🇱🇧🇱🇧🇸🇾⚡️ — Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem:

There is no obstacle to a meeting between Hezbollah and the Syrian leadership, and such a meeting will take place at the appropriate time, based on the assessment and mutual agreement of both sides.

🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — Footage shows a Russian FPV drone pursuing and attacking an unarmed civilian at a local market in Kherson’s Central district.

The 52-year-old man survived, but suffered serious blast and shrapnel injuries as well as a concussion.

🇮🇱🇺🇸⚡️ — Israel is funding a $46.5 million campaign, led by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, to influence how AI chatbots discuss Israel by publishing hundreds of pro-Israel articles across a network of websites designed largely for AI systems, not human readers, according to Drop Site News.

The campaign explicitly targets “GPT conversations,” with AI tools already citing these sites, including Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, and sometimes ChatGPT and Claude, in responses about Gaza and U.S.-Israel relations.

⚽️ — FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell private investors shares in a new World Cup venture as a “sad and reproachable series of events” that was “difficult to comprehend and accept,” Sky News reports.

In an internal message, Grafström urged FIFA staff to remain focused on serving football and its 211 member associations, while assuring them they would be protected from the ongoing political turmoil.

🇺🇦🇷🇺⚡️ — Ukraine and Russia are engaged in a campaign targeting each other’s energy infrastructure, which Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal says will shape the war’s outcome and future peace talks, POLITICO reports.

Kyiv hopes strikes on Russian refineries will pressure Moscow to end the war this fall, while preparing for another winter of Russian attacks aimed at weakening Ukraine’s energy system, economy, and society.

🇹🇼🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️ — Taiwan is increasingly opening up about its close military cooperation with the U.S., including previously undisclosed American training and exchanges, in a message to China that bilateral defense ties remain strong, WSJ reports.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the collaboration is “far closer than you might imagine” and extends well beyond U.S. arms sales, with Taiwan learning practical combat experience from the U.S.

🇮🇷⚡️ — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied circulating rumors that he plans to resign, stating that he will remain in office and continue carrying out his duties.

🇾🇪❌🇸🇦 — NEW: Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) announced they carried out a precise drone strike on a “sensitive target” at Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia, saying it was retaliation for Saudi drone incursions over Saada and Hajjah Governorates.

They warned that further violations of Yemen’s airspace would face retaliation.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — The U.S. Army has depleted much of its stockpile of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) during the five-month war with Iran, according to Reuters.

The Army has used "virtually all" of its highly accurate land-based long-range missiles assigned to the war.

🇸🇾🇷🇺🇺🇸⚡️ — Syria has agreed to significantly reduce imports of Russian oil as part of ongoing discussions with the U.S. over lifting the country's remaining major sanctions designation, including its State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) status, according to Reuters.

While U.S. officials said the reduction is not a formal condition for removing Syria from the SST list, Syrian sources said cutting reliance on Russian oil is expected to help accelerate the process.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent:

We've seen President Trump, last week, threaten what would have been the largest military campaign since World War II against the Iranians, and now, because of that, we are in talks with the Iranians.

I think there's a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait of Hormuz.

🇺🇦🇪🇺⚡️ — Ukrainian missile manufacturer Fire Point has secured agreements with 13 European defense companies to develop its Freyja ballistic missile defense system, with the first successful interception targeted for mid-2027, CEO Iryna Terekh told Reuters.

The project aims to produce an interceptor missile for under €1 million each—significantly cheaper than the Patriot system. Norway's Kongsberg is developing the command-and-control center, while Germany's Diehl Defence is in talks to provide the missile's guidance system.

Fire Point also said its FP7 attack missile is in the final stages of certification by Ukraine's Defense Ministry and could enter combat in early autumn, while the larger FP9 ballistic missile, which the company says is capable of reaching Moscow, is expected to be ready by late autumn.

🇮🇱🇱🇧🇺🇸🇮🇹⚡️ — The seventh round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began earlier today in Rome under U.S. sponsorship.

Delegations from both countries are discussing issues related to implementing the U.S.-mediated framework agreement signed in June between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

🇺🇦🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡️ — A Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying fruit and vegetables to Russia was targeted by a Ukrainian drone attack near Novorossiysk, seriously injuring three crew members.

Türkiye condemned the incident and called on Russia and Ukraine to take steps to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

🇹🇭🇲🇲⚡️ — Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for a "calibrated re-engagement" with Myanmar ahead of a scheduled meeting with Myanmar's junta leader-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing, on August 6–7.

🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️ — The Trump administration is drafting a measure to ban U.S. imports of new Chinese optical transceivers used in data centers in an effort to protect critical AI infrastructure, according to Reuters.

The proposed restriction, being developed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), aims to prevent potential Chinese cyber threats, including data theft, malware, and service disruption. Officials hope to publish the measure later this year, though sources cautioned it could still be modified or shelved.

China criticized the plan, urging Washington to stop targeting Chinese companies and warning it would take "all necessary measures" if its interests were materially harmed.

🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡️ — A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran is seeking control over inbound shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining visibility over outbound traffic, with the ability to intervene if necessary, under the temporary reopening plan being discussed with Oman.

The proposal would have inbound vessels use a route under Iranian oversight, while outbound traffic would follow a channel between Iran and Oman, with exit clearance handled by Oman after notifying Iran.

The source added that Tehran has already shown flexibility by abandoning its initial demand for full control over shipping in both directions and is unlikely to make further concessions.