IRANS HOUTHI CARD: THE RED SEA IS NOW ON THE TABLE

Iran has instructed the Houthis to stand ready to close Bab el-Mandeb if the US hits Iranian power infrastructure, with IRGC representatives already embedded in Yemen holding the trigger authority 6JPO Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if US hits power network, sources say. Missiles and drones are deployed to highland positions above Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden. The trigger condition is explicit and Trump has already threatened the exact action that would pull it 9GDN US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran hits back at Gulf states. If this goes live, there is no third export route. The Cape of Good Hope rerouting that was already straining capacity would face a shock of a different order, and oil markets, which appear not to have priced this in yet, would look very different by Monday.

On the Joe Rogan Experience, Vance cited a Time Magazine investigation reporting that Brad Parscale was paid to run a digital influence operation targeting US conservatives to kill the Iran deal 4AJE Vance says Israeli campaign tried to sway US opinion against Iran diplomacy 10CRD 'Go to hell': JD Vance accuses Israeli officials of efforts to keep war on Iran raging. His words: "When I see there's a literal foreign influence campaign being funded to tank the very deal I was pursuing, my response is 'go to hell.'" He also ruled out ground troops for regime change and said Hormuz can only be resolved diplomatically 10CRD 'Go to hell': JD Vance accuses Israeli officials of efforts to keep war on Iran raging. Arab leaders are separately telling Trump that Netanyahu is an obstacle to his regional vision 1JPO Arab leaders tell Trump Netanyahu is an 'obstacle' to the president's Middle East plans - report. The US-Israel relationship is under sustained, visible pressure from inside the White House while the war is still running.

CENTCOM's latest wave targeted command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone infrastructure, and coastal surveillance facilities around Tehran, Bandar Abbas, and Greater Tunb Island 9GDN US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran hits back at Gulf states 12AJE US launches new attacks on Iran as Tehran targets Gulf sites. Iran's Health Ministry reports at least 35 killed and over 300 wounded since fighting resumed last week 12AJE US launches new attacks on Iran as Tehran targets Gulf sites. A cancer hospital in southwestern Iran was evacuated due to nearby strikes, which Tehran called a "barbaric attack" 9GDN US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran hits back at Gulf states. The operational tempo is high and shows no sign of pausing.

A drone struck a tanker at Basra, prompting Iraq to suspend crude loading at all terminals 9GDN US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran hits back at Gulf states. Iraq is not a party to this war, but its oil infrastructure is now being hit by Iranian-aligned drone activity on its own soil. While Prime Minister Zaidi was in Washington pledging to disarm non-state armed groups, his government was simultaneously being targeted by Iran-aligned factions and preparing to sign a Chevron-led pipeline deal connecting Basra to Turkey and Syria 14CRD US, Iraq finalize major energy deal during Zaidi's first Washington visit. That pipeline, if built, would bypass Hormuz entirely and runs through the exact Iraq-Syria corridor where a Hezbollah resupply convoy was intercepted this week 3JPM Syria intercepts massive Hezbollah arms shipment hidden inside oil tanker from Iraq. The geography is not subtle.

Tehran formally warned Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and other Gulf neighbours that hosting US forces makes them legitimate targets under Article 51 of the UN Charter 5MHR Iran urges southern neighbours to block US attacks. Iran has also filed a 42-breach UN complaint against the US covering strikes from June 18 to July 13 13TTM Iran files formal UN complaint detailing dozens of US breaches of MoU. The Security Council will not act on it. But Iran is methodically constructing an international legal record with every filing, which suggests Tehran is thinking past the current fighting and toward whatever comes after. Make of that what you will.