[Breitbart] The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas charged five members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) terrorist gang with kidnapping and murder following an investigation that took place in Texas. Three more were indicted in an Illinois kidnapping/murder incident. The TdA gang members entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden border crisis.
Between 2021 and 2024, a group of eight TdA gang members illegally entered the U.S. between ports of entry, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Tren de Aragua is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the eight TdA gang members allegedly “committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter.”
“This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country,” Blanche stated. “In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes.”
In Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained a five-count indictment against Hector Asdrubai Garcia Zuniga, a.k.a. “Murry,’ a.k.a. “Munra”; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar; Jhnonny Jexus Martinez Serrano; Jhonathan Hahin Toro Bonzalez; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza. The indictment accuses the five TdA gang members of engaging in an organized criminal conspiracy (RICO) to commit murder, kidnapping, and bank fraud, according to court documents.
The Texas incident began in August 2024. Three of the defendants allegedly kidnapped a man, his 13-year-old daughter, and his 12-year-old nephew. When extortion demands were not met, the suspects allegedly stopped their vehicle on a Dallas-area bridge and ordered him to jump to his death. When he refused, the kidnappers shot him in the head in front of the two teenagers, prosecutors stated.
An indictment obtained in the Northern District of Illinois alleged that Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, conspired to kidnap a man in South Chicago in May. The gang members then reportedly forced the victim into a car and drove him to a Chicago apartment. He was later moved to a warehouse in Chicago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
The victim’s mother received information about the man’s location and called Chicago police, who entered the building and found the man had been shot multiple times. Authorities say the man was bound with his hands behind his back. In addition to the gunshot wounds, the man had been beaten severely about the head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, court documents stated.
“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland.
Fox 4 Dallas provided additional information on the five Texas co-conspirators:
Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, 36, also known as “Murry” or “Munra,” identified by prosecutors as a regional cell leader who directed the gang’s local affairs, including racketeering, kidnapping, and bank fraud.
Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27, who faces additional specific charges for using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31, charged alongside Garcia Zuniga and Zambrano Bolivar with murder in aid of racketeering.
Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23, charged with racketeering conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering.
Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, 39, also known as “El Ingeniero” or “El Negro,” charged with racketeering conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering.
[Reuters] Morocco's counterterrorism agency said on Monday it had foiled attack plots targeting sensitive sites and public security by a cell loyal to Islamic State's affiliate in the Sahel.
Ten suspects were arrested in coordinated operations in the cities of Agadir, Taroudant, Casablanca, Hajeb, Tetouan, Fqih Ben Salah and Safi, the agency, known as the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), said in a statement.
Preliminary investigations showed that the suspects had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and received direct instructions from the group's Sahel branch to carry out attacks in Morocco, it said.
The operation underscores the threat posed by jihadist groups operating in the Sahel, where Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates have expanded their presence in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
During searches, authorities found bladed weapons, military-style clothing, documents containing instructions on making explosive devices, digital materials, and chemical substances, BCIJ said.
Investigators also found a car that had been modified and was suspected of being intended for use in a suicide bombing or vehicle-ramming attack, the statement said.
Good thing the authorities found it first. Congrats, guys!
3rd day of clashes following the start of the "2nd phase" of coordinated attacks led by the FLA and JNIM.
⚫️ In the Russian camp at Anéfis, the FAMa and FLA have acknowledged that fighting continued throughout yesterday (📽️ below).
Today, some Tuareg sources report that major fires are underway in the camp, at the weapons and munitions depot, as well as on certain Russian vehicles.
Other independent sources claim that Malian soldiers are surrendering.
⚠️ Still in Anéfis, Iranian Shahed-type drones were used by the Africa Corps/FAMa to counterattack the FLA. One of them was shot down by the Tuareg rebels (📽️ below).
🔴 Further south, the FAMa/Africa Corps reinforcement convoy was forced to return to Gao tonight, after an ambush 40km south of Anéfis.
An identified MI-24 helicopter was shot down by the FLA (📽️ below), several military vehicles were destroyed by the rebels or abandoned on site by government forces (📽️ below).
ℹ️ All attention is now focused on the Russian camp in Anéfis, where dozens of lives are at stake.
Will the Russians surrender following an agreement, as happened in Kidal and Tessalit on April 26 last, or will they fight on until they regain the upper hand, at the risk of suffering even heavier losses?
Malian and Russian forces are still holding out at the Anefis military base, there was additional fighting yesterday accompanied by airstrikes against the rebel coalition, shelling of the base resumed today. The FLA/JNIM coalition seems unwilling to negotiate a peaceful… https://t.co/lajdchX1Wjpic.twitter.com/XgYcqguZkz
#Mali-Attaque/ Les 11 points de la situation de Anéfis , localité du nord du Mali. Lundi 6/7/ à 16 h30mn TU. 1- La coalition jihadistes/independantistes a dépêché un renfort sur le terrain. 2- La même coalition a toujours pied dans la localité. 3-Les paramilitaires russes et…
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 | A proximité du chaos malien déclenché par la nouvelle offensive de la coalition JNIM/ FLA au Mali🇲🇱, le nord du Burkina Faso subit également une pression terrible du JNIM.
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 | Near the Malian chaos triggered by the new offensive of the JNIM/FLA coalition in Mali 🇲🇱, northern Burkina Faso is also facing terrible pressure from JNIM.
➡️ Since the clashes of 06/30 (listed below), about ten Burkinabè localities have been attacked by the terrorist group, including 7 coordinated attacks on July 4 alone ⚠️
🔶 On 07/02, JNIM took control of two positions of the Burkinabè Forces in the locality of Titao, located in Loroum province.
🔸 The next day, Kaya province was hit by 2 attacks on the village of Tougouri and a VDP post in Silmagué.
❗ The human and material toll of these 3 attacks is not verifiable at this time.
🔷 On 07/04, at least 7 attacks were reported in the northern regions of the country, including 3 targeting VDP barracks in Ouahigouya, Thiou, and Séguénéga, now under effective JNIM control.
🔹 JNIM also claimed an attack against a military barracks in DI, in the Dédougou area, right in the Mouhoun loop region.
❗ The assault reportedly killed about twenty soldiers from the Rapid Intervention Brigade 29 (BIR29), while a significant stock of light weapons and motorcycles was recovered by the terrorist organization (📸 on the map).
🔹 JNIM also claimed attacks against military positions in Dala and Tiera. Here too, at least 18 VDP were reportedly killed during the offensives, and several dozen weapons and munitions recovered.
#Yemen | Battle for Jabal Dabbas | Houthis Fail to Capture Strategic High Ground North of Hays |
East of the key frontline separating Houthi-controlled al-Jarrahi from government-controlled Hays in Hudaydah Governorate lies Jabal Dabbas (Dhu Baas), a dominant ridge-line… https://t.co/hEnmzs8Ja2pic.twitter.com/an5Gtw6gZz
#Yemen | Battle for Jabal Dabbas | Houthis Fail to Capture Strategic High Ground North of Hays |
East of the key frontline separating Houthi-controlled al-Jarrahi from government-controlled Hays in Hudaydah Governorate lies Jabal Dabbas (Dhu Baas), a dominant ridge-line overlooking the N2 highway, the strategic route linking the Port of Hudaydah with the Bab al-Mandab Strait (see Basha Report photo).
The mountain commands observation and fields of fire over Hays, al-Jarrahi and the nearby al-Haymah Port, making it one of the most strategically important positions on the southern Hodeidah front.
The southern Hudaydah front forms one of two Houthi operational sectors in the governorate, covering Hays, al-Khawkhah, Jabal Ras, al-Tuhayta, al-Jarrahi, and Zabid. The sector is commanded by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Hamid Badr al-Din al-Houthi, a nephew of Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, underscoring the importance the movement places on the western coast.
Jabal Dabbas witnessed its heaviest fighting in months after the Houthis launched a major assault against positions held by the 2nd Zaraniq Brigade (14th Infantry Brigade) under Brig. Gen. Madin al-Qubaisi, part of the @tarikyemen's @nrfyemen (1st Division) commanded by Brig. Gen. Farouk al-Khawlani, within the Hudaydah Axis under Brig. Gen. Zayed Munasser.
According to @nrfyemen and allied media, the Houthis held a large mobilization rally on 3 July (see photo) before launching the attack, committing repeated assault waves backed by heavy artillery and mortar fire. The battle reportedly began around 2100 hrs and continued until dawn, with close-quarters fighting involving hand grenades. Supporters of the National Resistance described it as one of the fiercest engagements on the western coast in recent months.
Iraq arrests 3 ISIS suspects in three provinces
06-07-2026
[Rudaw] The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) said it arrested three Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) suspects, including a senior operative responsible for rigging Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), amid ongoing operations to eliminate the group's presence in the country. Kurdish forces were also involved in the operations.
"The heroic forces successfully apprehended one of the most dangerous terrorist elements, known as the head of IEDs of Salahaddin province," the ICTS published on their website on Saturday, noting that the suspect was arrested in Sulaimani province in cooperation with the security forces (Asayish).
This comes as air and ground strikes by Iraqi security forces on Saturday targeted ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk province following five days of intelligence tracking by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and ICTS, resulting in the death of a senior ISIS member.
The ICTS also arrested another two ISIS suspects in Anbar and djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... provinces, and searched hideouts in Kirkuk province’s Wadi Zaghitun, according to the Saturday statement. The separate operation included "searching of a cluster of mud-brick villages and hideouts belonging to the remnants of the terrorist ISIS."
Iraqi officer killed in clashes with ISIS
05-07-2026
[Rudaw] An Iraqi military officer was killed while clashing with Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Kirkuk province on Sunday, counter-terrorism forces announced, as an operation to clear the province of the group’s sleeper cells entered its second day.
“It is with profound sorrow and grief that we announce to our honorable Iraqi people the martyrdom of the heroic fighter, First Lieutenant Hassan Khudhair Zughair… during clashes with ISIS terrorist gangs in Kirkuk province,” the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) said in a statement.
Footage obtained by Rudaw showed Iraqi fighter jets and helicopters hovering over the skies of Kirkuk on Sunday as an operation by the army and security forces to clear the area of ISIS entered its second day. One ISIS suspect was killed on the first day of the campaign.
The ICTS vowed to continue operations against ISIS remnants, stating its forces will spare no effort to “purge” the country from the “clutches of these terrorist gangs.”
The Security Media Cell announced on Saturday that Iraqi F-16 fighter jets, backed by the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, “carried out successful and precise airstrikes” against ISIS positions in the Dibis district of northern Kirkuk province, targeting what it described as “dens and hideouts of terrorist gangs” used by militants in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.
ISIS seized large swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq in 2014 before being defeated in 2017 after three years of intense fighting. Despite its defeat, the group continues to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad, spanning the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin.
Farmer goes missing near Kirkuk, ISIS involvement suspected
05-07-2026
[Rudaw] A Kurdish farmer in Kirkuk province has been missing since Friday. Some family members believe he was kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells, though police have not confirmed the claim.
Hardi Zainal, 37, went to water his cornfield but never returned, and his phone was turned off. Residents of the village have joined security forces in searching for him.
“My last call with him was at 7 pm,” Karwan Hadi, Zainal’s cousin, told Rudaw’s Hardi Mohammed on Saturday.
“He said he would just switch water sets in the rows and return. He had no issues, but he went missing between 7:30-8:00 pm,” Hadi added.
Zainal’s car was found near his cornfield the following day, and several footprints were discovered in and around the field. His family believes the footprints belong to ISIS militants, whom they suspect are behind his disappearance.
Ramazan Mohammed, another cousin, said Zainal disappeared at 7:30 pm.
“They [ISIS] took him. Their footprints are visible,” he said.
Police told Rudaw on Saturday that they have not found any link between Zainal's disappearance and ISIS.
As locals continued searching for the missing farmer, Iraqi security forces killed a prominent ISIS figure in the area in a sniper operation on Saturday. The army also bombarded several suspected ISIS hideouts in the province over the weekend..
Between August 2024 and August 2025, the conflict monitor ACLED recorded 82 terrorist operations carried out by the group in Kirkuk province, including 38 explosions and 16 “incidents of violence against civilians.”
Iraqi F-16s strike ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk
04-07-2026
[Rudaw] Iraqi security forces on Saturday carried out a series of air and ground operations in Kirkuk province, targeting hideouts and strongholds of the Islamic State (ISIS) militants, while killing a senior member of the group in a separate operation in the area, according to security sources and officials.
The Security Media Cell announced in a statement that Iraqi F-16 fighter jets, backed by the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, “carried out successful and precise airstrikes” against ISIS positions in the Dibis district of northern Kirkuk province, targeting what it described as “dens and hideouts of terrorist gangs” used by the militants in the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
The statement added that the operation was launched following five days of continuous intelligence tracking and close coordination between the Joint Operations Command targeting unit, the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS), and the Counter-Terrorism Service.
Footage obtained by Rudaw shows warplanes striking two ISIS hideouts in six separate air raids across Kirkuk province on Saturday.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/07/2026 2026-07-07 02:02 ||
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[1949 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
Enforcing all sorts of laws that had been ignored.
[Rudaw] Iraqi authorities have arrested six individuals attempting to smuggle narcotics through border crossings and seized just under two dozen vehicles prepared for smuggling, a bigwig from the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) told Rudaw on Monday, adding that dozens of vehicles have also been confiscated as part of an ongoing campaign to combat customs violations.
Between June 20 and Sunday, the INSS “has seized 137 vehicles in violation of regulations, as well as more than 20 vehicles seized inside border crossings and inspection yards” and “20 vehicles that were being prepared for smuggling,” said agency spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim.
Between June 20 and Sunday, the INSS "has seized 137 vehicles in violation of regulations, as well as more than 20 vehicles seized inside border crossings and inspection yards" and "20 vehicles that were being prepared for smuggling," said agency spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim.
He further noted that "judicial arrest warrants were implemented against six individuals who were attempting to smuggle narcotics through these border crossings were arrested," framing the operations as part of an INSS push to strengthen "economic security" following orders from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Zaidi in mid-June instructed INSS detachments to "deploy to border crossings, monitor all activities taking place there, and prepare the relevant security and intelligence reports," Hakim explained.
This deployment came amid rising regional tensions, including maritime tit-for-tat measures between Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and the United States in regional waters, which have prompted Iraq to expand the role of its transit hubs, including the southern port of Umm Qasr and land crossings, to manage and reroute cargo flows.
Working alongside Iraq’s General Customs Authority and the Border Ports Commission, the INSS is tasked with ensuring that Iraq’s ports are not used for illegal activities, Hakim said. He further explained that the latter is carried out through inspecting cargo, combating smuggling of weapons, drugs, unauthorized pharmaceuticals, and illicit fuel, and addressing economic security concerns linked to tariff evasion that reduces non-oil state revenues.
Hakim’s remarks come as Iraqi authorities continue progress on Operation Dawn, a large-scale anti-corruption campaign launched in late June under the direction of Prime Minister Zaidi, in coordination with the Federal Commission of Integrity.
The operation has so far resulted in the arrest of dozens of politicians and babus government employees, as well as the recovery of tens of millions of dollars in assets and the seizure of state properties allegedly transferred into private ownership.
A senior advisor to Zaidi said on Wednesday that more than $2 trillion has been embezzled in Iraq since the 2003 overthrow of the Baathist regime, affirming that the efforts will not stop any time soon and that suspects arrested in the nationwide campaign will face public trials.
Massive fire engulfs warehouses in Baghdad
[Rudaw] A massive fire broke out in several warehouses in Baghdad on Sunday, injuring several people and prompting an emergency response from firefighters.
The blaze erupted in a multi-story building housing several warehouses in the Iraqi capital, according to Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail. Firefighters rushed to the scene to contain the flames, which remained out of control at the time of reporting.
Iraq's Civil Defense Directorate has stepped up enforcement of safety regulations in recent months. In late May, the directorate said it had referred more than 1,800 establishments to court, closed over 11,000 buildings, and issued thousands of fines for fire safety violations.
Rudaw has learned that several people were injured, while others suffered smoke inhalation and received medical treatment at the scene. The cause of the fire has not been officially determined, though a witness told Rudaw that an electrical short circuit may have sparked the blaze.
Fires remain a recurring problem across Iraq, often linked to aging infrastructure, faulty electrical systems, overcrowded facilities, and inadequate fire safety measures.
Iraq's Civil Defense Directorate has stepped up enforcement of safety regulations in recent months. In late May, the directorate said it had referred more than 1,800 establishments to court, closed over 11,000 buildings, and issued thousands of fines for fire safety violations.
Authorities have repeatedly warned of a heightened risk of fire incidents due to non-compliance with safety standards. More than 3,000 fires were recorded across Iraq in the first half of 2025, according to the Civil Defense Directorate.
One of the deadliest such incidents occurred in July 2025, when a fire at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, killed 63 people, prompting government investigations and renewed calls for stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations.
Iraq arrests drug dealer with 14,000 narcotic pills in Baghdad
04-07-2026
[Rudaw] Iraqi security forces have arrested multiple drug suspects across Baghdad and other provinces in coordinated operations that led to the seizure of thousands of narcotic pills and other drugs, including a major bust in the capital where military intelligence forces detained a dealer in possession of 14,000 Captagon pills, a high military official said on Saturday.
“At the time of his [the drug dealer's] arrest in central Baghdad, the dealer had 14,000 Captagon pills in his possession, which have been seized,” Haider Mohammed, spokesperson for Iraqi military intelligence, told Rudaw's Nahro Mohammed, adding that the operation was conducted based on “precise intelligence and continuous surveillance” by the intelligence and security department of the sixth infantry vivision.
He added that the suspect was wanted under Article 28 of the Narcotic Drugs Law, noting that he, along with the seized materials, had been handed over to judicial authorities.
Iraq remains both a destination and a transit route for narcotics. A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describes the country as a “conduit” for drug flows between Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe, while highlighting a surge in Captagon trafficking from Syria and rising domestic consumption.
In late April, the Iraqi interior ministry said it had dismantled 1,538 trafficking networks since 2023, resulting in 349 death sentences and 1,325 life sentences issued by the Iraqi judiciary.
In a separate operation on Friday, the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) announced in a statement that it had arrested nine suspects in Baghdad and Basra in two coordinated security operations targeting drug trafficking networks.
According to the statement, two targeted security operations in Baghdad and Basra were conducted based on accurate intelligence. Following judicial authorization, the raids led to the arrest of nine suspects and the confiscation of one kilogram of narcotics, about 1,000 narcotic pills, and a firearm.
Abbas al-Bahadli, Interior Ministry spokesperson, told Rudaw on Saturday that forces in Maysan had arrested “one of the most dangerous foreign drug dealers,” who was found in possession of one kilogram of crystal meth.
In mid-June, Iraqi and Syrian anti-narcotics authorities announced the dismantling of an international drug trafficking network following joint operations inside Syria’s Homs and Deir ez-Zor provinces.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry’s anti-narcotics directorate said at that time its units “moved to execute a series of simultaneous operations inside Syrian territory” in coordination with Syrian counterparts, dismantling a network of nine major traffickers and seizing around 200 kilograms of various narcotics en route to Iraq.
In early May, the Iraqi intelligence service announced that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than one million Captagon pills and 100 kilograms of hashish through Iraqi territory.
Cited by state media, the Iraqi National Intelligence Service said in a statement that the “members of the criminal network” were arrested in “several provinces” after their movements were tracked using “precise intelligence,” in coordination with security forces in Sulaimani.
According to data from the general directorate of narcotics control, as of early May this year, 37 people convicted in drug-related cases in Iraq have been sentenced to death, 173 have received life sentences, and 2,288 others have been given various prison terms.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/07/2026 00:00 ||
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[1980 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
Israeli police discovered a major weapons stockpile during a home search in Jerusalem, seizing 36 grenades, explosive devices, an AK-47 rifle, military gear, and a large amount of ammunition.
Israeli police discovered a major weapons stockpile during a home search in Jerusalem, seizing 36 grenades, explosive devices, an AK-47 rifle, military gear, and a large amount of ammunition.
The main suspect, a Jerusalem resident in his 20s, was arrested Sunday morning immediately after landing at Ben Gurion Airport.
Authorities are investigating the source of the weapons and their intended purpose.
Iranian state television says a liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring warnings, but does not directly claim the assault.
Iranian state TV, quoting anonymous sources, implies Tehran carried out the assault on a tanker it said was carrying natural gas from Qatar. However, there’s been no official claim from the Islamic Republic for the attack.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz overnight, Axios and the Wall Street Journal report.
Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but had no casualties, Axios says, citing a US official.
US Central Command does not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said earlier that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile on its port side while traveling southbound about 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Oman’s Limah, causing a fire.
One of the vessels under attack appears to be Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and managed by Nakilat the shipping arm of Qatar’s LNG industry, the WSJ says, adding that the ship had been hit on the port side, at the top of the engine room.
The vessel was at the mouth of the strait, in the Gulf of Oman, when it was attacked, the WSJ says.
The development comes after indirect US-Iran talks ended last week without any public sign of headway toward a lasting peace, despite a 60-day ceasefire intended to create space for diplomacy following the US and Israeli strikes that triggered the conflict.
A tanker was hit by an “unknown projectile” on its port side while traveling southbound about 8 nautical miles (14.8 km) east of Oman’s Limah, causing a fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) says.
UKMTO says no casualties or environmental impact had been reported.
Bit's and pieces here and elsewhere suggest that China's oil reserves are running low. Another blockade or tankers not going to China is going to put China in a difficult position.
#10
Natural gas is actually free in the US. It is a by-product of oil production and often simply burned off.
This is the rest of the world's worry. Let it burn.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
07/07/2026 12:26 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Natural gas is flared when it's difficult to move it to a market, but it's far from free. And it's used in refineries to help turn heavy oils into lighter fuels like gasoline.
NOW: After 3 commercial ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian official told Press TV that all traffic through the waterway is now being conducted under Iran’s arrangements, warning that any U.S. “provocative action” will be met with an “immediate and decisive…
Several countries and organizations have penetrated social media.
They have abused it by putting in bot farms and other things, especially directed at young Americans, not only to hate Israel, but also to hate America.
#17
I screwed up at one point and I am having network problems, "service unavailable," etc. So this will be the last one.
Once again, everything flips in a Middle East minute. Iran is loading 6 million barrels of crude oil today over at Kharg Island. https://t.co/TZBlUbdlao
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) July 7, 2026
#19
^ "In honor of Ayatollah Khameini's death we off a reprise of several examples. Yer welcome. Once again, FAFO"
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2026 18:47 Comments ||
Top||
#20
^ Given that the funeral is kind of a big deal, we probably should send a card and some flowers. "Too bad about El Supremo. No hard feelings."
As for the above-mentioned reprise of several examples, these may look kinetic, but are actually demonstrations of how much we care about this particular topic and of our willingness to be agreeable.
What appears to be Trumpian Chaos and Disorder(tm) and maybe even a bit of TACO is actually straight out of Schelling's "The Strategy of Conflict". Our end goal is compliance with our No Iranian Nukes policy. If we can get that without an all-out war, why not?
It is a possibility the IRGC cannot be persuaded or contained by the other Iranian factions and we will be forced to play our hole card. That will create a big, expensive mess on multiple dimensions, but the sunsets will be beautiful for decades.
[Rudaw] Israeli forces advanced into southern Syria’s Quneitra on Monday, detaining two shepherds, according to Syrian state media.
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that an Israeli army convoy, consisting of three military vehicles, set up a temporary checkpoint in the village of Saida in the southwestern province of Quneitra. The force "detained two shepherds and conducted a field interrogation with them."
The Israeli army has carried out similar operations in the area numerous times. Tel Aviv does not often comment on such activities.
The area is in the occupied Golan Heights, making it strategically significant. Images published earlier this year by Ottoman Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency showed an Israeli flag raised at a newly built military position in the Tal al-Ahmar area.
Damascus has repeatedly condemned Israeli military activity inside Syrian territory, calling it a violation of illusory sovereignty and of the 1974 disengagement agreement that established a UN-monitored buffer zone after the Arab-Israeli war.
The frontier has become increasingly tense since regional fighting involving Israel, Iran, and allied groups spilled across several neighboring countries.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
