US launches 2nd night of strikes against Iran

US launches 2nd night of strikes against Iran, as Israel said bracing for war to restart

Stav Levaton

The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran late Wednesday and into early Thursday morning after striking Iranian targets a day earlier in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which the Islamic Republic responded to by attacking sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Israeli defense establishment was reportedly keeping a close eye on the rising tensions, amid concerns the fighting could quickly escalate and draw Israel back in.

Israeli television also reported the US was returning its refueling planes to the region, after they were removed during the ceasefire that began in early April. Some of the planes, whose presence is a potential signal of the war restarting, were previously parked at Ben Gurion Airport.

According to Channel 12 news, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz were holding a security consultation on Wednesday evening, a day after the US and Iran resumed attacks.

Tehran fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to hit Iranian targets overnight Tuesday-Wednesday and Iran to retaliate against US targets in the Gulf. Iranian state media reported that eight members of the Iranian navy and air force were killed in US attacks on southern parts of the country, in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

On Wednesday, following those strikes, lead mediator Pakistan urged restraint. But both the US and Iran used bellicose rhetoric, with Iran threatening to close the strait and US President Donald Trump first declaring that the memorandum of understanding between the countries was “over,” then sending mixed signals over whether, or how much, fighting would continue.

“I don’t think it’s going to start again. I think it’s going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder,” Trump said Wednesday during a press conference at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Ankara.

“Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly, and we’ll only make it safer — including for oil,” Trump stressed, adding that the US has managed to get significant amounts of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz since the MOU was reached last month.

“We’re not looking for long-term,” Trump said. He then said, paradoxically, “I’m not sure I want to make a deal. Let’s just finish the job.”

In Truth Social posts accompanying images he shared of what he indicated were US strikes in Iran, which he called “retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” Trump warned, “If it happens again, it will get much worse!”

One of the photographs he posted was apparently not from the latest strikes.

In further remarks, Trump later claimed Iran “called a little while ago, they want to make a deal so badly.”

“I just don’t if they are worthy of making a deal. I don’t know if they are going to honor a deal, that’s the problem,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Asked why Iran would attack commercial ships if it wants to reach an agreement as he claimed, Trump said, “they’re sort of a crazy. They’re a little bit out of control, but they want to make a deal — badly.”

He again warned Iran against attacking US targets, saying “every time they hit us we’re going to hit them twenty[fold].” Trump stressed he did not know if the sides were heading toward a full resumption of activities.

US Vice President JD Vance also said that the US would “knock the hell out of” Iran if it kept firing at ships.

“The basic deal that we cut was we’ll lift our blockade if you stop shooting at ships — but if you shoot at ships, we are going to punch back, and we’re going to punch back harder than ever before,” he said at an event, according to CNN.

While the most recent exchange of fire has remained confined to the Gulf and has not spilled over into Israel, Jerusalem is preparing for multiple scenarios, given concerns that the situation could deteriorate rapidly, Channel 12 reported.

The IDF has reportedly raised its level of readiness across the board, maintaining both defensive and offensive preparations. The military was said to have operational plans ready, fighter jets armed and on standby, and target banks prepared based on updated intelligence.

The report added that the IDF is maintaining close coordination with US Central Command to ensure Israel is prepared for any sudden escalation and was not caught by surprise. The escalation with Iran is likely being seen as a welcome development in Israel, which was not a party to the US-Iran talks, has been wary of them, and has sought to further weaken Tehran’s military and regime.

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Iran targets Jordan with missiles, as US said to hit perimeter area of Bushehr nuclear plant

Iran targets Jordan with missiles, as US said to hit perimeter area of Bushehr nuclear plant 

Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday

Jordan says 8 Iranian missiles intercepted; no casualties or damage caused

Jordan has inteercepted eight missiles launched from Tehran at the country, the Jordanian state news agency reports, after alarms sounded.

No casualties or damages have been caused, the report says.

Sirens sound in Jordan amid Iranian missile attack, reportedly targeting US base

Sirens sound in Jordan amid an Iranian attack, signaling an expansion of current hostilities.

Reports say the target is a US base in the country.

State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka adds: “Alarm sirens sounded in Jordan on Thursday to alert citizens and urge them to follow instructions.”

The state news agency later reports, citing the government spokesperson, that missiles launched from Iran were detected in Jordanian airspace.

The spokesperson says the Jordanian Armed Forces are on high alert and ready to deal with any threat targeting the kingdom’s security.

The sirens are reportedly heard in some Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley.

US projectile hit perimeter area of Bushehr nuclear plant, Iran says

A US projectile has struck the area surrounding Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s deputy governor of Bushehr province tells state media.

The official says several locations in Bushehr province, including the perimeter area of the nuclear facility, were hit in US attacks.

Explosions heard in Iran’s Bushehr, Mehr news reports

US strike hit bridge on China-Iran rail corridor also used by Russia, Iran’s Fars news says

Overnight US strikes on Iran hit the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in northern Iran’s Golestan province, Fars news agency says, a trade link to Tehran’s strategic partners China and Russia.

Fars says the route that goes on to pass through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan has been an important land link to China that gained further relevance during this year’s blockade of Iran’s Gulf ports by the US.

It adds that the route has also been used by Russia for cargo shipments to Iran since late 2025.

The agency says repairs to the bridge are expected to be completed quickly.

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90 targets struck: US strikes in Iran targets following attacks on shipping

90 targets struck: US strikes in Iran targets following attacks on shipping

Israel National News

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday evening announced that its forces have begun launching strikes against Iranian targets.

The confirmation came after explosions were heard in Iran. The explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas, in Chabahar and on Kharg Island, among other places.

“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," said CENTCOM.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," it added.

Later in the night, it was also reported that a railway bridge in northwestern Iran was attacked, causing damage to transportation infrastructure in the area.

A senior US official confirmed to Channel 12 News that the US military conducted precision strikes using cruise missiles against two railway bridges in northern Iran. This marks the first time the US military has targeted infrastructure on Iranian soil since the ceasefire took effect on April 8.

An Israeli official told Al-Arabiya that the US had notified Israel it would carry out powerful strikes in Iran.

Following the US strikes, an Iranian military source told the Nournews agency, "We will soon launch a massive attack against US military bases in the region."

Mohsen Rezaee, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, issued a direct threat toward the United States and its regional allies following the US strikes in Iran.

In a brief post on social media, Rezaee wrote, "The aggressive enemy and its partners will be severely punished."

US President Donald Trump commented on the strikes in Iran in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" he wrote.

Meanwhile, a US official told CNN that the ceasefire with Iran “has at least temporarily ceased".

The official added that the situation with Iran continues to be very dynamic and there could be more strikes beyond what was announced. The US military is in a wait-and-see mode, the official stated, adding that the targets of the latest strikes were missiles and drones, that could be used against US assets, like aircraft carriers.

Wednesday’s strikes came one night after CENTCOM struck over 80 targets in Iran hit with precision munitions “as an immediate response to Iran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

Europe’s New Entry/Exit System Is a Mess, and It’s Not Going Away

Europe’s New Entry/Exit System Is a Mess, and It’s Not Going Away

Christine Chung

European leaders are standing firm on a security program that has led to long lines, confusion and missed flights at airports this summer, despite an urgent plea from the aviation industry to suspend it.

The Entry/Exit System, or E.E.S., requires members of the 29-country Schengen open-border area to collect biometrics like face photos and fingerprints from travelers upon arrival and to confirm their identities upon exit. 

Since the system took full effect in April, airports and airlines have reported widespread chaos — including hourslong security checkpoint lines and confusion over procedures — and have feared the headaches could worsen as peak travel season begins.

The problems led senior officials from the European aviation industry last week to ask the European Union to suspend the E.E.S. requirement this summer. The system is “undermining Europe’s reputation, European tourism and connectivity,” said the open letter to the president of the European Commission.

But on Tuesday, European Commission leaders officially rejected the request in a meeting with industry stakeholders, saying that the new system’s security advantages outweighed its inconveniences.

The system “makes E.U. citizens more secure while keeping the impact for legitimate non-E.U. travelers to a minimum,” a European Commission spokesperson said in a statement after the meeting, noting that the system had already registered 110 million trips and refused 45,000 visitors.

E.E.S. is used in the 29-country Schengen area, which includes 25 European Union members as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. 

The system applies to most visitors to those countries who are traveling for a short stay (up to 90 days in a 180-day period), regardless of whether they have a visa.

Since the system began to roll out across Europe in October, travelers have encountered an inconsistent set of procedures, taking anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Some airports have self-service kiosks where travelers can register their biometrics. At others, border control officers manually register travelers. Only two countries, Sweden and Portugal, currently allow travelers to use a dedicated app. E.E.S. is intended to be an automated system, eventually.

“At present, the system is failing to deliver one of its core objectives: facilitating efficient border crossings while maintaining the smooth functioning of Europe’s transport network,” the aviation officials wrote in the open letter urging the European Union to act.

Under the current rules, E.E.S. can be only partly suspended, allowing airports to bypass biometrics collection for six hours at a time, though they must still register traveler information, a European Commission spokesperson said. The ability to relax the rules isn’t enough to make a real dent in the delays, the aviation industry officials said. They have unsuccessfully sought greater flexibility to pause the system and revert to standard passport stamping until there is increased border control staffing and consistency for how passengers are registered.

A survey conducted among 85 airports in 20 member states by Airports Council International, whose European director general is one of the signatories of the open letter, found that at peak times in June, passengers could spend up to five hours waiting at the airport to enter a country. And though the system is supposed to store traveler data for three years, some visitors said they had been repeatedly asked to submit their biometrics, causing delays.

Some people have posted on social media to say that all the problems have them reconsidering travel to Europe.

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How the Global Economy Became the World’s Most Dangerous Battlefield

How the Global Economy Became the World’s Most Dangerous Battlefield

Madge Waggy

Nobody remembers the exact day it began because, unlike conventional wars, there was no universally recognized starting point. No emergency broadcasts interrupted television programming, no fighter aircraft appeared over national capitals, and no governments announced the commencement of hostilities before the international community. Financial markets opened precisely on schedule, cargo vessels continued crossing strategic maritime corridors, supermarkets replenished their shelves overnight, and millions of people began another ordinary working day convinced that the machinery of globalization remained fundamentally unchanged. The remarkable normality of daily life concealed a far less reassuring reality: the international economy had quietly entered a period in which commercial interdependence was no longer regarded as an unquestionable guarantee of stability but increasingly as a potential source of strategic vulnerability.

This transformation did not emerge from a single geopolitical crisis nor from one spectacular economic collapse. Rather, it materialized through hundreds of seemingly isolated decisions that, when observed individually, appeared rational and almost insignificant. Governments introduced export controls on advanced semiconductor technologies. Central banks intensified discussions concerning monetary resilience.

The emergence of digital financial technologies has further intensified this competition. Central bank digital currencies, algorithmic trading systems, artificial intelligence applied to financial modelling, and increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity capabilities are reshaping the operational landscape of international finance at extraordinary speed. What once required weeks of diplomatic negotiation or prolonged commercial restructuring can now unfold through automated transactions executed within milliseconds across interconnected global markets. Financial influence has consequently become faster, more adaptive, and considerably more complex than at any previous moment in economic history.

The accelerating redistribution of economic influence suggests that the international system is no longer moving toward a simple transition of power from one dominant nation to another. Instead, it is evolving into something considerably more intricate—a fragmented landscape where influence is dispersed across technology, finance, industrial capacity, strategic resources, scientific innovation, demographic resilience, and institutional credibility. Such an environment rewards adaptability rather than absolute dominance, encouraging governments to reconsider assumptions that remained largely uncontested throughout the first decades of globalization.

Perhaps the most profound misconception surrounding contemporary international competition is the belief that the defining struggle of this century will ultimately be decided through military superiority alone. Military capability undoubtedly remains an indispensable component of national security, yet modern prosperity depends upon an ecosystem far broader than conventional defence.

Nations increasingly compete to attract scientific talent, dominate artificial intelligence, secure uninterrupted energy supplies, establish leadership in quantum computing, expand advanced manufacturing, protect digital infrastructure, and preserve the confidence of international investors whose decisions can redirect trillions of dollars with remarkable speed. 

 In many respects, the decisive contest has already shifted from the battlefield to the laboratory, from naval fleets to semiconductor fabrication facilities, and from territorial occupation to technological leadership.

This transition is quietly redefining the very meaning of sovereignty. Throughout much of modern history, independence implied the ability to defend territorial borders and maintain political authority within them. Today, sovereignty has acquired additional dimensions that extend far beyond geography. 

A nation incapable of producing advanced technologies, securing strategic resources, protecting digital infrastructure, or maintaining resilient supply chains may possess complete political independence while remaining economically vulnerable to decisions taken thousands of kilometres beyond its borders. 

The paradox is striking: globalization connected the world more comprehensively than at any previous moment in history, yet that same interconnectedness has simultaneously exposed how fragile excessive dependence can become once political priorities begin to diverge.

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