| Iran launches missiles toward U.S. base in Jordan. U.S.-Saudi Strikes across Iraq kill at least 20 Popular Mobilization Forces fighters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits U.S. President Donald Trump. Iranian Foreign Ministry official outlines Iran’s goals, commitments. Traffic still impacted through Strait of Hormuz, though no new attacks reported. Iran demands restitution over Ukrainian strike on ship. Ansarallah reports successful downing of Saudi reconnaissance drone. China holds direct talks with Ansarallah for Bab Al-Mandab access. Israeli attacks on Gaza kill one, wound 29. Israeli settlers, forces continue to ravage the occupied West Bank. UNHCR: Attacks by Israeli settlers “hitting an all-time high.” Palestinian man accused of carrying out “shooting attack” was shot while unarmed, video shows. Israeli ceasefire violations continue in southern Lebanon. Israel accuses Hezbollah of ceasefire breach. Senate advances bipartisan Russia sanctions bill. ICE document confirms forced feeding of hunger striker in detention. Senate confirms Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence. Anthony Fauci takes the Fifth. U.S. delegation walks out of UN meeting after France criticizes rights record. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear calls out Sen. Mitch McConnell for concealing health status. Cholera outbreak in Sudan. Ukrainian drones strike refineries and logistics sites across Russia. Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terrorism. UN report: Boeing 727s linked to U.S. contractor supplied RSF in Sudan. Five Kenyan security officers killed in clash with al-Shabaab. Thousands protest against third presidential term in Congo. Turkey, Iraq discuss energy deal that could bring 1 million barrels of oil daily.This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – FridayUpgrade to paidIranIran launches missiles toward U.S. base in Jordan: Iran launched ballistic missiles toward a U.S. base in Jordan on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed, with U.S. and Jordanian military officials claiming that the missiles were intercepted.After an initial announcement by the U.S. that it had shot down a series of missile attacks on Tuesday evening, the Jordanian military said it had intercepted 5 missiles on Wednesday morning.In a statement confirming the attacks, the IRGC said that the attacks targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command in Jordan and warned that they would continue as long as U.S. threats and actions against Iranian interests persist.In remarks to Fox News, Trump said, “We’re going to beat the fuc*ing sh*t out of them. We’ll be hitting them hard,” adding that Iran was “going to get a beating,” in response to the attack. He said U.S. troops had only minutes to respond before intercepting the missiles. Trump also said that Washington would “let them keep talking” regarding the possibility of future negotiations with Tehran.Iranian state television reported Wednesday that U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes on an area near the Iraqi border in northwestern Iran, saying a location in the border region of Piranshahr came under “hostile U.S. airstrikes.” Earlier, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the crisis management chief of West Azerbaijan province as saying a “hostile missile” struck an uninhabited area in the same region, causing no casualties.U.S.-Saudi Strikes across Iraq kill at least 20 PMF fighters: Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said joint U.S.-Saudi airstrikes killed at least 20 of its fighters and wounded 32 others in attacks across seven provinces, in one of the biggest escalations in the region in weeks.The PMF, an Iraqi state-integrated paramilitary body with factions close to Tehran, said the strikes hit its positions in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala, damaging buildings, vehicles, and equipment.U.S. Central Command and Saudi Arabia confirmed the joint operation, saying it targeted “Iran-backed” militants in retaliation for attacks on U.S. troops and Saudi oil facilities, with CENTCOM saying it hit “logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq.” Trump claimed the overnight strikes were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government.Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed additional drones targeting petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh, following separate attacks reported Monday and Tuesday. Riyadh blamed Iran-aligned militias operating from Iraqi territory.Iraq’s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, calling the attack “an unacceptable aggression,” the Iraqi News Agency reported. The council said the strikes came while Baghdad was communicating with U.S. and Saudi officials to address concerns over attacks on Saudi territory. It announced a comprehensive security plan to “confront any violation of Iraq’s sovereignty” and stressed that responding to such attacks is “the exclusive responsibility of the Iraqi government and its constitutional institutions.”Iraqi militias deny responsibility for Saudi attacks: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of “resistance axis”-aligned factions, denied involvement in the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that Riyadh has blamed on Iraq on Tuesday, calling the accusations “fabrications.”The group said the claims were meant to mask Saudi Arabia’s “inability to respond to the painful Yemeni strikes,” and warned that any “foolish action” by the kingdom would meet a “harsh response.”Yemen’s Ansarallah has separately claimed the attacks on Saudi, with spokesman Yahya Saree saying they targeted crude facilities in the kingdom’s east.Netanyahu visits Trump: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for a closed-door meeting, which lasted roughly an hour and a half and was described by White House officials as “positive and productive.” At the meeting’s conclusion, Netanyahu said he had finished “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with a president of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”After their meeting, Netanyahu was interviewed by Fox News’ Sean Hannity, and said about the U.S.-Israel war on Iran that he was “skeptical” of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and that Israel would respond “with terrific force” if attacked by Iran.He said he and Trump “see…eye to eye” on this, and were both committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.Trump struck a different tone when he was interviewed by Fox News on Tuesday, telling Fox & Friends that he was frustrated that his plans to discuss intelligence regarding an alleged nuclear facility at Iran’s “Pickaxe Mountain” with Netanyahu were leaked. “I don’t need [Netanyahu] to tell me that,” he said, expressing a similar frustration that Netanyahu insisted that the U.S. “stay involved” in the war.Iranian deputy FM on Hormuz, U.S. blockade, and Iran’s nuclear program: Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, outlined Tehran’s strategic position during an appearance on Iranian state television on Tuesday.Iran insists, Gharibabadi says, on control of the Strait of Hormuz, which it says will “never return” to the prewar status quo. “If the Strait of Hormuz returns to its previous arrangements, our success in the war will not be complete.”Iran will keep the Strait closed unless Oman agrees to a new arrangement handing Tehran control over the waterway’s shipping lanes, Gharibabadi said. Gharibabadi also noted that Iran is prepared to keep the Strait closed, even if it means war resumes, and that it would never recognize the southern shipping lane that the U.S. and Oman have proposed and attempted to establish.He warned the U.S. against its present strategy of imposing a naval blockade on the country, saying that it would not force any concessions on Iran’s part, and said that any European warship approaching the Strait would be considered a legitimate military target by Iran.On the nuclear issue, Gharibabadi said Iran is effectively operating as if it were no longer a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that it rejects inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international agencies as long as the war continues. “The other side should not think Iran will remain in the NPT forever. All options are on the table,” he said.Traffic still impacted through Hormuz, though no new attacks reported: The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said on Tuesday that the regional maritime threat level in the Gulf remained “Severe,” but reported no newly confirmed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the past 48 hours.Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below normal, with most transits continuing through the northern Iranian-controlled corridor.JMIC said IRGC harassment of merchant vessels, including hailing, drone overflights, and surveillance, persists, while many ships continue sailing with AIS switched off after earlier attacks.The maritime tracking firm Kpler counted only seven total transits through Hormuz yesterday (another firm, Windward, counted five).Iran’s IRGC Navy said on Tuesday that it targeted and stopped three oil tankers that continued along what it called an unsafe and illegal route despite repeated warnings.Iran demands restitution over Ukrainian strike on ship Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday he had been assured by his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, that a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial ship was “unintentional” and that Kyiv was not seeking escalation.Araghchi called any attack on Iranian citizens or interests “unacceptable” and demanded “restitution for losses.”The Ukrainian strike on Saturday killed one Iranian sailor and wounded another, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.YemenAnsarallah reports successful downing of Saudi reconnaissance drone: Yemen’s Armed Forces, the military wing of the Ansarallah movement, said on Wednesday that it shot down a Saudi Karayel reconnaissance drone while it was carrying out “hostile operations” over the Saada governorate in northern Yemen, near the Saudi border.The Karayel-SU is a Turkish-designed military drone used for surveillance, intelligence gathering and target identification, though it can also carry guided weapons.Spokesperson Yahya Saree said the drone was downed and asserted that Yemeni forces would continue “defending the country’s sovereignty” by responding to any further attacks.China holds direct talks with Ansarallah for Bab Al-Mandab access: China held direct talks with Yemen’s Ansarallah movement to secure safe passage for Chinese tankers through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait after the group announced it would target vessels calling on Saudi ports, Reuters reported on Tuesday.Chinese officials are reportedly clearing tankers individually with Ansarallah, while informing Iran of each transit.At least four China-bound tankers have made the passage since the blockade was announced.PalestineKilled and wounded in Gaza: Over the past 24 hours, two Palestinians were killed—one in a new attack and one due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks—and 29 were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 73,335 killed, with 174,052 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,209 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 3,943, while 803 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble.Israeli attacks on Gaza kill one, wound 29: Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday killed at least one Palestinian and wounded 29 others, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.An Israeli attack on the Al-Balata Market in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed a Palestinian man and wounded 20 others.An Israeli drone struck the roof of a residential building in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, wounding three.Israeli forces shot and wounded two more Palestinians east of Deir al-Balah.Four Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis.Additionally, Israeli forces destroyed the Dar Al-Muttaqin Mosque in the Yarmouk area of central Gaza City, leveling tents sheltering displaced people beside it, and issued several forced displacement orders in Deir al-Balah and Gaza City preceding Tuesday’s wave of strikes.Israeli settlers, forces continue to ravage the occupied West Bank:Israeli forces demolished a house in the town of Naalin, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Arab48. The house, which was constructed during the late Ottoman era, was more than 120 years old.Israeli forces demolished at least 13 Palestinian homes across the West Bank this week alone, according to the IMEMC news agency.Israeli authorities confiscated more than 22 dunums—an area roughly equal to the size of four football fields—of Palestinian land near Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Information Center reported on Tuesday.Israeli settlers destroyed a vehicle belonging to a Palestinian man in Beit Ula on Tuesday, kidnapping him and another passenger, WAFA reported.In a separate incident on Tuesday evening in the Bethlehem district, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian man’s vehicle after attacking his home.Israeli undercover forces disguised in civilian clothing shot and wounded a 55-year-old Palestinian man in the abdomen and foot during a raid on the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, on Wednesday, according to WAFA. The forces also surrounded a home in the area and arrested a Palestinian man.Israeli settlers cut down 20 citrus trees on a Palestinian farm in Wada Qana on Wednesday morning, WAFA reported.In the Tubas area, Israeli forces began to destroy an artesian well used by Palestinian families in the area, WAFA reported. The well had previously been rendered inoperable by Israeli attacks, endangering the agricultural endeavors of the area, which are suffering under Israel’s “Crimson Thread,” a project to build a military road and separation wall in the area.UNHCR: Attacks by Israeli settlers “hitting an all-time high”: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers and the expansion of settlements and outposts are “hitting an all-time high” in the occupied West Bank. “We are alarmed by the Israeli government’s announcement to further increase the number of settlements and outposts, and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities, accompanied by threats to turn the West Bank into another Gaza,” Ravina Shamdasani, UNHCR spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.Palestinian man accused of carrying out “shooting attack” was shot while unarmed, video shows: Sheikh Farouk Ramadan, a Palestinian whom Israel labeled a “terrorist” after he defended himself during a confrontation with armed settlers in the occupied West Bank village of Tal on Friday, was shot dead while unarmed, an analysis of four videos by +972 Magazine and Local Call found.The report confirms that Ramadan did wrestle away a settler’s rifle and that he fired it during their interaction.Videos then show him walking slowly towards soldiers, unarmed and with nothing in his hands, before dropping to the ground. He was shot dead in this position, possibly by a settler, minutes after the gun had left his hands.LebanonIsraeli ceasefire violations continue in southern Lebanon:Israeli forces set fire to homes in the village of Qantara in Marjayoun district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.Israeli soldiers also shelled the Ali Al-Taher hill on the outskirts of Nabatieh Al-Fawqa.In Tyre (Sour) district, Israeli forces detonated and demolished the remaining homes in villages across the western sector before dawn, particularly in the Al-Masha area of Mansouri.Israel accuses Hezbollah of ceasefire breach: Israel accused Hezbollah of committing a “blatant violation” of the Lebanon ceasefire, alleging the group launched an explosive drone at an Israeli military engineering vehicle in the Ali Al-Taher area of occupied southern Lebanon overnight, The Times of Israel reported. The Israeli military said no injuries were reported and that its troops would continue operating in the area. Israel is currently deliberating a response to the incident, according to security officials.📥 Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email DC Correspondent Julian Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.comU.S. NewsSenate advances bipartisan Russia sanctions bill: The Senate voted 86-12 Tuesday to advance a bipartisan measure imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia and Iran, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month while working to secure the bill’s passage.The bill imposes harsh new penalties on countries that purchase oil and other energy products from Russia and expands existing sanctions against Iran.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched from the gallery after meeting with senators.11 Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill.ICE document confirms forced feeding of hunger striker in detention: An ICE Health Service Corps document reviewed by The Guardian confirms the Trump administration forcibly treated at least one immigrant detention hunger striker between October and December of last year, using methods that could include force-feeding, hydration, or involuntary catheterization or blood draws.The disclosure, produced in response to Senate appropriations committee reporting requirements, comes as hundreds of detainees have staged hunger strikes at facilities including Delaney Hall in New Jersey and Adelanto in California.Forced feeding has been condemned by international human rights groups and medical associations as a form of torture.Senate confirms Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence: The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in a 51-47 party-line vote on Tuesday.Democratic support eroded after Clayton gave evasive answers during his confirmation hearing about whether President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said he hoped Clayton would prove more stable than acting director Bill Pulte, who claimed Tuesday to have executed a “5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS” totaling a 30% staff reduction during his brief tenure.Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment: Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to questions from the Senate Homeland Security Committee Tuesday about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.Fauci, who was pardoned by President Joe Biden, accused Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) of having an “unhinged obsession with me.” Paul released 11,000 pages of Fauci’s unredacted personal diary over the weekend, in which his observations often directly contradicted his public messaging about the virus.Beshear calls out McConnell for concealing health status: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear publicly demanded that Sen. Mitch McConnell prove he remains capable of serving or resign, after 43 days without voting or directly addressing constituents following his hospitalization.After writing a letter to McConnell on Monday, Beshear called upon Sen. John Thune to “fully investigate” McConnell’s health condition and his ability to serve Kentuckians.August 3 may be the cutoff date after which Beshear cannot call a special election, Beshear noted during a Tuesday appearance on Bloomberg.Other International NewsCholera outbreak in Sudan: Cholera has killed at least 170 people and infected more than 2,000 in Sudan since May, with the Kordofan region hit hardest, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).Relief agencies are racing to respond despite severe obstacles set by the country’s ongoing civil war, setting up nearly 80 monitoring sites, 16 treatment centers, and eight rehydration facilities, and reaching more than 270,000 people with prevention efforts.OCHA warned the response is crippled by a funding shortfall, with Sudan’s 2026 humanitarian appeal raising just $1.1 billion of the $2.9 billion needed.Ukrainian drones strike refineries and logistics sites across Russia: Ukraine launched overnight attacks using long-range drones on oil refineries in Perm and Ryazan, a Ryazan logistics center, an export terminal and military plant in Rostov, and a Russian naval base in occupied Crimea, President Zelenskyy said in a statement announcing the strikes.A warehouse for the company Wildberries in Ryazan was evacuated after catching fire. The online retailer, known as the Russian equivalent to Amazon, said that a recent campaign of Ukrainian strikes targeting its facilities have damaged at least seven warehouses in recent days, eliminating roughly 10 percent of its storage capacity. Ukraine claims that the company provides components for Russian attack drones.Russia, meanwhile, struck Kherson, killing one person, and said its drones hit two vessels carrying weapons and military equipment near Odessa.Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terrorism: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list, alleging that Ukrainian intelligence used a dating chatbot on the platform to recruit young Russians for attacks on security personnel and infrastructure.The FSB said 46 Russians ages 12 to 22 had been arrested over the past year after being recruited through the chatbot.Telegram is popular in Russia and used by Russian defense and government agencies for public communications, though Moscow has begun throttling access to the platform in response to concerns over its use for foreign espionage.UN report: Boeing 727s linked to U.S. contractor supplied RSF in Sudan: A draft UN report found that Boeing 727s linked to a business network involving former U.S. Army Special Forces contractor Steven Shaulis transported mercenaries, weapons and drones for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces via an N’Djamena-Nyala air corridor, according to Reuters.The report also detailed the scale of support from an estimated 1,500-2,000 Colombian mercenaries known as the Desert Wolves, hired by UAE-based firm Global Security Services Group, who fought alongside the RSF during its siege of El-Fasher, violence the UN has said amounted to genocide.Five Kenyan security officers killed in clash with al-Shabaab: Five Kenyan security officers were killed Tuesday when a patrol team clashed with suspected al-Shabaab militants near Wantey Dam in Mandera county, close to the Somali border, according to Reuters.Police said they are pursuing the militants after a reinforcement team’s armored vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, though no casualties were reported from this attack.Thousands protest against third presidential term in Congo: Thousands rallied Tuesday in the M23-controlled cities of Goma and Bukavu against proposed constitutional changes that could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term, Reuters reported, following Congo’s parliament approving a bill in June to submit such changes to a referendum.Demonstrators also called for the UN to lift sanctions imposed this month on AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa, as government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya accused the rebels of forcing residents to join the protests, which proceeded despite an Ebola-related gathering ban.Turkey, Iraq discuss energy deal that could bring 1 million barrels of oil daily: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey could receive up to 1 million barrels of oil a day under an energy cooperation plan discussed with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara, the AP reported, with Turkey’s state petroleum company also acquiring a 15% stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk. |
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