Senate Democrats blocked debate on the annual defence bill in a 50-46 vote, arguing Congress should not advance a $1.15 trillion military budget while Trump expands the war on Iran.

They also opposed provisions to deepen US military ties with Israel, including expanded intelligence sharing, closer defence technology cooperation and greater integration between the two militaries.

The Pentagon has publicly estimated the war with Iran has cost about $30 billion, but internal U.S. estimates put the total cost at $80–100 billion.

Source: NBC News

The U.S. House voted 308–117 to approve the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and end the twice-yearly clock changes.

The bill now moves to the Senate.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the promotions of seven senior Navy officers—including five women or people of color—without publicly explaining why.

The move means no active-duty female Navy officer is likely to be promoted to admiral this year for the first time in over a decade.

Source: NYT

Netanyahu:

Lindsey Graham's death is a great loss for Israel.

Netanyahu:

Israel is the one country in the Middle East that is holding the Middle East together.

We are preventing Islamist radicals from taking over the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, and Egypt.

Netanyahu:

If you compare to where we were on October 7th, Israel has had the greatest comeback in history.

Netanyahu:

Hamas burned our babies alive.

Netanyahu on Turkish President Erdogan:

I don't think Erdogan should get any weapons.

He makes his own.

Q: Zohran Mamdani has threatened to arrest you time and time again. Are you nervous that he may try that when you come here in September for the UN General Assembly?

Netanyahu: No, I'm not.

Netanyahu on Zohran Mamdani:

I think Zohran Mamdani secretly hates America.

Netanyahu:

I intend to be around for a long time.

An Israeli soldier was sentenced to 5 years in prison for sending Iran videos of missile interceptions and missile strike footage during the war.

Source: N12

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

People say the Iran threat wasn't imminent.

Do you really want to wait until it's imminent?

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

Whatever you think about the decision in Iraq, we did the diplomatic thing as carefully as you could possibly do it.

WATCH: Ukrainian FPV drone hit a Russian Mi-28N helicopter near Vyazovoye in Russia's Belgorod region.

The drone appears to have attacked from above and behind, but it's unclear whether it actually hit the helicopter or was destroyed by the main rotor.

Chinese Foreign Ministry:

The U.S.'s 60-plus years of blockade and illicit sanctions have brought profound suffering to the Cuban people.

The U.S. needs to stop its blockade, coercion, and pressure against Cuba at once.

China firmly supports Cuba in defending national sovereignty and standing against external interference.

Ukraine's drone campaign expands to the Black Sea, 20 tankers hit in the first night.

20 Russian shadow fleet vessels were hit in the Black Sea overnight on July 15.

17 oil tankers, 2 gas tankers, and 1 tugboat.

Total count since the operation began on July 6: 136.

Greek Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides:

Joining NATO is a goal; it is an aspiration. We simply want, when we formally express our interest, the results to be positive.

Until the political conditions are created for such a development, we are preparing at other stages. It's not only about submitting an application to join NATO.

You must be ready administratively, operationally, and in many other areas.

And we have already begun that preparation.

CENTCOM:

At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran.

The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Greek Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos:

The Türkiye we have to face today has nothing to do with the Türkiye of 10 years ago.

What exists right now is a very different Türkiye.

I also don't see the national consensus that corresponds to the level of danger that exists.

I've been accused of fearmongering when I've said this before. It's not about fearmongering. It's about looking very simply at facts and data. I can refer to and present numbers.

That is not the purpose here — but they exist.