US THWARTS SURPRISE ATTACK: Just when it seemed that efforts of Middle East mediators to resuscitate negotiations between Iran and the United States were making progress, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps broke a null in the fighting to attack U.S. troops at a base in Jordan.
In a post on X, the U.S. Central Command didn’t identify the location where the American forces were targeted, but said the IRGC “launched multiple ballistic missiles … an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.”
The IRGC said it targeted a U.S. air base and a command center in Jordan “in response to the acts of aggression of the American child-killing army”
“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted,” CENTCOM said.
In response, the U.S. teamed up with Saudi Arabia to strike sites in Iraq that Iranian-backed militias CENTCOM said were using to launch “unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces” at the direction of the IRGC.
“U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” the U.S. military said. “From February through April 2026, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq.”
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, which are aligned with Iran, said that at least 20 of its members were killed, according to the BBC.
IRAN FIRES MISSILES AT US FORCES IN JORDAN, ENDING LULL IN ATTACKS
TRUMP WAVERS ON PUNISHING CIVILIANS: The flare-up — after a brief pause order by President Donald Trump Friday — comes as Trump is being urged to go all in to break the stalemate and force Iran to make a real deal to stop interfering with ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and formalize a deal to forsake nuclear weapons.
But in a phone interview on Fox & Friends yesterday Trump expressed deep reservations about caring about some of his more bellicose threats to inflict misery on the civilian population.
“I have some Republicans who’ve said, well, why don’t we hit them harder?” Trump told Fox host Steve Doocy. “You have a lot of competing factions,” Trump said, “You have a group of people that want it to be obliterated in the truest sense of the word. Then you have a group that says this is actually a good time to make a deal for them.”
Trump insisted he could order the U.S. military to make good on his threats for punishing strikes against Iran’s critical infrastructure, but to what end?
“I could take out most of their bridges in less than an hour … I can knock out the power plants … Then there’s always the desalinization plants,” he said. “And who am I hurting there? I’m hurting the people. So I’m not looking to do that. I think about 91 million people without power, without bridges, would have to live. And it’s a very, very delicate balance. If I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that.”
But, Trump said, if Iran doesn’t get serious about negotiations, he may have little choice. The main sticking point – Iran not having a nuclear weapon – has been “essentially” agreed to, according to Trump, but the deal hasn’t been made formal.
“If they don’t make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job,” he said.
US AND SAUDI ARABIA STRIKE IRANIAN PROXIES IN IRAQ, CENTCOM SAYS
WHO’S IN CHARGE: In its latest analysis of the state of play in the war, which as of today is entering its sixth month, The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War says Iran intransigence can be attributed to internal power struggles in a ruling regime that is as fractured as ever.
“Three competing groups within the regime are attempting to influence negotiations policy,” the ISW said in a special report published last night. The assessment concludes the group is led by elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, including IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, and “is likely guiding policy” and is pushing for both negotiations and total control over the Strait of Hormuz.
“The ‘IRGC-Vahidi group is under pressure from a pro-negotiations and pro-compromise group that likely includes but is not limited to President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf,” The ISW writes in its report. “This group primarily disagrees with the IRGC-Vahidi group over means, not ends.”
And a third group, the Paydari Front, is described as “an ultra-hardline faction that opposes all negotiations with the U.S. “This group is a small minority, but its proximity to power through regime insiders like Saeed Jalili, who is currently a Supreme Leader representative on Iran’s top national security decision-making body — the Supreme National Security Council — and previously chaired the council, would likely require Vahidi and other policymakers to take note of its views.”
IRAN HAS STRUCK 14 MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS: WHAT THEY EACH HAVE AT STAKE
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GRAHAM’S ‘’SANCTIONS BILL FROM HELL’ ADVANCES: With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looking on from the Senate gallery, senators voted to advance the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act,” by a comfortable bipartisan 86-12 margin.
“It was an honor to be present as the votes were counted,” Zelensky said in a post on X. “This is the first step toward implementing Lindsey’s plans, and certainly a step toward peace.”
The sanctions bill gives Trump wide tariff authority to punish countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. That tariff authority is what led many Democrats to vote against the measure, including Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
“Sen. Ossoff continues to support Ukraine’s valiant self-defense against intolerable Russian brutality and aggression,” his office said in a statement. “He does not support the provisions of this bill that delegate massive new tariff authorities to a President who has demonstrated he will wield tariffs recklessly and destructively.”
“The bill doesn’t require tariffs. It authorizes tariffs up to a 100% to five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas. It’s carefully crafted to make sure we are not hitting our allies and that we are hitting China and India,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), said after the vote. “Let’s be really blunt, China and India are the main culprits here. They purchase the vast majority of oil and gas. They are fueling Russia’s war machine, and they are doing us no favors anywhere else in the world.”
SENATE ADVANCES RUSSIA AND IRAN SANCTIONS BILL IN HONOR OF LINDSEY GRAHAM
ZELENSKY ON HANNITY: At late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral service yesterday, Fox New Host Sean Hannity had warm words, not just for Graham but also for Zelensky, who he addressed directly.
“I know that Lindsey would have been deeply moved and honored that you made this long journey to be here today,” Hannity said from the pulpit. “In our private conversations, he often marveled at your strength against the world, one of the world’s most brutal regimes. He saw you, and he said it to me once, as a warrior poet or a warrior comedian. He used those terms.”
“On paper, I think everybody would agree, on paper, Ukraine would have been defeated in months. And here we are nearly five years later, and your country has shown a fighting spirit that no one ever predicted,” Hannity continued.
Zelensky was a guest on Hannity’s Fox News show last night and said his meeting earlier in the day with Trump was a dramatic reversal of his infamous Oval Office confrontation last year.
“We had a very good meeting with President Trump,” Zelensky said. “This is about the licenses and we began it in Ankara to give Ukraine licenses for the production of Patriot [missiles]. This is important because we need more and quicker … He accepted that he will give us licenses.”
“And then I had a meeting with the representatives of production, very strong MilTech companies of the United States,” Zelensky said. “I hope that we will do co-production. This is very important.”
Because production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine could take years, Zelensky is anxious to get started right away.
“I met with the team of the Lockheed Martin defense company – one of the strongest enterprises in the United States, with which we have been cooperating for a long time. Lockheed Martin is the company that produces ATACMS, HIMARS, F-16s, and missiles for Patriot systems,” Zelensky posted on X. “We spoke about our joint capabilities related to Patriots and other systems. Our teams are already working on specific solutions to move to co-production as quickly as possible and increase our capabilities to protect lives.”
NETANYAHU ON HANNITY: Hannity’s other guest last night was the other world leader to meet with Trump at the White House before Graham’s funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump expressed his irritation with Netanyahu in a Tuesday morning interview on Fox News, when host Ainsley Earhardt asked whether he was going to act on Netanyau’s intelligence that Iran was fortifying its nuclear site Pickaxe Mountain.
“I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved,” Trump bristled. “Because of Space Force, we have the greatest cameras in the world focused on. We know exactly what’s going on.”
“I heard Bibi announce that,” Trump said. “I said, ‘why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?’ I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe. It’s not a big problem.”
But Hannity did not bring up the tension over Pickaxe Mountain, and when he asked how the meeting with Trump went, Netanyahu replied, “It was great. It was one of the best meetings that we’ve had.”
“I always hate to disappoint our would-be critics who are trying to find, you know, cracks in our alliance. And what they find, like today, is a wall of granite, you know, because the president is so clear,” Netahyahu insisted. “We have a common commitment. We don’t want to see this fanatic regime in Tehran have nuclear weapons to threaten every American, and to threaten the peace of the world and to threaten the existence of Israel.
TRUMP SAYS LINDSEY GRAHAM URGED HIM TO CUT A DEAL WITH IRAN
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Iran fires missiles at US forces in Jordan, ending lull in attacks
Washington Examiner: US and Saudi Arabia strike Iranian proxies in Iraq, CENTCOM says
Washington Examiner: Iran says it seeks ‘restitution’ from Ukraine after ship attack
Washington Examiner: Iran has struck 14 Middle Eastern nations: What they each have at stake
Washington Examiner: Senate advances Russia and Iran sanctions bill in honor of Lindsey Graham
Washington Examiner: Trump pays tribute to ‘respected statesman’ Lindsey Graham
Washington Examiner: Trump says Lindsey Graham urged him to cut a deal with Iran
Washington Examiner: Air Force undersecretary gives bleak assessment on service’s readiness to defend the homeland
Washington Examiner: Ukrainian drone boat deal to build in US could be ‘one of the most consequential partnerships’
Washington Examiner: Jay Clayton confirmed as Trump’s new director of national intelligence
Washington Examiner: Boeing reaches $3B in losses while building Air Force One
Washington Examiner: ICE prepares to blitz Haitian communities in Ohio, New York City, and beyond as TPS expires
Washington Examiner: ICE arrested two pastors who overstayed their religious visas. Henry Cuellar says he had them released
Washington Examiner: The nationalist international: Can Europe’s differing right-wing parties form a coherent movement?
Washington Examiner: South Korean officials order residents to evacuate after reported white phosphorus leak at US base
Washington Examiner: Iran threatens Melania and Barron Trump in propaganda video
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Iran wants to kill Melania Trump, but its assassination video is absurd propaganda
New York Times: Iran Considered Retaliatory Strike on Ukrainian Seaport
Washington Post: Saudi Arabia joins U.S. military strikes on Iranian proxies
New York Times: Houthis Claim Strike on Another Saudi Oil Tanker
Bloomberg: US Approves Deal With General Dynamics for Next-Gen Submarine
Wall Street Journal: Boeing Spends Big to Meet Deadline for New Air Force One
Washington Post: Zelensky touts anti-drone tech to Trump in renewed plea for missiles
Breaking Defense: Air Force Mulls ‘Maybe’ Pulling B-52s from Retirement
Task & Purpose: How ‘Wild Weasel’ Missions Became Essential in the Fight with Iran
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Moves to Purchase T-7 Engines, Not Boeing
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Preps Next-Gen Engine Testing Ahead of 2030 Integration onto Aircraft
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35 Engine Core Upgrade to Face Critical Review in August, Flight Testing in 2030
Defense News: First Anduril YFQ-44A Rolls Off Production Line for US CCA Program
Defense Scoop: US Military Forms First Bilateral AI Task Force with United Arab Emirates
The War Zone: USMC Just Took Delivery of Its Last MV-22 Osprey
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Awards Key Software Contract for Strategic SATCOM
The Post and Courier: Joint Base Charleston Will Be Renamed in Honor of the Late Sen. Lindsey Graham, Pentagon Says
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | JULY 29
9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Future of U.S. Land Power,” with Undersecretary of the Army Mike Obadal; and Jerry McGinn, director, CSIS Center, Industrial Base and senior fellow of the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/future-us-land-power
THURSDAY | JULY 30
8 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, — Hudson Institute discussion: “Responding to Global Threats,” with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) https://www.hudson.org/events/responding-global-threats
8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va — Potomac Officers Club “2026 Air and Space Summit,” with Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Lamontagne; and Deputy NASA Administrator Matt Anderson https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2026-air-and-space-summit/
9:30 a.m. Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: beginning at 9:30 a.m., on a new report, “Defeating the Drones: The Airman’s Imperative to Defend Against Small Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles,” with author retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, Mitchell Institute senior fellow; and retired Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, former commander, U.S. Northern Command https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f1KgJjLESLaiZaHzepMZSg#/registration
10 a.m. — Arab Center Washington D.C. virtual discussion: “The Board of Peace’s Gaza Plan: Broken or Working as Intended?” with Daniel Levy, president, U.S./Middle East Project; Mohammed Mhawish, Palestinian writer and journalist; Susan Akram, non-resident senior fellow of the Arab Center Washington D.C.; Dana El Kurd, non-resident senior fellow, Arab Center Washington D.C.; and Yousef Munayyer, head of the Arab Center D.C. Palestine/Israel Program and senior fellow, Arab Center Washington D.C. https://arabcenterdc.org/event/the-board-of-peaces-gaza-plan-broken-or-working-as-intended/
FRIDAY | JULY 31
12 p.m. — Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies virtual discussion: “What Was the Founders Design for National Security Beyond the Battlefield?” with Alberto Coll, director, global engagement for Vincent de Paul and professor, law at Depaul University College of Law; Matthew Waxman, professor of law at Columbia School of Law; John Yoo, professor, of law at the University of California at Berkeley, senior research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin Civitas Institute School of Civic Leadership; and non-resident senior fellow of the American Enterprise Institute; and Molly Nixon, senior fellow in executive power at the Cato Institute https://fedsoc.org/events/what-was-the-founders-design-for-national-security
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
