President Donald Trump has sought to compel Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil, amid ongoing tensions and recent skirmishes. Experts say that fully restoring traffic will likely require a substantial U.S. naval presence or tens of thousands of U.S. troops on Iranian soil.

The strait, located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, has become a focal point since the United States reinstated sanctions and increased pressure on Iran. Iran claims control of the waterway and has threatened to disrupt oil flows, while the United States has responded with airstrikes, naval operations, and threats of force.

Jason H. Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and former Pentagon official, said Iran has prepared for asymmetric conflict for decades and that its ability to deploy hidden drones and missiles makes the strait vulnerable. He noted that securing the waterway would be difficult without ground forces, estimating that tens of thousands of troops would be needed to neutralize concealed munitions and protect hundreds of miles of coastline, with high costs and extended timelines.

Michael Eisenstadt, a former military analyst, added that maintaining a large fleet presence would be challenging given the current size of the U.S. Navy, and that Iran’s advanced missile and drone capabilities could increase U.S. casualties if operations expand onto land. He said the administration has contemplated resuming escort missions, reminiscent of 1980s efforts to protect Kuwaiti tankers, but officials acknowledge that the necessary naval assets are limited.

Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explained that Iran’s verbal threats alone can deter shipping, even without kinetic attacks, while Clayton Seigle, a nonresident scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, observed that previous promises of significant military support have not been realized, reflecting a mismatch between rhetoric and capability.

The situation remains unresolved, with commercial traffic still restricted, oil prices elevated, and the potential for further escalation influencing upcoming U.S. political considerations.

President Trump announced he will deliver a primetime address to the nation on Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern time amid heightened tensions with Iran. The announcement follows his declaration to reimpose a US naval blockade on Iran and impose a 20 percent fee on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he would make the address on his Truth Social platform but did not specify its subject. The White House declined to provide further details. The planned speech would be his first full nation‑wide address since an April 1 speech in which he outlined the rationale for military action against Iran, a conflict that has driven oil prices higher and affected his approval ratings. In the earlier speech, he justified the campaign after a US‑Israeli military operation began more than a month prior. The current escalation marks a continuation of the diplomatic strain between the United States and Iran. The purpose of the upcoming address remains unspecified, and the White House has not responded to requests for clarification.

Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport on Monday, marking an escalation following Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport earlier that day. The Saudi-led coalition has fought Houthi forces in Yemen since 2015, and the Houthi movement controls large parts of northern Yemen.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said on Telegram that the attacks were in response to the coalition’s airstrikes and warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted. Saudi Arabian officials did not respond to a request for comment. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said air defenses intercepted the missiles without providing further details.

Yemeni government officials said the strikes on Sanaa airport were intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation from landing, and that the runway was struck to stop the plane’s return. The Yemeni defense ministry ordered the evacuation of the airport and surrounding areas.

Houthi-controlled al-Masirah broadcaster released video showing a missile striking the runway and a subsequent explosion. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said Iran requested a flight by Mahan Air to return the delegation, but the council denied the request, stating the Houthis insisted on receiving the delegation outside legal aviation frameworks.

The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the council that Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation and called for all actors to engage in negotiations under UN auspices. U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg said his office is monitoring Yemeni airspace developments and urged parties to preserve the relative calm Yemen has experienced since 2022.

The incident marks the first escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia since a UN‑brokered truce took effect in 2022, and the outcome of diplomatic efforts remains uncertain.

At least 30 people have died and more than 70 were injured in a fire at a bar in Bangkok on Sunday night, authorities said.

Police General Kittiratt Phanphet said the blaze suggested a lack of caution and disregard for patron safety.

Survivors reported that doors were locked and emergency exits were not clearly marked, and that the venue was dark even before the fire began.

The fire is believed to have started from a short circuit in an air‑conditioning unit, which cut power throughout the bar.

Fire safety expert Busakorn Saensuk said the door near the restrooms was locked and the main entrance was partially blocked by furniture, preventing escape.

Survivors described a winding path to the restrooms and noted that signage indicating exits was absent.

Professor Worsak Kanok Nukulchai said many victims may have died from inhaling toxic smoke before they could be burned.

The bar was registered as a restaurant with live music rather than an entertainment venue, meaning it was not required to use fire‑retardant materials.

Bangkok’s Metropolitan Administration said it is reviewing regulations on the use of flammable materials in venues and restaurants.

The owner of the bar previously operated another establishment that was destroyed by fire in December 2019, though no casualties occurred.

Authorities have not yet identified all of the 30 victims, and the investigation into the cause remains ongoing.

The death toll from a fire at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar in Bangkok rose to 30 on Tuesday, with more than 70 people hospitalized, including 24 in critical condition, city officials said. The blaze broke out late Sunday in a northern part of the Thai capital, marking the deadliest fire in the city in 17 years. The bar, which identifies itself as a brewery and can accommodate up to 600 patrons, was crowded at the time of the incident. Firefighters extinguished the flames in about 30 minutes. Investigators are examining the cause of the fire and whether safety regulations were followed. Most victims were found trapped in windowless bathrooms where they attempted to escape the fire, police said. Debris such as melted musical equipment and charred furniture was removed from the sidewalk on Monday as investigators continued their work. Former patrons and mourners gathered at the site on Tuesday, leaving handwritten messages and white flowers along the guardrails that cordon off the area. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed the number of people present at the venue during the fire.

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday barred Senator Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days. Jair Bolsonaro was convicted in September 2025 of plotting to overturn the 2022 election results and is serving a sentence of more than 27 years under house arrest, which bars him from using social media or communicating through third parties. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the restriction after Flavio read a handwritten letter from his father during a social media livestream, saying the publication violated the house‑arrest terms. Flavio described the decision as disproportionate and accused Justice Moraes of attempting to interfere in the election, according to his statements. His campaign lawyer said the ruling was illegal and unconstitutional, arguing it violated Flavio’s rights as a family member and as his father’s counsel, according to the lawyer. The court also gave Jair Bolsonaro’s lawyers 48 hours to state whether the former president knew the letter would be posted online. The 90‑day ban will remain in place until after the first round of the presidential election scheduled for October 4, leaving the legal dispute unresolved.

Ukraine and nine other countries announced on Monday in Paris that they would form a coalition to develop a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe, using Ukraine’s four‑year experience in repelling Russian missile attacks. The statement released after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the partners recognized the growing threat posed by ballistic missiles, which are harder to intercept than cruise missiles or drones. The coalition includes Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It said it would work toward an integrated missile defense architecture to deter and neutralize future missile threats, with no set timetable and an openness to additional members. Zelenskyy said the group could, within 12 months, jointly develop a low‑cost, mass‑produced antiballistic system that would enable Europe to supply its own defenses and share the technology with other countries. U.S. President Donald Trump had previously pledged to grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems, a step that experts say may require several years to implement. European officials noted that the coalition’s progress will depend on technology development, funding and coordination. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory would be responded to with a force several times greater than the attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the coalition, saying it reflected a delusion about the possibility of achieving a strategic defeat. European foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss Ukraine’s defense needs and Russia’s missile threats. Recent events include Russian drone attacks on Ukraine’s Odesa region that resulted in casualties and Ukrainian forces reporting the interception of 350 drones aimed at Moscow and the destruction of 105 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov between July 6 and July 13. The meeting underscored continued European support for Ukraine and highlighted the persistent security challenges posed by missile capabilities, with the coalition’s next steps expected to be clarified in the coming months.