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US Imposes Iran-Related Sanctions on Two Individuals

A general view of Tehran, Iran. (Reuters file photo)
A general view of Tehran, Iran. (Reuters file photo)
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US Imposes Iran-Related Sanctions on Two Individuals

A general view of Tehran, Iran. (Reuters file photo)
A general view of Tehran, Iran. (Reuters file photo)

The United States on Monday blacklisted two Iranian officials who it accused of involvement in the March 2007 disappearance of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who the United States believes was abducted in Iran and died in captivity.

In announcing that it had imposed sanctions on Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, US officials told reporters that their public identification would lead to further information about Levinson.

“The abduction of Mr. Levinson in Iran is an outrageous example of the Iranian regime’s willingness to commit unjust acts,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

As a result of the sanctions, all property of the two men falling under US jurisdiction must be blocked and US persons are generally barred from dealing with them. Non-US persons risk being blacklisted for dealing with them and foreign banks could be punished for knowingly facilitating a significant transaction for them.

In a conference call, US officials said all evidence the United States has gathered so far indicates that Levinson, who went missing on Iran’s Kish Island in the Gulf in 2007, likely died in captivity. One official, anticipating US President-elect Joe Biden’s expected effort to restore the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran or to secure a wider agreement, said any deal must entail freeing US citizens “unjustly detained by Iran.”

At least three US citizens are currently detained by Iran: Baquer Namazi, his son Siamak Namazi, and Morad Tahbaz.

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World

Nine European Countries and Ukraine Form Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition

French President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, 13 July 2026. (EPA)
French President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, 13 July 2026. (EPA)
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Nine European Countries and Ukraine Form Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition

French President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, 13 July 2026. (EPA)
French President Emmanuel Macron (C-L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, 13 July 2026. (EPA)

Nine European countries and Ukraine on Monday announced the formation of a coalition to develop "purely defensive" anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe, citing the growing threat of ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Paris on Monday for a meeting of Kyiv's allies to reaffirm support for the country and step up pressure on Russia to end the war, now well into its fifth year.

"We believe that the protection of Europe, requires a global solution of integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats," said the joint declaration by Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

"By bringing together our defense industrial base, our research, and our operational experience, we aim to build a shared anti-ballistic missile capacity for Europe," it said.

"We do this not against any people, but in defense of our own," it added, citing the "unique experience of Ukraine" whose air defenses have faced repeated Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent weeks.

At least 25 heads of state were due to attend the Paris meeting, with some staying on for the military parade marking France's national public holiday on July 14 which this year will highlight support for Ukraine.

World

US Military Says It Struck Iran Port with Sea Drones

Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
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US Military Says It Struck Iran Port with Sea Drones

Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)

The United States used one-way attack sea drones in combat for the first time to strike the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, the US military said on Monday.

Three US Corsair drones targeted "a submarine and ship maintenance facility" at the port on Sunday, marking "the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

The strikes -- which highlight the growing role of drones in US combat operations -- "degraded Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial shipping," CENTCOM said.

The military command's post included a video of sea drones exploding near two piers, sparking fires and sending smoke pouring into the air over the port.

Last month, the US military used a Corsair drone to assist with the rescue of two US Army aviators whose Apache attack helicopter was shot down by Iran.

The Corsair is made by Texas-based Saronic Technologies, which says the 24-foot, diesel-powered "autonomous surface vessel" can be launched at sea, allowing larger ships to deploy and retrieve it without returning to port.

World

Trump Says US Reinstates Blockade of Strait of Hormuz After New Clashes with Iran

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Trump Says US Reinstates Blockade of Strait of Hormuz After New Clashes with Iran

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks. 

The latest hostilities followed an announcement by Iran over the weekend that it was closing the strait, and cast further doubt on the viability of an interim deal to halt the war in the Middle East and drove oil prices higher. 

"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE," Trump said on Truth Social. 

"The USA will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT', but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped." 

Iran's top joint military command said the US had no role in determining the future of the vital shipping route and said in a statement on Monday it would not be allowed to intervene in the management of the strait. 

The Revolutionary Guards said on Monday they had struck Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman ‌and Jordan in response to US strikes. 

The US military said ‌it ⁠had struck Iranian ⁠air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities and small boats on Sunday, using aircraft, naval vessels and drones. 

On Monday, the US attacked military sites in southern parts of Iran, including Qeshm, Bandar Abbas and Abadan, Iran's official news agency IRNA said, citing a local official. 

Bahrain said its air defense systems had intercepted several Iranian missile and drone attacks early on Monday. 

The latest exchanges mark an escalation in both the pace and geographic reach of attacks over the past week, throwing into question an interim US-Iranian agreement signed last month to reopen the strait and halt hostilities while the sides pursued a further 60 days of negotiations. 

Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to further talks. 

"We had a deal. It was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We've had 10 deals with these ⁠people, and so we're just going to hit them very hard," he said in a phone interview on Fox News' "Fox & ‌Friends" program on Monday. 

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, struck a similarly defiant tone, posting on X ‌on Sunday: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking." 

The war launched by the United States and Israel ‌against Iran on February 28 has destabilized the Gulf and spread across the region, with Iran attacking US bases in multiple countries. 

OIL PRICES JUMP 

Control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil supplies, has become one of the main battlegrounds of the conflict. Iran's effective blockade of the strait has pushed up energy prices and increased concerns about inflation globally. 

Brent crude jumped by more than 4% on Monday on Trumps's latest comments and on fears of disruption to one of ‌the world's most important energy shipping routes, although prices remained below the peaks reached earlier in the conflict. 

Higher energy prices, particularly gasoline costs, are politically sensitive for Trump before congressional elections in November. 

After announcing the strait's closure on Saturday ⁠following what it described as an unauthorized ⁠transit, Tehran said on Monday it continued to control the channel. 

"We continue to assert our authority and control over the Strait of Hormuz with strength and power, and we will force foreigners and their allies to surrender to the will of the Iranian people," Hossein Mohebbi said in comments carried by state media. 

Thousands of people have been killed during the war, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. On Monday, Iranian state media confirmed the deaths of two people in Abadan in southwestern Iran. 

IRAN SEEKS OMAN DEAL ON STRAIT TRAFFIC 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on Monday that the only way to restore regular shipping traffic through the strait was to end US military interventions in the waterway, and warned that "continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector." 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was seeking to establish a joint mechanism with Oman to manage traffic through the strait. 

Iran has sought to establish a permanent fee and permit system for vessels using the strait, which before the war carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. 

The US, which revoked a license waiving sanctions on Iranian crude sales last week after earlier attacks on shipping, said its forces were positioned to safeguard freedom of navigation. 

"Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," it said. 

US officials said around 20 vessels had been escorted through the strait in the previous 24 hours, though ship-tracking data showed little traffic moving. MarineTraffic said on Monday that vessel activity through the strait declined by about 52% over July 10 to 12 compared to the previous week.