Israeli officials believe US President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly escalate the American military campaign against Iran, according to two Israeli officials. According to the assessment, an expanded US campaign targeting Iranian strategic infrastructure and senior regime officials would likely prompt Tehran to retaliate directly against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a six-hour security consultation on Monday night with several ministers and senior defense officials to assess the evolving situation. During the meeting, an Israeli official said, Netanyahu briefly left the discussion to speak with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. US CENTCOM continues strikes on Iran after Trump says he'll hit Pickaxe Mountain Meanwhile, US Central Command has entered its 11th consecutive day of strikes against Iran. A source familiar with the operation told The Jerusalem Post that CENTCOM has struck approximately 1,000 targets across Iran over the past 10 days. On Tuesday during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump said Tehran was “desperate” to hold talks, warning that it had “not seen anything yet.” Trump added that the US will be hitting the Pickaxe Mountain area, located near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, "pretty soon." Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes that experts assess as beyond the reach of the most powerful bunker-buster bombs in the US arsenal. Earlier this week, a source told the Post that it is no longer a matter of when Trump would strike, but when he will strike. "He understands that, barring an unexpected development, the chances of a diplomatic solution is now virtually nonexistent," the source said. However, another official cautioned that Trump has changed course "at the last minute" before, noting that his position could still shift.
Israeli officials believe US President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly escalate the American military campaign against Iran, according to two Israeli officials. According to the assessment, an expanded US campaign targeting Iranian strategic infrastructure and senior r…
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Houthi forces have announced a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, describing it as retaliation for a Saudi-imposed blockade on Yemen and an airstrike on Sanaa's airport. The strait accounts for roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade.
Reports indicate Saudi Arabia has rerouted some oil exports via the Red Sea amid separate tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump stated at the White House that U.S. operations against Iran would continue and could target sites linked to its nuclear program, including Pickaxe Mountain, while asserting that Iran seeks a ceasefire but that fighting is ongoing.
Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the conflict, urging rejection of violence and noting harm to civilians. Claims of specific damage levels and impending strikes remain attributed to the president's remarks.
Two Saudi oil tankers carrying crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea following threats from Yemen’s Houthis. U.S. forces conducted strikes on targets in southern and western Iran, while Iranian forces reported targeting U.S. sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan and stated that a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz; Iran also claimed an attack on infrastructure belonging to Amazon in Bahrain, a report that remains unverified.
The Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and threatened to attack vessels loading or discharging Saudi oil, while President Trump stated that the Bab el-Mandeb strait had not been closed.
Bulgaria’s Defense Committee approved a government proposal to host up to eight U.S. KC-135 tanker aircraft and 250 personnel at Bezmer airbase from July 24 to October 1, 2026. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that permitting such U.
S. operations would constitute involvement in aggression, according to Iranian state media. The deployment requires final National Assembly approval.