. Analysts note the tariffs are lower than previous IEEPA rates and include broad exemptions, reducing their immediate economic impact, but further tariffs may come in the fall related to structural excess capacity. Economists assess the results of Trump's tariff strategy as closer to failure than success, with only marginal reduction in the US trade deficit achieved. The Trump administration is shifting to more traditional, court-tested trade laws to rebuild its tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs. New duties of 10%-12.5% on 60 countries under Section 301 for forced-labor issues cover 99.4% of U.S. imports. Additional probes target excess industrial capacity, intellectual property theft by Vietnam, and national security protections for strategic industries. The move aims to provide more durable tariffs and bring clarity to businesses, though legal challenges and spontaneous tariff announcements remain risks. The new anti-forced labor duties almost directly replace a global 10% temporary tariff that expired on Friday. Another part of the baseline tariffs is likely to be rebuilt by another Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity, targeting 16 big trading partners, including China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Vietnam. The Liberation Day tariffs alone yielded $166 billion in revenue, but refunds to importers have now turned those collections negative. The 150-day temporary tariffs have added $31 billion in assessed revenue through July 5, but if a federal court ruling against them stands, that money is subject to refund. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made clear that Trump will use everything at his disposal to erect tariffs to reshore production and shrink the trade deficit. Greer has said the layers of tariffs being rebuilt will not exceed caps included in deals he has been negotiating, including 15% for the EU, Japan and South Korea and higher rates for Southeast Asian countries. Administration officials say China's rates will not exceed the cap of about 20% agreed by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last November, on top of the 25% tariffs from his first term. Some nominal duties may be higher than actual applied rates, which analysts say may be an enforcement mechanism for countries to stick to agreed trade deal terms. Still, some things continue to come out of the blue, including the 50% duties on Canadian beer, dairy, hockey sticks and other products Trump announced on Monday over Ottawa's refusal to make trade concessions, and his threat to cut off all trade with Spain over not meeting NATO military spending targets.
The Trump administration on July 23, 2026, finalized and imposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including the EU, UK, Canada, China, Japan, India, and Australia, citing insufficient enforcement of bans on goods produced with forced labor. The tariffs, effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, replace a temporary 10% global levy that expired at the same moment, which had been imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and was struck down by the Supreme Court. Goods in transit are exempted until July 28. Countries with existing forced labor import bans or plans to ban such imports—including Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago—face the lower 10% rate; others, including Vietnam and China, face 12.5%. The EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland face combined rates of 10% or 12.5%. Exemptions include steel, aluminum, automobiles, civilian aircraft, rare earth minerals, and goods covered by the USMCA. The U.S. investigation did not provide meaningful evidence to support forced labor allegations. The move has drawn widespread international criticism: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance, noting the EU's strong labor laws and honored transatlantic commitments; China condemned the move and warned against trade wars; and Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and others voiced objections. Canada threatened retaliation. Analysts note the tariffs are lower than previous IEEPA rates and include broad exemptions, reducing their immediate economic impact, but further tariffs may come in the fall related to structural excess capacity. Economists assess the results of Trump's tariff strategy as closer to failure than success, with only marginal reduction in the US trade deficit achieved. The Trump administration is shifting to more traditional, court-tested trade laws to rebuild its tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs. New duties of 10%-12.5% on 60 countries under Section 301 for forced-labor issues cover 99.4% of U.S. imports. Additional probes target excess industrial capacity, intellectual property theft by Vietnam, and national security protections for strategic industries. The move aims to provide more durable tariffs and bring clarity to businesses, though legal challenges and spontaneous tariff announcements remain risks. The new anti-forced labor duties almost directly replace a global 10% temporary tariff that expired on Friday. Another part of the baseline tariffs is likely to be rebuilt by another Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity, targeting 16 big trading partners, including China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Vietnam. The Liberation Day tariffs alone yielded $166 billion in revenue, but refunds to importers have now turned those collections negative. The 150-day temporary tariffs have added $31 billion in assessed revenue through July 5, but if a federal court ruling against them stands, that money is subject to refund. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made clear that Trump will use everything at his disposal to erect tariffs to reshore production and shrink the trade deficit. Greer has said the layers of tariffs being rebuilt will not exceed caps included in deals he has been negotiating, including 15% for the EU, Japan and South Korea and higher rates for Southeast Asian countries. Administration officials say China's rates will not exceed the cap of about 20% agreed by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last November, on top of the 25% tariffs from his first term. Some nominal duties may be higher than actual applied rates, which analysts say may be an enforcement mechanism for countries to stick to agreed trade deal terms. Still, some things continue to come out of the blue, including the 50% duties on Canadian beer, dairy, hockey sticks and other products Trump announced on Monday over Ottawa's refusal to make trade concessions, and his threat to cut off all trade with Spain over not meeting NATO military spending targets.
us41US officials accuse Moonshot AI of stealing US technology via distillation as Chinese models narrow AI gap
Chinese AI firms Moonshot AI and Alibaba released new models (Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8) claiming near-top performance, reigniting debate on the US-China AI race. US officials, including White House OSTP director Michael Kratsios and Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg, accused Moonshot of stealing US technology via large-scale distillation of Anthropic's Claude Fable model and illegally accessing Nvidia processing units. The Trump administration articulated a new policy distinction: small-scale or authorized distillation is acceptable as part of open innovation, but large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary US technology is framed as theft. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to add Chinese AI companies to a US government restricted list, warning that sanctions and Entity List designations are possible for such IP theft. The Trump administration is reportedly considering a comprehensive ban on Chinese AI models. The U.K. and U.S. AI security institutes jointly evaluated Kimi K3's cyber capabilities as significantly below other frontier models. China promotes open-weight models, gaining global adoption and challenging US closed systems. Xi Jinping advocated for openness at the World AI Conference, with 29 countries joining China's World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The administration aims to preserve open AI development while taking a hard line on China.
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US officials accuse Moonshot AI of stealing US technology via distillation as Chinese models narrow AI gap
Chinese AI firms Moonshot AI and Alibaba released new models (Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8) claiming near-top performance, reigniting debate on the US-China AI race. US officials, including White House OSTP director Michael Kratsios and Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg, accused Moonshot of stealing US technology via large-scale distillation of Anthropic's Claude Fable model and illegally accessing Nvidia processing units. The Trump administration articulated a new policy distinction: small-scale or authorized distillation is acceptable as part of open innovation, but large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary US technology is framed as theft. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to add Chinese AI companies to a US government restricted list, warning that sanctions and Entity List designations are possible for such IP theft. The Trump administration is reportedly considering a comprehensive ban on Chinese AI models. The U.K. and U.S. AI security institutes jointly evaluated Kimi K3's cyber capabilities as significantly below other frontier models. China promotes open-weight models, gaining global adoption and challenging US closed systems. Xi Jinping advocated for openness at the World AI Conference, with 29 countries joining China's World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The administration aims to preserve open AI development while taking a hard line on China.
Chinese AI firms Moonshot AI and Alibaba released new models (Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8) claiming near-top performance, reigniting debate on the US-China AI race. US officials, including White House OSTP director Michael Kratsios and Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg, accused Moonshot of stealing US technology via large-scale distillation of Anthropic's Claude Fable model and illegally accessing Nvidia processing units. The Trump administration articulated a new policy distinction: small-scale or authorized distillation is acceptable as part of open innovation, but large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary US technology is framed as theft. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to add Chinese AI companies to a US government restricted list, warning that sanctions and Entity List designations are possible for such IP theft. The Trump administration is reportedly considering a comprehensive ban on Chinese AI models. The U.K. and U.S. AI security institutes jointly evaluated Kimi K3's cyber capabilities as significantly below other frontier models. China promotes open-weight models, gaining global adoption and challenging US closed systems. Xi Jinping advocated for openness at the World AI Conference, with 29 countries joining China's World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The administration aims to preserve open AI development while taking a hard line on China.
us40Trump administration imposes new tariffs on 85 countries under forced labor pretext; Brazil announces retaliatory tariffs
The Trump administration announced new tariffs on 85 countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, claiming they failed to enforce forced labor import bans. Democratic Congresswoman Linda Sánchez called the move an 'end-run around the Supreme Court and Congress.' Brazil rejected the claim as 'completely arbitrary and unjustified' and announced plans for retaliatory tariffs. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'everything's on the table' in response. The tariffs are the latest effort to restore a global tariff regime after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
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Trump administration imposes new tariffs on 85 countries under forced labor pretext; Brazil announces retaliatory tariffs
The Trump administration announced new tariffs on 85 countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, claiming they failed to enforce forced labor import bans. Democratic Congresswoman Linda Sánchez called the move an 'end-run around the Supreme Court and Congress.' Brazil rejected the claim as 'completely arbitrary and unjustified' and announced plans for retaliatory tariffs. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'everything's on the table' in response. The tariffs are the latest effort to restore a global tariff regime after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
The Trump administration announced new tariffs on 85 countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, claiming they failed to enforce forced labor import bans. Democratic Congresswoman Linda Sánchez called the move an 'end-run around the Supreme Court and Congress.' Brazil rejected the claim as 'completely arbitrary and unjustified' and announced plans for retaliatory tariffs. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'everything's on the table' in response. The tariffs are the latest effort to restore a global tariff regime after the Supreme Court struck down earlier 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
us39US Army Command in Kuwait Targeted by Resistance Factions
On 24 July 2026, around 7 pm local time, the US Army Ground Forces Command headquarters in Kuwait was attacked by 'resistance factions,' causing heavy damage. The strike, reported by Al-Mayadeen TV, was retaliation for a prior US operation at the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq that killed two and injured 11. The targeted US command was allegedly involved in that border crossing operation. This event marks a significant escalation in regional tensions involving US forces.
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US Army Command in Kuwait Targeted by Resistance Factions
On 24 July 2026, around 7 pm local time, the US Army Ground Forces Command headquarters in Kuwait was attacked by 'resistance factions,' causing heavy damage. The strike, reported by Al-Mayadeen TV, was retaliation for a prior US operation at the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq that killed two and injured 11. The targeted US command was allegedly involved in that border crossing operation. This event marks a significant escalation in regional tensions involving US forces.
On 24 July 2026, around 7 pm local time, the US Army Ground Forces Command headquarters in Kuwait was attacked by 'resistance factions,' causing heavy damage. The strike, reported by Al-Mayadeen TV, was retaliation for a prior US operation at the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq that killed two and injured 11. The targeted US command was allegedly involved in that border crossing operation. This event marks a significant escalation in regional tensions involving US forces.