Дата публикации: 16-07-2026 11:54:46

Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.This is Ezgi Akin, filling in for Gabrielle. In today’s edition:Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near TehranVance says some in Israeli government sought to sway US on Iran dealSyria seizes weapons shipment bound for HezbollahTurkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by AugustThanks for reading,Ezgi (ezgi_akin)Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near TehranPeople walk past a mural depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, July 15, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSIran declared “existential war” with the United States on Thursday, warning that attacks on its civilian infrastructure would trigger broader strikes across the Gulf as the US military expanded its campaign to areas near Tehran and Semnan province.“We are in an essential and existential war with America,” Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said after a fifth night of US strikes.Iranian military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia described the Strait of Hormuz as an “inviolable red line” and said Tehran retained firm control over the waterway. He warned that Iran would target infrastructure across the region if US President Donald Trump carried out threats to strike Iranian bridges and power plants.According to the US Central Command, the latest US campaign targeted Iranian command centers, air defenses, missile and drone facilities and coastal surveillance systems. Washington also disabled a Curacao-flagged tanker heading toward Kharg Island, saying it had attempted to breach the renewed US naval blockade.Hormuz traffic remained tightly constrained with only seven vessels crossing Wednesday, down from 13 Tuesday. Oil traded around $85 a barrel amid fears of a prolonged supply disruption.Amid the escalation, Trump welcomed Iran’s release of US-Iranian citizen Dena Karari as a goodwill gesture and said a negotiated settlement remained possible.Listen to a breakdown of the top headlines on today’s episode of the Middle East Minute podcast with Adam Lucente.Vance says some in Israeli government sought to sway US on Iran dealUS Vice President JD Vance speaks at This is the Turning Point Tour at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, US, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File Photo US Vice President JD Vance accused members of Israel’s government of attempting to influence the American public against a US-brokered deal to end the Iran war, deepening an increasingly public rift between Washington and Israel. Vance said some Israeli officials wanted the military campaign to continue indefinitely and had sought to shift US policy. He defended the ceasefire agreement reached between Tehran and Washington last month despite criticism that it failed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure or curb its missile program. Vance also said he believed the United States might not have entered the latest Iran war without Israeli influence. Israel’s government did not immediately comment.Syria seizes weapons shipment bound for HezbollahPeople display a Hezbollah flag from inside a car driving past rubble of destroyed buildings in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Tyre district, southern Lebanon, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher Syria’s Interior Ministry intercepted a shipment of advanced weapons allegedly destined for Hezbollah near the Syrian-Iraqi border, the state news agency reported Thursday. According to SANA, security forces searched a suspicious vehicle and found long-range missiles, guided anti-tank weapons and drones. Preliminary evidence indicated that the shipment was intended to cross Syrian territory before reaching the Lebanese armed group, the ministry said. Syrian authorities are investigating and seeking to dismantle the smuggling network. The ministry said Damascus would not allow Syrian territory to serve as a transit route for weapons shipments threatening Syria or neighboring countries.Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by AugustOzgur Ozel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, greets representatives of civil society organizations during a meeting in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on June 26, 2026. — Bilal Seckin / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty ImagesTurkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel said he could establish a new political party by early August if two legal efforts to restore his control of the Republican People’s Party fail. A Turkish court annulled the CHP’s 2023 leadership congress in May, removing Ozel and reinstating former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The ruling is seen by many in Turkey as politically motivated, aiming to weaken the country’s main opposition party, which has been facing a broadening crackdown. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been imprisoned for nearly 16 months along with more than 100 party officials and at least 34 CHP mayors have been arrested since October 2024. This week, authorities arrested and suspended Cankaya Mayor Huseyin Can Guner, whose Ankara district is a major CHP stronghold. Here are details. 
eakin@al-monitor.com
Thu, 07/16/2026 - 07:54



Ezgi Akin



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