US attacks tanker in Strait of Hormuz; Iran releases US citizen
The US fired on an oil tanker attempting to reach Kharg Island as part of its blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran released a US citizen. The ceasefire appears to have collapsed, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.
The United States has attacked an oil tanker trying to reach the Iranian port of Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, continuing its blockade of Iranian ports. The US disabled the unladen vessel with Hellfire missiles after it ignored repeated warnings, targeting its smokestack. Additionally, US forces struck coastal defenses, missile sites, and targets farther north, with state media reporting strikes on the capital Tehran for the first time.
In response, Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait. The escalation follows the apparent complete collapse of the ceasefire between the two sides, with fears of a return to full-scale war. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that Iran had released a US citizen detained since 2024, identified as Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian national. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Israel is determined to maintain its forces in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
Other notable news
A 45-year-old Venezuelan man became the 22nd person to die in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year, dying while being transferred between facilities in Georgia. His family alleges ICE failed to provide necessary medications. Mexico has formally requested US state attorneys general to criminally investigate deaths of immigrants in ICE custody or during raids.
Vice President JD Vance admitted that the Trump administration mishandled the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, telling podcast host Joe Rogan that "we absolutely screwed up the comms." Lawmakers had passed a measure compelling the release of files related to federal investigations of Epstein, but the Justice Department released heavily redacted documents in December, drawing criticism.
In sports, Argentina will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday after a dramatic comeback win over England, with Argentine players celebrating with a banner claiming the Falkland Islands. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed his defense minister despite pleas from foreign partners. The UN says more than 500 people are feared dead after two shipwrecks off Myanmar in late June. Scientists have concluded that climate change supercharged floods in West Africa, leading to deaths and displacement.
