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Reporters raise hands as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that Iran is “not the once very strong, powerful terrorist state that they were” before the US’s Operation Epic Fury against the Islamic Regime in Tehran, during a press briefing on Wednesday. When asked about the status of US-Iran negotiations, she claimed that Iran's leadership is still speaking with the US and has expressed interest in reaching another peace deal after the recent collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.

US President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent behind him, on the day of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/UMIT BEKTAS) The Trump administration is expected to  broaden the scope  of its military campaign against Iran, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The anticipated expansion would include both a wider range of strikes and an expanded list of targets. However, officials cautioned that it remains unclear when the next phase of the operation will begin or what level of increased military activity President  Donald Trump  will ultimately authorize. At the same time, Iran has publicly warned that it will escalate its missile attacks if Washington intensifies its  military campaign . Sources cautioned that it remains unclear when the next phase of the operation will begin or what level of increased military activity Trump will ultimately authorize...

IDF soldiers patrol by the Lebanese border in northern Israel, June 9, 2026 (photo credit: REUTERS/MIRO MAMAN) The government announced on Thursday that it has approved a comprehensive reform for handling the massive spike in wounded and traumatized soldiers from the last three years of war. The reform is based on the  June 7 recommendations  of a government committee headed by Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef. The reform is based on the June 7 recommendations of a government committee that suggested radical changes to the handling of 50,000 emotional trauma cases of former IDF soldier

IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth addresses a change-of-command ceremony for the military's 99th Division, July 15, 2026. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth made the remarks during a change of command ceremony for the reservist 99th Division near the Gaza border. Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out a terror infiltration, as seen on October 7, 2023, IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen.  Avi Bluth  said on Wednesday. "The threat of a terror infiltration like on October 7 is no longer possible," he stated. "More than 60% of the Strip is in our hands. There is a security zone for the  Gaza border communities  held by two divisions and the finest IDF soldiers," he added. Hamas, however, still remains a threat according to Bluth. "But our eyes are open, and we can see and identify the challenges that still exist. Hamas still rules, and the murderous organization retains residual capabilities, wh...

Fewer vessels traveled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day after the US reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf, shipping data showed. Seven vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, mostly on the Iranian route, down from 13 the previous day, Kpler data showed. Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are keeping ships from traveling through the waterway, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war.

A US Navy fighter jet aboard the top deck of the USS George H.W. Bush in the Arabian Sea, published July 15, 2026; illustrative. (photo credit: X/CENTCOM) The US struck  Iran's  coastal defenses and missile sites on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports, while Iran threatened to shut off more regional energy exports, saying it was engaged in an "existential war" with America. The latest escalation comes days after a fragile truce collapsed, raising the specter of a return to full-scale war, though analysts generally see that as less likely. Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. Military operations are also keeping ships from transiting the vital artery, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, closed at a one-month high at $84.95 a barrel on Wednesday.

US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to the press as he exits a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington. (photo credit: REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo) The US House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off  aid to Israel  on Wednesday, despite nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting a growing rupture between US progressives and Israel over the war in  Gaza . The House voted 314 to 104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. However, 103 Democrats and one Republican backed it, a sharp departure from years in which bills supporting Israel passed almost unanimously. Left-wing Democrats are pushing to end US aid to Israel as they campaign in midterm election primaries, while moderate Democrats promote sending money that would be used for defensive weapons only.