Iran FM to France: Your diplomats' behavior in Tehran is unacceptable

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly protested the "unconventional and undiplomatic" actions of two French diplomats in Tehran during a phone call with French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot.

According to reports by Tehran Times, Araghchi stressed that compliance with host country laws and adherence to diplomatic norms are not optional—they are prerequisites for any foreign mission. He urged Paris to take immediate measures to prevent such behavior from recurring.

The Iranian minister also placed full responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz closure on Washington, calling it a direct result of US violations of the Islamabad MoU.

"The party that deviated from agreements and jeopardized diplomacy must bear the consequences," Araghchi warned.

Strait of Hormuz remained closed and deserted by the vessels. Compounding the woes of the Hormuz, several tankers carrying Saudi crude oil reportedly reversed course on Tuesday after Tehran-backed Houthis declared a blockade on shipping through Bab el-Mandeb, raising fears that the US-Iran war could disrupt a second major energy chokepoint.

Reports has it that multiple U.S. B-1 bombers have taken off from RAF Fairford in the UK after Donald Trump announced the U.S. would strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified nuclear site near Natanz.

Trump said, "We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," later adding, "We'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon. There's not a thing they can do about it."

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels beneath Pickaxe Mountain following the June 2025 war. The site is estimated to lie 300–450 feet beneath solid rock, and military experts say even the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator may be unable to destroy the underground complex.

The U.S. has struck Iran for 10 straight nights, but Pickaxe remains untouched. Trump has called it a "nice big fat shot" target. The strategic problem is stark: the U.S. may be able to strike the mountain — but not the nuclear infrastructure buried beneath it. Iran in retaliations struck many targets in the middle east.

Consequenty, New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved the use of British military bases by the US for what the UK calls defensive strikes against Iran, Bloomberg reports.

Fears of Iranian Missile: Satellite images Show U.S. withdrawing all Aircraft from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan

Satellite images have shown that the U.S. has withdrawn all aircraft from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan amid fears of Iranian missile strikes.

Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan hosts a significant contingent of both U.S. and Royal Jordanian Air Force assets.

U.S. forces deployed a massive tri-fighter buildup at the site, which includes F-35A stealth fighters, F-15E Strike Eagles, and A-10 Warthogs.

The Jordan base also accommodates strategic airlift aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules, as well as EA-18G Growlers and MQ-9 Reaper drones. The report says the USt has withdrawn all in precautionary fears if the Iranian Missile Strikes.


Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in retaliations to the US strikes, attacked American military bases in the Gulf nations including Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and UAE .

Iran has launched a Sejjil ballistic missile toward Aqaba in Jordan roughly Monday Night.

The Sejjil is Iran's two-stage solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile with a range of approximately 2,000 km, one of Iran's most advanced indigenous missiles, and is rarely deployed.

Mediators are working to push the US and Iran into a new ceasefire, per WSJ reports. Tehran authority have rejected any Ceasefire with the United States.

Mediators are worried the US and Iran could settle into a pattern where they keep conflict below the level of all-out war but disrupt regional economies indefinitely

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has now collapsed to just 10 ships per day as Iran declared the strait of Hormuz closed.

Qatar has floated the idea of a 10-day ceasefire backed by the US and an end to restrictions on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to cool tensions

However, sources in Washington say Right now, President Donald Trump is focused on making Iran pay for their violations of the MOU and their continued acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz. 

In addition, the President will make Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers. These devastating blows will continue until the President deems otherwise, but talks between our countries are continuing.”


Brent crude oil prices continue to trade around $90/barrel.

The idea of overthrowing Iran’s regime is returning to the agenda in parts of the Trump administration after diplomatic efforts failed, the Financial Times said in an analysis. It added that efforts to stoke an internal uprising were also returning to the agenda. 

Israel’s earlier proposal to arm Kurdish groups was rejected in Washington but could now be revived for lack of better alternatives.

According to Sputnik reports, analysis by expert indicates that the US lacks capacity to destroy Iran in full-scale confrontation

While the United States possesses substantial offensive weapons, sustaining a full-scale campaign against Iran would strain its resources and leave key assets vulnerable, according to war correspondent Elijah J. Magnier

The United States has ample firepower to launch major attacks but a limited stock of interceptors to defend against Iranian counterstrikes on US bases, allies, and Israel

Iran can expand the conflict geographically, increasing the number of targets Washington must defend and raising both political and economic costs

By saturating defenses with ballistic and cruise missiles, Iran can force the US and allies to waste interceptors on decoys while striking bases, logistics hubs, ports, radar sites, and fuel storage

Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz further amplifies its leverage, threatening global shipping and raising the stakes for any American military escalation

US media earlier reported that the growing American military presence in the Persian Gulf may signal preparations for a major confrontation. Tehran is ready for confrontation too.

King Charles III Appoints Andy Burnham as Prime Minister after outgoing Keir Starmer officially tendered his resignation

In Europe, British Monarch, King Charles III has appointed Andy Burnham as prime minister after outgoing Keir Starmer officially tendered his resignation, the palace said. 

"Andrew Burnham MP accepted The King's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister," Buckingham Palace said in a statement, adding the king had asked him to form the next government

The  New PM  delivers a message of reset in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street after accepting the King's invitation to form a government.

Burnham becomes Britain's seventh prime minister since 2016, underscoring the political instability he says the country must move beyond.

"I hear you and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough and we need to be better."

Andy Burnham takes over as new British Prime Minister After being asked by King Charles III to form the next government, Andy Burnham, 56, makes his first speech outside 10 Downing Street.

Source: AFP

Iran Rejects US backed 10-day ceasefire As IRGC Target Military Facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait with missiles and drones

Iran's Supreme Leaders 

Iran has rejected a U.S.-backed 10-day Qatari ceasefire proposal, with senior Iranian analyst and close adviser to Iran's negotiating team Mohammad Marandi dismissing the offer with a blunt message: "Don't even think about it."


The proposal reportedly called for a 10-day truce that would reopen two shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. Marandi has previously said Iran has "no plans" to resume negotiations, citing a "fundamental lack of seriousness" from the Trump administration, while Iranian officials have repeatedly said talks will not resume until the threat against Iran has ended.


Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has issued a sharp warning to the United States, dismissing Washington’s military buildup in the region as contradictory to its public calls for de-escalation.


Ghalibaf said the United States continues to move additional military equipment into the Middle East while claiming it is seeking to stop the war, adding that Washington has “bet on our intelligence being as brief as their own IQ.” He stated that Iran has reached a stage where it fully understands what he described as American tactics and has prepared accordingly, stressing that “actions must confirm claims, not contradict them.”


Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday they had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and drones, including Al-Sakhir Air Base and Bin Salman Port in Bahrain and Arifjan Base in Kuwait.


In a statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said its navy strikes formed part of what it called the 23rd wave of "Nasr 2" operations and included attacks on facilities it said were used to maintain US drones, prepare naval vessels and support special operations forces.


The Guards said the attacks inflicted heavy damage and that operations against what they described as US military targets in the region would continue.


The statement also rejected comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting Iran was running low on missiles and drones, saying it would continue launching such weapons for as long as any conflict lasted.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says negotiations with the US could be pursued based on national interests

Baghaei says intermediaries have shared messages with Tehran over recent days.

IRGC said they would deliver what they described as a "memorable lesson" to the United States if it carried out further attacks, reaffirming their support for Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.


The Guards said they would not rely on US pledges, arguing that past experience had reinforced their distrust of Washington.


"If the criminal United States once again chooses the path of aggression, we remain committed to delivering the 'memorable lesson' promised by the Leader," the statement said.

Iranian President has said on Monday Iran is fighting a "full-scale war" with the United States, adding that managing the home fronts is very necessary to ensure that the Iranians didn't suffer as Washington expanded its strikes across the Islamic republic including a city hosting a nuclear power plant.

Iran's Military spokesperson Brigadier General Akraminia said the war will go on until Iran achieves full deterrence, stressing this is based on rationality and experience—not emotion. Without it, he warned, the enemy would miscalculate and attack again.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late on Sunday that Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the war, adding that other countries need to "step up" pressure to protect global shipping. Iranian Times reported.

While rejecting the ceasefire, Tehran still dept open, diplomatic doors as Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, traveled to Pakistan on July 20, at the invitation of Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, heading a high-level delegation.

The delegation accompanying the minister includes representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Roads and Urban Development, and Agriculture, as well as officials from the Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) and the Customs Administration.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTROL: SERAP Asks National Assembly To Reject And Withdrawal the Nigeria Data Protection Amendment Bill

A Human Rights Organization in Nigeria, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Nigeria's National Assembly to immediately reject and withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026

According to SERAP, the Bill is a backdoor attempt to regulate social media and expand governmental control over online expression, which is incompatible with international human rights standards.




APC leadership which rode to power with effective use of social media platforms in 2015 has been struggling endlessly since Major Gen. Muhammad Buahri days to subjugate and control the Social Media and how people use them in the country. Nigerians were banned from using Twitter now X under the anti people Leadership of buhari. Bola Tinubu has continue in his steady, inflicting more harsh economic policies on the masses yet want to control the Social Media through a backdoor bill.




SERAP: "We've urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas to immediately reject and withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as the Bill is a backdoor attempt to regulate social media and expand governmental control over online expression, which is incompatible with international human rights standards."




"The Bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), seeks to compel social media platforms, data controllers and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country, and empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to shut down or prohibit the operations of any entity that fails to comply within 30 days."




SERAP argued that requirements compelling technology companies to establish local offices would increase government leverage over platforms, facilitate political pressure, make censorship demands easier and expose local employees to retaliation."




"The Bill would create sweeping powers capable of shutting down or excluding social media platforms from the Nigerian market and expose millions of Nigerians to serious violations of their constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights.




"The Bill follows earlier attempts by the National Assembly to regulate social media that generated widespread public opposition and serious human rights concerns."




"The current Bill revives substantially similar proposals previously introduced by Senator Nwoko, raising renewed concerns that localisation requirements are being used as a vehicle for expanding governmental control over digital platforms and online expression."




Should the Bill be enacted into law in its current or substantially similar form, SERAP shall promptly take all appropriate legal actions to challenge its legality in the public interest and to ensure that Nigerians’ fundamental rights are fully protected.

U.S. officials believe Iran has significantly upgraded its missile capabilities

United States officials are believed to be coming home to reality that Iran has significantly upgraded its missile capabilities and can match the US military threats in the Gulf region by undermining the American defense system capability with a high level precision.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran is now using missiles that travel at extremely high speeds and can maneuver during their final descent, making them far more difficult for American missile defense systems to intercept.

Officials are also increasingly concerned by the improved accuracy of Iran’s strikes, with some suspecting Tehran may be receiving targeting assistance from either China or Russia, though no public evidence has been presented to confirm the claim.

Latest in Iran defense system is the announcement by Tehran that its air defenses shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Ahvaz earlier this morning.

This is another significant loss for the U.S., as the MQ-9 Reaper is one of America's most advanced unmanned aerial platforms. 

Each aircraft costs roughly $30–35 million, depending on its configuration, and is used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strike missions.

The Reaper can remain airborne for more than 24 hours, operate at altitudes above 50,000 feet, and carry a combination of Hellfire missiles and precision guided bombs, making it a critical asset for U.S. military operations.

The reported shootdown also raises further questions about the effectiveness of Iran's integrated air defense network and the growing risks facing U.S. aerial operations as tensions in the region continue to escalate.

With it's precision ballistic missiles advantage, Iran has Threatened UAE Ports & Airports forcing  US to Avoid Hitting Iranian Civilian Infrastructure last night.

United States carried out another round of precision strikes on Iranian military targets air defenses, missile sites, coastal facilities, and IRGC units.

 Iran had issued a strong warning: If the US hit civilian infrastructure in Iran, it would target key UAE sites like Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports plus major ports (Jebel Ali and Fujairah). 

The US did not strike major civilian targets, keeping operations focused on military objectives.