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MIDDLE EAST WAR | Day 152.

• The U.S. military's Central Command says its forces thwarted a surprise Iranian missile attack yesterday, intercepting missiles that Iran launched at U.S. facilities across the Persian Gulf region. U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to the attack, said Iran would face a strong military response. [more]
• The United States and Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq yesterday. U.S. officials say the airstrikes were in response to more than 30 Iranian Revolutionary Guard-directed drone attacks in the region over the past few days. [more]
• Reports cite military officials in Jordan as saying their country's air defenses intercepted at least five missiles launched from Iran early today. Iranian state media cited Revolutionary Guard officials as saying the missiles targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Jordan. [more]
• Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying Iran is expected to receive, within weeks, a first shipment out of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers as it seeks to rebuild its defenses amidst the ongoing Middle East war. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,614 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• The U.S. Senate voted, 86-12, yesterday to advance a broad Russia sanctions bill that would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports, and impose penalties on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, Russian financial institutions, and Russian energy projects over the invasion of Ukraine. [more]

U.S. NUCLEAR FACILITIES | The Department of Energy has announced the signing of memorandums of understanding with five U.S states – Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho – to explore opportunities to host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses to support activities across the full nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, and reprocessing and storage of nuclear waste, as well as advanced reactor deployment and power generation. [press release] [more]

U.S. TECHNOLOGY IMPORTS | Citing domestic supply chain and cybersecurity risks, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced new technology import restrictions yesterday, banning the import of new foreign-made power inverters and humanoid and dog-like robots. [press release] [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yesterday upheld a lower court ruling that refused to block President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting. The ruling came just days after a Boston-based appeals court upheld a ruling that blocked the executive order. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting today. Reports cite industry analysts as suggesting about a 29% chance of an interest rate hike this week, but a 76% chance of a rate hike in September amidst persistently high inflation. [more]

KENTUCKY | Following weeks of speculation on the condition of hospitalized Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent letters yesterday to McConnell's office and Senate Majority Leader John Thune calling for McConnell to either provide evidence he is capable of continuing to serve in the Senate or resign from office. McConnell’s office said earlier this week that he has not been medically cleared to return to work following his June 14 hospitalization and subsequent physical therapy. [more]

GEORGIA | Colt Gray, 16, was sentenced yesterday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty last week to carrying out the September 2024 shooting at Georgia's Apalachee High School in which two students and two teachers were killed. [more]

U.S. BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP | Despite President Donald Trump's previous statement that he would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its June rejection of his plans to implement birthright citizenship restrictions, the 25-day window for filing such a request elapsed yesterday with no action having been taken. [more]

RUSSIA | The Federal Security Service, Russia's domestic security agency, said today that it has charged Pavel Durov, founder and owner of the privacy-focused messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list. Analysts say the move is the latest in a series of moves by Russia aimed at controlling internet access and monitoring online traffic. [more]

ISRAEL AND SYRIA | Following related media reports, the Israeli military has reportedly confirmed that a fringe group of Israeli settlers has recently staged multiple incursions into an Israel-occupied region of southern Syria, where they hope to establish Jewish settlements. [more]

CHINA | As search and recovery efforts continue, authorities in China's southwestern Chongqing region say the death toll from the area's July 17 massive landslide has risen to at least 41 and that 20 people are still considered missing. [more]

CONGO | In its latest update, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Health Ministry says 1,437 people have died, and 3,262 cases have been confirmed, in the Central African nation's ongoing Ebola outbreak. [more]

JAPAN | Search and recovery efforts continue today in southern Japan following this week's 7.1-magnitude earthquake in which at least 18 people were killed. Regional officials say nearly 34,900 homes remain without electricity, and 15,000 homes are without running water, in the aftermath of the quake. [more]

PAKISTAN | Officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir accused the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee political group today of attempting to sabotage elections for the region’s constitutional assembly, which began this week and run through August 10. [more]

SOCCER | FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced plans yesterday for the world soccer governing body to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary with private investors to run leading soccer competitions such as the World Cup and Club World Cup. The announcement was sharply criticized by European soccer body UEFA as a threat to the "soul and governance of football." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1836, the Arc de Triomphe, one of the largest triumphal arches in the world, was officially inaugurated in Paris, France to honor those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. [more history]