Live Updates
July 07, 2026
46 minutes ago

Live Updates
July 07, 2026
46 minutes ago
Explosions were heard in Damascus on Tuesday for an unknown reason, a witness told Reuters. According to the report, a series of explosive devices blew up near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron is staying.
According to the Qatari-owned Al Araby TV, the explosions were triggered by remotely controlled detonators placed in two cars in the hotel's vicinity. The explosions took place after the French delegation left the hotel, Al Araby reported.
Syrian State Television reported that President Ahmed al-Sharaa received Macron at the presidential palace after the explosions were heard. Macron did not hear any explosions on his way to the palace, his office said in a statement.
Macron is currently visiting the Syrian capital in the first visit by a European Union head of state since rebels led by Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Israel's top court on Monday warned government officials they could lose personal immunity from tort claims – civil lawsuits seeking damages for alleged wrongdoing – after the government said it would not comply with a ruling involving the national TV and radio regulatory agency, a move that could trigger a constitutional crisis.
The High Court of Justice said noncompliance with court orders would undermine the rule of law and could foster a "dangerous culture of rule by force and arbitrariness."
"The obligation to comply with court rulings and respect them is among the basic conditions upon which the rule of law in a democratic state is founded," the justices said. "These basic principles apply both to the actions of public elected officials and to the actions of public servants, all of whom are required to act in accordance with the provisions of the law."
The court described defying its orders as a "severe manifestation of harm to the rule of law" and warned that government officials and civil servants must act in accordance with court decisions and the law.
Under Israeli law, public officials are generally granted immunity from personal civil lawsuits stemming from their public duties. The immunity is intended to allow officials to carry out their responsibilities without fear of legal repercussions.
However, the protection does not apply in cases involving intentional wrongdoing or extreme abuse of authority.
Read the full articleIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday talks between the United States and Iran would not continue if U.S. threats persisted, responding to President Donald Trump's statement Monday that he would "finish the job" if Tehran did not reach a deal.
Araghchi cited Clause 13 of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which stipulates talks would begin only after both sides fulfilled obligations related to implementing a Lebanon cease-fire, allowing free transit through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian funds.
"Honor your signature," Araghchi said in a post on X while marking the funeral of slain leader Ali Khamenei. He said "millions of proud Iranians rallied in unity" and that neither they nor Iran's armed forces were affected by threats.
Trump on Monday renewed his warning of possible military action against Iran if an agreement was not reached. "We're either going to make a deal or we're going to finish the job," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that he preferred a deal because he did not want to affect Iran's population of 91 million people.
A senior official from Iran's Supreme National Security Council warned Trump and said Tehran would respond "in another language" if talks were not conducted "with respect."
Later Monday, Axios reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the strait, citing two U.S. officials.
A Border Police officer shot two suspects near the Qalandiay checkpoint near Jerusalem, after they allegedly attacked him and other police officers, according to a statement issued by police.
Police later determined the suspects were employed as security guards but were not identifiable as such during the incident. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, a police statement said.
According to police, a Border Police unit was crossing the checkpoint when a civilian vehicle attempted to enter Israel alongside them. Officers tried to verify the identities of the vehicle's occupants before several individuals exited the vehicle and allegedly began assaulting the officers and attempted to seize their weapons.
Police also said the attackers continued assaulting the officers even after a female officer fired warning shots into the air. The police added that one of the officers felt his life was in immediate danger, opened fire at two of the attackers, and lightly wounded them.
Officers provided first aid at the scene, police said. Medics said the two men suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Several officers were also lightly injured in the incident, police said. According to the statement, it was later discovered that the attackers were employed as security guards.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will allow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to purchase F-35 fighter jets, or at the very least signal a willingness to sell them, four senior administration officials have told the New York Times.
According to the sources, Trump will attempt to permit the sale by working around existing legislation and Congress, which could oppose the decision.
While the sources noted that Trump could still change his mind regarding the sale, they suggested there could be an exchange of letters between the two presidents to get the process underway.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but had no casualties, the report said, citing a U.S. official.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said early on Tuesday that a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile on its port side while traveling southbound about 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Oman's Limah, causing a fire; no casualties or environmental impact had been reported.
"Our missiles and drones are ready to fire at you," Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned ships via maritime radio over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, quoting from a recording it obtained.
One of the vessels under attack appears to be Al Rekayyat, a liquefied natural gas tanker owned and managed by Nakilat QGTS.QA, the shipping arm of Qatar's LNG industry, the WSJ said, adding that the ship had been hit on the port side, at the top of the engine room.
"Engine room fire and full of smoke. Unable to assess further damage. All crew are safe and mustered on the starboard side," WSJ quoted from a recording.
The vessel was at the mouth of the strait, in the Gulf of Oman, when it was attacked, the WSJ said.
A senior official from Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued a sharp warning on Monday following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that any dialogue with Iran must be conducted "with respect," warning that failure to do so would lead to a response "in another language."
The comment came after Trump said that Washington will either make a deal with Iran or "finish the job," renewing his threat of military action.
"We're either going to make a deal or we're going to finish the job. OK. And it won't be tough to finish the job. I'd rather make a deal, because I don't want to affect 91 million people," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply.... They don't have any money now. We haven't given them any money."
A bill to establish a politicized commission of inquiry investigating Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023 passed its first of three Knesset readings on Monday, in the government's latest bid to shape any future inquiry into the failures surrounding the assault. Fifty-nine MKs voted in favor, with none against, after all opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote.
According to the updated bill which passed in the Knesset, if opposition lawmakers choose not to take part in appointing the committee members, the probe could still be conducted with just three members, all of whom would be appointed by members of the coalition headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Here are Tuesday's latest updates:
■ A senior official in Iran's Supreme National Security Council warned President Donald Trump that any dialogue with Tehran must be conducted "with respect," saying otherwise Iran would respond "in another language."
■ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Turkey "should not be given F-35s" or the engines for the jets, warning that such a move would upset the regional balance. He also accused Ankara of backing Hamas and said Turkey had not helped Israel in its fight with Iran.
■ Large crowds marched through Tehran in a funeral procession for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with mourners calling for vengeance against Trump. State television showed tens of thousands gathered, with caskets driven through the capital as demonstrators burned U.S. and British flags and displayed anti-Trump banners.
■ French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria, state media said, in the first trip by an EU head of state to the country since Bashar al-Assad was toppled.
■ The IDF said it struck four suspects who approached a security zone in southern Lebanon's Al-Aqida area. According to the army, the suspects were traveling in a vehicle toward the zone and were hit in a "precise strike" after identification.
■ Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the continued Israeli occupation in the south undermines Lebanon's legitimacy and prevents the army from deploying fully along the border. He said there is "no place for civil war" in Lebanon and called for support for the U.S.-backed framework agreement with Israel.
■ A bill to establish a government-controlled commission of inquiry into Hamas' October 7 attack passed its first of three Knesset readings after the opposition boycotted the vote. Fifty-nine MKs voted in favor and none against. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it a "false presentation" meant to block a real investigation and said a state commission would be set up in the next government.











“The best path is the one that is now taking shape: making use of bloggers, influencers, and citizen media, who can communicate an accurate and authentic image of Iran."
The announcement comes as threats from drones become common on battlefields, with heavy casualties reported in most active conflicts.
The explosions are believed to have been caused by an explosive device planted on a vehicle near the French president's hotel, while Macron had left the area moments before.
"The bottom line is that this is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. There is nothing real here, especially for us," says Dr. Moshe Elad.