Robert Greenall

The United States launched new strikes on Iranian military sites after Iran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequently closed the waterway. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded with its own attacks, including on a US air base in Jordan, while several Gulf states intercepted incoming missiles and drones. Iran signaled further retaliation following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as senior officials vowed consequences and framed the closure of the strait as a security measure. Rising tensions were underscored by public calls for revenge and reports of alleged assassination plots involving Donald Trump, which he denied.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for revenge following the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike. Funeral crowds demanded retaliation against Donald Trump, while the US warned of severe consequences for any assassination attempts. Tensions escalated after attacks on commercial tankers triggered US strikes and Iranian responses, threatening a fragile ceasefire. Mediators continue efforts to revive talks as the US presses Iran to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged revenge for the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli air strike, issuing his first public message since funeral ceremonies began. The call came amid rising tensions following attacks on commercial tankers in Omani waters and retaliatory US and Iranian strikes that effectively ended a recent ceasefire. The US has demanded that Iran affirm safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran reportedly blamed tanker attacks on a rogue internal group. Intelligence reports of an Iranian plan to assassinate Donald Trump were denied by Trump, who said he had long been a target.

Eastern China prepares for Typhoon Bavi’s landfall near Wenzhou after evacuations affecting hundreds of thousands. The weakened Category 1 storm has already caused heavy rain in Taiwan, injuries and power outages on Japan’s Sakishima islands, and deadly landslides in the Philippines. Authorities warn of exceptionally heavy rainfall across Zhejiang and Fujian, while southern China continues recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which caused dozens of deaths and major agricultural losses.

Hundreds of thousands were evacuated in eastern China as Typhoon Bavi approached Wenzhou after causing damage across Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Japan’s Sakishima islands, Taiwan and the Philippines, where landslides killed 17 people. Authorities warned of exceptionally heavy rainfall in Zhejiang and Fujian, while flights and schools were suspended and residents stocked up on supplies. The region is already recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which caused dozens of deaths and major agricultural losses earlier in the week.