CNN: President Donald Trump warned Iran “will pay” for three US troop deaths over the past few days. An American service member was killed in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone, and a separate Iranian attack in Jordan left two US troops dead and one missing in action.
Weighing next steps: The US is increasing the number of fighter jets in the Middle East as Trump considers how to proceed, an official said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a senior Iranian official have both said they remain open to diplomacy…
Iran-Backed Houthis Expand Conflict With Red Sea Blockade
The Houthis, the Iran-backed armed faction in Yemen, said they would impose a blockade on Saudi ships, threatening to open a new front in the Middle East conflict and raising the pressure on volatile global energy markets…
How a Houthi blockade in the Red Sea tightens Iran’s grip on global energy supplies
It is not clear how the Houthis would carry out a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, its northern neighbour along the Red Sea coast, or whether it would include a return to attacks on shipping.
…With Hormuz already disrupted, the Red Sea has become a critical alternative outlet for Gulf oil and other products. A serious disruption would mean both of the Middle East’s major oil export routes are shut simultaneously…
Shipowners Offer Huge Bonuses to Get Crews to Sail Hormuz
Sinokor Group is offering seafarers an extra six months pay if they’re willing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil channel.
At least 59 commercial ships have come under attack in and around the Persian Gulf since the war began, with 17 seafarers losing their lives, according to the UN’s shipping agency.
Shipowners can command millions of dollars for taking their vessels on a trip in and out of Hormuz, but crews are taking the greatest personal risk and some are still refusing the extra rewards…
Iran Missile Struck Housing for U.S. Troops at Jordan Base
That three missiles were able to slip through U.S. air defenses points to the challenges in protecting the estimated 50,000 troops stationed in the region against an Iranian military that is still equipped with a substantial number of ballistic missiles and drones…
The Pentagon avoids questions as the US war with Iran escalates
The Pentagon hasn’t held a press briefing in two and a half months. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hasn’t explained the military strategy behind the renewed air strikes. His department hasn’t revealed the circumstances that led to the recent deaths of US service members.
It’s all indicative of a larger effort to control information, limit access and avoid difficult questions about the war…
Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War
Central Command is not required to release information about injured troops, especially when they quickly return to duty, a military official said…
Trump is slipping into an Iran quagmire
America cannot achieve its aims by negotiation. So regime change is back on the agenda…
US military identifies 2 soldiers killed during Iranian strikes in Jordan
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, were killed as part of the Friday attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan…
Inside the Deadly U.S. Airstrike on a Shadow Fleet Tanker
Evidence suggests the ship on which three Indian sailors died was not moving when it was struck in the Gulf of Oman, but it had been engaged in risky offshore transfers of oil…
Key Republicans skeptical as Trump administration scrambles for more defense money
But several GOP members told CNN they still lack critical information about the military’s capacity and needs – and aren’t convinced by what they have heard. Even those Republicans who support the funding push fear that a fraught political gamble in the waning days of summer could lead to a legislative implosion just months before the midterm elections…
The Middle East needs its own Helsinki Act
Trust is not a prerequisite for peacemaking — and Iran and its neighbours should follow the example of cold war détente…
US attacks deepen hardship, not dissent, in Iran’s restive south
Most of the more than two dozen southern residents Reuters interviewed by phone or messaging apps agreed that the strikes had gone beyond targets with a clear military purpose.
“Trump has ruined our lives more than the Islamic rulers did,” said Amin, who runs a small boarding house for tourists in the south, blaming the U.S. strikes for worsening economic hardship…
Ryanair profits fall 34% as Middle East war hits ticket and fuel prices
Budget carrier declines to issue full-year guidance and warns it is ‘heavily dependent’ on late bookings…