Iran Retaliates Striking Pentagon Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan

During the funeral of the martyred Supreme Leader attended by tens of millions, United States President ordered the bombing of coastal areas 

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday July 15, 2026

Geostrategic Analysis

Just weeks after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US government and the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Donald Trump resumed the bombing of this West Asian state.

Since April 7 when the administration in Washington claimed it would seek a peace agreement with Tehran, Iran has been viewed internationally as the victor in the war which was launched by the US along with its closest ally in Tel Aviv.

During the opening hours of the unprovoked attacks on February 28, the Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family were killed. Also, an elementary school in the southern region of Iran at Minab was bombed by Pentagon warplanes killing more than 175 children.

Despite these atrocities and more, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has been able to wage a defensive campaign against the occupation state of Israel along with US military forces which are scattered throughout West Asia. The strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes, has become a pivotal area in determining the status of the international economy.

The funeral of the martyred Supreme Leader was attended by an estimated 47 million people in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. People from throughout Iran celebrated the life of Khamenei while pledging to avenge his targeted assassination. 

During the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Turkiye in early July, Trump spoke disparagingly regarding the Islamic Republic. In the wave of strikes which came during and after the NATO gathering, the Pentagon bombed civilian infrastructure along with imposing another blockade against Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf region. 

In subsequent days additional provocations were carried out by the US. These airstrikes and continuing threats were in line with the comments made by the president at the NATO summit where he berated other members of the alliance for not joining the Washington-Tel Aviv war against Iran. 

The Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US was designed to include Lebanon where Tel Aviv has been bombing for several months. Civilians have been killed in Beirut and other cities under the guise of eliminating the Hezbollah resistance forces which have been active particularly in the southern rural areas. 

The White House had falsely stated that the pause in fighting after April 7 when Trump had threatened to eliminate Iran as a civilization, did not include Lebanon. Moreover, the MoU did not include any direct involvement by the occupation regime in Palestine. Consequently, the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and other states throughout the West Asia region is by no means over. 

Inside of Palestine, the genocidal onslaught has continued as well. Official figures say that in excess of 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Others are still being forced from their homes in the West Bank by settlers, soldiers and other security forces. 

In response to these attacks, the Iranian state media outlet Press TV noted that:

“The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and national army have announced a series of missile and drone strikes against US military positions across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the attacks as retaliation for American strikes on Iranian territory. The IRGC issued multiple statements early Wednesday detailing the destruction of key US military infrastructure, including a Patriot air defense complex, a satellite communications center, and HIMARS rocket launch platforms in Kuwait. The attacks were carried out under ‘Operation Nasr 2’ in the IRGC’s ‘seventh wave’ of retaliation.” (https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/07/15/772286/Impact-footage-captures-Iranian-strikes-on-US-assets-in-Persian-Gulf-)

The Trump administration remains in a quagmire. Since the failure of Washington and Tel Aviv to overthrow the Iranian government, they are faced with a situation of having to admit defeat or to carry on the military strikes in hopes of weakening Tehran.

As it relates to diplomatic solutions to the present situation, the State Department has proven incapable of settling disagreements in a peaceful manner. Although the White House claims that it has resolved numerous geopolitical conflicts and wars around the world, in reality the international situation remains contentious largely due to the actions of Washington and Tel Aviv.

Regional Warfare Has Global Implications

Iran has been able to regionalize the resistance to the role of imperialism and zionism in West Asia. With the closing of the Strait of Hormuz resulting in the sharp escalation in the price of energy resources and other commodities, Tehran is demonstrating its strategic strength in the defense of its revolution and its allies throughout the region.

The objective of imperialism in the present conjuncture is to maintain dominance across West Asia through the destabilization of the Axis of Resistance. This anti-imperialist and anti-zionist coalition spans from occupied Palestine to Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Yemen. There are other forces with similar political ideals as the Axis within countries where the state is dominated by regimes which firmly remain within the western camp.

Governments such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Syria and Jordan are clearly within the orbit of western imperialism. However, there are many working people within these states whose sympathies remain with the Resistance forces. The liberation of Palestine and the removal of the zionist and imperialist threats against the masses of people within the region would constitute a major advancement in forging peace and qualitative development on a world scale.

Iran has stated in the latest phase of this anti-imperialist war that it will continue its vigorous defense of its people and their revolutionary process. According to Press TV:

“The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has launched the third wave of Operation Nasr-2 against US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for renewed US aggression against Iranian coastal military positions. In a statement on Tuesday evening, the IRGC said naval and aerospace units carried out a coordinated missile and drone attack under the code name ‘Ya Zain al-Abidin.’ It also warned that continued US military action would prevent the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and halt regional oil and gas exports. According to the statement, the strikes destroyed several warehouses storing weapons and parts for enemy naval vessels and aircraft at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa base. The IRGC also said it targeted the MQ-9 drone deployment ramp at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, destroying or damaging several drones. The operation was conducted ‘in response to the aggression carried out this afternoon by the child-killing US army’ against several Iranian armed forces coastal stations, it added.” (https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/07/14/772257/IRGC-pounds-US-military-facilities-Bahrain-Kuwait-warns-oil-exports-at-risk)

The Trump administration is facing the upcoming midterm elections amid high rates of disapproval. Economic issues remain uppermost in the minds of the majority of working people in the U.S. where inflation fueled by imperialist war has negatively impacted the cost of living.

In regard to security issues, opposition to the large-scale deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents on the streets of the U.S. has been a cause of great consternation throughout the country. The recent killings of civilians by ICE and CBP has prompted mass demonstrations in Texas and Maine. 

Under the threat of losing control of the House of Representatives and Senate in the November elections, the White House has threatened to place greater restrictions on voting rights in numerous states. In the South, the MAGA interests controlling state legislatures have redrawn districts in efforts to ensure the continued domination of their political tendency within the Republican Party. If electoral campaigns failed to reverse the far-right trajectory of Congress, there could very well be an upsurge in mass demonstrations and other forms of resistance to the Trump program. 

Senate Democrats Block National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer led a coalition of Democratic lawmakers in opposing the approval of the NDAA citing the continuing illegal war against Iran. The Senate and the House of Representatives have passed War Powers Resolutions in regard to the unauthorized attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The White House has ignored opposition to the Iran war which has grown in both Houses of Congress. Numerous Republican members of Congress realize the danger posed by the Trump administration by continuing its war against Iran. 

Al Mayadeen emphasized the divisions within the Senate saying:

“Republicans sharply criticized Democrats for blocking the legislation, which would authorize approximately $1.15 trillion in defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year in line with the administration's proposed budget. The bill also includes pay raises for US service members, as well as funding for new unmanned weapons systems and counter-drone technologies that military leaders say are essential for future conflicts. Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of politicizing the measure. ‘Democrats have allowed the politics of obstruction to determine so many of their actions for the last year and a half,’ Thune said. ‘I certainly hope that Democrats won’t now put politics ahead of support for our men and women in uniform.’" (https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/senate-democrats-block-ndaa-as-schumer-protests-trump-s-war)

These debates illustrate the necessity of eliminating the Pentagon budget. Working and oppressed peoples in the U.S. are suffering from job losses, inflation, state-sanctioned violence and racist political policies while trillions are being wasted on wars which cannot be won by imperialism.

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on the "Grass in Greener" Radio Program

Listen to this interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, over the "Grass is Greener" radio program aired on W-XRW, 104.1 FM in Milwaukee. 

To hear the program in its entirety go to the following URL: 2026-07-14-The_Grass_is_Greener by WXRW riverwestradio.com 104.1fm

We discuss the security crisis in the Republic of Sudan and the involvement of United States- backed interests in West Asia. 

In addition, we review events in the Alliance of Sahel States in West Africa as well as recent developments in Latin America.

War in Sudan: Impacts on the Horn of Africa and West Asia

Black Agenda Radio 

Margaret Kimberley 

10 Jul 2026

To watch this interview in its entirety just click on the following URL: War in Sudan: Impacts on the Horn of Africa and West Asia

The war in Sudan between government forces and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) backed Rapid Support Force (RSF) continues, and so does what experts call the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. 

The city of El Obeid is under siege, and there are fears of another massacre, such as in El Fasher. 

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of Pan-African Newswire, joins us from Detroit to provide analysis.

Attacks in South Africa Undermining the Country and Africa as a Whole

Parallels can be drawn between MAGA in the United States and retrograde elements domestically as well as other western imperialist states

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday July 8, 2026

Geopolitical Analysis

During the month of June, what is known as xenophobic and “afro-phobic” attacks have been occurring in the Republic of South Africa, a nation of 65 million which emerged from apartheid rule 32 years ago. 

Five decades ago, the world became acutely aware of the brutal system of legalized racial oppression and settler-colonialism when hundreds of thousands of students walked out of their schools on June 16 to protest what was called “Bantu Education” which promoted notions of white supremacy and hostility towards Africans from other parts of the continent. 

Under the apartheid system, the government told Africans who were oppressed by the minority white population that they were inferior to the Europeans occupying the country, yet superior to their Black counterparts across the continent. The liberation movements such as the African National Congress (ANC) were said to have been motivated by communism and therefore representing a danger to the well-being of all those living inside the apartheid state.

Consequently, since June 2026, the narrative emerging from the Republic of South Africa was not the 50-years commemoration of the role of youth and workers in the struggle against apartheid and settler-colonialism, it became the xenophobic and afro-phobic assaults on people from neighboring states such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, etc. The groups which have been projected as the leadership of this unrest in which thousands have been dislocated, attacked, robbed, killed and forced to flee are those who have no presence in the National Assembly and government. 

Groups such as “Operation Dudula” and “March and March” are utilizing the same language as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) wing of the United States political establishment which dominates the White House and the Congress. Falsehoods which suggest that so-called “undocumented foreigners” are taking jobs away from “citizens” is not an idea which originated in South Africa. President Donald Trump of the U.S. utilized such rhetoric to win over millions of whites and others who are experiencing joblessness and economic distress.

A similar situation exists in the United Kingdom and other Western European states such as France and Germany. Political parties such as Reform UK, Restore Britain along with the National Rally of France and the Alternatives for Deutschland in Germany are carrying out similar demagogic efforts to ban migrants seeking asylum and economic opportunities. 

In England and Northern Ireland, far right and neo-fascist elements have attacked Black, Asian and migrant communities burning cars, buses and homes. These communities are also being accused of engaging in criminal activity and taking jobs away from those considered citizens. 

In the U.S., people from countries such as Haiti and Venezuela among others have had their temporary protective status revoked by the Trump administration. Unsubstantiated rumors suggesting that these nationalities engage in criminal activity are fostered to justify the overall racist atmosphere which exists in the U.S. This state-sponsored institutional racism is attempting to cover up actual crimes being committed by the government and corporate interests in the U.S.

There is vast self-enrichment on the part of the ruling capitalist class while the workers and nationally oppressed grow poorer. A recent report issued by the National Urban League (NUL) documents that African Americans are experiencing a recession while their rights to vote and participate in the labor market on an equal basis have been legally eliminated by the White House, the Supreme Court and many corporations.

Reports since late 2025 indicate that hundreds of thousands of African American women have been forced from their jobs. This is a direct outcome of the racist and sexist attacks on this sector of the population claiming they have no right to decent employment and official positions within government and corporate structures.

Whose is Behind the Attacks Against Continental Africans in South Africa?

Neither “Operation Dudula” or “March and March” have representation in the National Assembly which is the legislative body that creates laws for South Africa. Therefore, these groupings have no legal basis for ordering people to leave the country.

This is not the first attempt in recent years to destabilize the South African government and society. Under the previous administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, the South African government was accused of providing weapons to the Russian Federation in its Special Military Operation in Ukraine. 

In December 2023, the ANC-dominated government in South Africa took the State of Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body within the United Nations, charging Tel Aviv with violations of the Genocide Convention. Thousands of Palestinians had already been killed and displaced in the aftermath of the Al Aqsa Flood emanating from Gaza which has been under extreme pressure from Tel Aviv for decades.

After Trump took office for the second non-consecutive term in 2025, the South African Government of National Unity under President Cyril Ramaphosa was accused of overseeing genocidal policies against the white population. Trump, who is expelling thousands of people every week, has granted refugee status to white South Africans wishing to migrate to the U.S. This racist immigration policy clearly exposes the character of U.S. capitalism and imperialism. 

In regard to the current situation in South Africa, the Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said in an interview with a leading media outlet that:

“Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has suggested that Israel may have had an interest in undermining South Africa through the recent March and March anti-illegal immigration protests, linking the issue to South Africa’s high-profile case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Speaking on the matter, Kubayi argued that South Africa’s decision to take Israel to the ICJ over allegations related to the war in Gaza has elevated the country’s international profile and placed it at the center of a wider geopolitical contest. While she stopped short of directly accusing Israel of organizing or funding the demonstrations, and did not provide evidence to support the allegation, Kubayi said it would be ‘naïve’ to assume that powerful global interests would not seek to weaken South Africa’s credibility on human rights issues. Her remarks come amid growing debate over the March and March protests, which have focused on illegal immigration and have drawn both support and criticism across the country. The demonstrations have also sparked concerns about xenophobia, social tensions and political mobilization.” (https://vocfm.co.za/kubayi-suggests-israel-may-have-sought-to-undermine-south-africa-through-anti-immigration-protests/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS7IfpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFJT1hiaEVUbkRYbzJmWnVzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmkYPaszugKmOcd2l-PKdH0W3usMsORkDGRbXDvbOIkx5L5jxXuVgGCLqkhM_aem_VgDNVbbuv76dASv8juhGvA)

The State of Israel would not exist without the financial, military and diplomatic support of the U.S. The war against Iran is a joint operation between Tel Aviv and Washington.

Although there is widespread opposition to the policies of zionism, leaders within the U.S. and other allied imperialist states continue to provide money and military resources to Tel Aviv in their genocidal campaigns against the Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, Iraqis and others in the West Asia region. 

No other NATO country would enter the recent war against Iran and Lebanon since it realized the project was a losing battle which would only further destabilize the world economy. Trump and previous U.S. leaders have been hellbent on preserving imperialism and therefore they are committed to stifling any form of independent foreign policy and economic development.

Impact of the Situation in South Africa on Continental Unity

Over the last two decades or more, the 55 member-states of the African Union (AU) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have passed numerous resolutions calling for greater unity. The African continent has been subjected to centuries of enslavement, colonialism, neo-colonialism which is responsible for the contemporary underdevelopment and divisions.

South Africa has been considered a leader within the AU due to its origins as a democratic nation-state and for the pioneering work related to the Palestine solidarity movement along with its involvement in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA plus summit (BRICS+). BRICS is committed to alternative forms of development which are independent of the domination of U.S. imperialism.

Projects such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is designed to bring together various states to foster genuine development in the region cannot be implemented with the largest industrialized state being viewed as an impediment to Pan-African unification. The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC), whose Chinese-built headquarters is located in Addis Ababa, will not be able to combat preventable and treatable diseases in light of the counter-revolutionary elements which the corporate media has projected as being representative of mass sentiment in South Africa.

Consequently, the ANC-led Government of National Unity must put an end to the destabilization efforts by “March and March” and “Operation Dudula”. The antics of these groups will only worsen the economic downturn in South Africa and the continent as a whole. 

The only real solution to the African crisis is continental unification based on anti-imperialism and socialist reconstruction. U.S. imperialist tropes rooted in racist propaganda and psychological warfare can only bring harm to the African people on the continent and around the world.

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Speaking to Youri Smouter of 1+1, on Contemporary Affairs Internationally

 Watch part I of this interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, with Youri Smouter of 1+1, discussing the contemporary affairs of Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America. 

This program was recorded on Fri. July 3, 2026.

To watch part I on this interview just click on the following URL: 1+1 E396 Youri & Abayomi Azikiwe discuss current affairs in the US, West Asia, Mumia & Africa 1 of 3

This is the link to part II of this discussion: 1+1 E396 Youri & Abayomi Azikiwe discuss current affairs in the US, West Asia, Mumia & Africa 2 of 3

Finally, the interview concludes with these questions and remarks: 1+1 E396 Youri & Abayomi Azikiwe discuss current affairs in the US, West Asia, Mumia & Africa 3 of 3

Racism at the World Cup is an Ugly Reality

How to understand where it comes from

The Conversation

16th July 2026, 18:58 GMT+11

No African teams made it past the quarter-finals of the 2026 men's football World Cup, but their strategic and tactical play left a lasting impression.

The success of African teams doesn't come out of the blue, it's the result of a long process. It's therefore surprising that African football remains underrated and downgraded by experts, often in a manner that reveals their ignorance both to African football and history. At times, their comments have a highly problematic racist tone.

This was the case with former star player Bastian Schweinsteiger, now a longtime commentator for a German TV network. Ahead of a group stage match against Cote d'Ivoire, he was asked what Germany's team could expect. He responded:

A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild ... perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We must be prepared for it to be unpredictable.

Setting aside the fact that the German team was often the weaker side - both tactically and in terms of style of play - this characterisation is inappropriate and offensive. It's based on a stereotyped, colonialist view of Africa.

On the one hand, Schweinsteiger faced criticism that his statement was racist.

As Cote d'Ivoire's manager, Emerse Fae, said:

It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist ... I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind.

On the other hand, there were many people on online forums and social media who wondered why Schweinsteiger's statement was considered racist, as did his broadcaster, ARD.

Schweinsteiger responded weakly to the criticism:

I was talking about football, not people. This is a football analysis - nothing more, nothing less.

I often hear this kind of downplaying when football in Africa and its people are subtly devalued. As an anthropologist, my research focuses on the migration of football players from various parts of Africa and on the forces that have shaped the evolution of African football, especially the modern game. A key focus is on racialisation, othering, and racism experienced by players.

The research shows that African footballers, and Black players more generally, face different forms of racism.

On social media, they frequently encounter open and hostile rejection and insults. A recent example is the offensive post by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla, after her country's loss to France. She described Kylian Mbappe as a colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French ... resentful, arrogant and ugly.

Players from Africa also face structural disadvantages in the football industry. This is evident in shorter contracts and lower salaries, as well as peripheral playing positions and less consideration for coaching and administrative roles, as various studies show.

After all, they are also constantly confronted with more subtle forms of everyday racism, which manifests itself in their abilities and qualities being devalued. They are often reduced to their physical appearance, their intelligence denied.

Everyday racism is often expressed subtly and white people like Schweinsteiger are often not aware of its racist connotation. Therefore, the question of whether Bastian Schweinsteiger is a racist or not is not the crucial one (he most likely is not).

The key question is rather why these stereotypes are repeatedly expressed in football and why, for many people, they seem to reflect reality rather than appear problematic. To understand this, we need to do justice to Africa's diversity and further look at the continent's colonial history.

For one thing, simplistic statements like Schweinsteiger's disparage football across an entire continent without making any distinctions. There is just as little such thing as an "African" style of football as there is a "European" one. This does not do justice to a complex reality and it reveals either ignorance or indifference.

Second, describing African football as "unorthodox," "wild," and "not characterised by tactics", perpetuates stereotypes from the colonial era that extend beyond the sport. My study of African footballers in Germany shows how the players are vulnerable to broader, structural vulnerabilities in Europe.

How many view African migrant footballers is grounded in colonial thinking. European colonisation legitimised itself by ranking people. The enlightened European, capable of reflection, and the uneducated African, who must be tamed.

Starting in the 1920s, colonial administrators deliberately used football to subjugate Africans. Sport was used to teach team spirit and rules to the allegedly nave, raw and perhaps threatening African in order to turn him into a person loyal to the colony.

Openly showing resistance was dangerous. But interestingly, this happened on the football field. Studies outline how some Africans didn't try to play by the rules. They tried to make feints, dribbles, and tricks - on the one hand to entertain their own people, but also to display defiance.

During the struggle for independence, football was then used by some African countries to foster a sense of national and pan-African unity. After all, colonial borders had been drawn arbitrarily. National football teams were important, but so was the style of play - integrity and technical skill presented an alternative to the colonial image.

Over the years, national playing styles have developed in various ways. They are influenced by cultural values, transnational linkages and the game becoming professionalised. However, the original mix - powerful bodies, skillful dribbling, and a childlike, nave approach - has become ingrained in European minds.

At first glance, subtle disparaging remarks like Schweinsteiger's may not seem to be as racist as the open insults and degrading comments seen every day in football and society. But they are hurtful. And because they are firmly embedded in the social knowledge of European countries, they are hard to erase.

Rather, they are a creeping poison that, when constantly reproduced, shapes a society's collective consciousness. As my research has found, such remarks not only disparage football in Africa but also shape the general perception of a continent that is allegedly backward at every level.

To tackle the powerful colonial-era image of an African inferiority, it is important to take action against all forms of racist disparagement in football and beyond, whether they are unintentional, subtle, or explicit.

Algerian Prime Minister Visits Survivors After Deadly Fire at Orphanage

Policemen stand outside the fire damaged orphanage in Mohammedia, near Algiers, Algeria, Thursday, July 16, 2026.

Algeria

Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb spoke with survivors after a fire burning at an orphanage in the country's capital has killed at least 11 people, including children, according to authorities.

Algeria has been sweltering under a heatwave for several days, and nearly 1,000 fires have been recorded in the space of a week. "On behalf of the president and the members of the government, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims," said Ghrieb.

Firefighters had been battling to extinguish the flames since before dawn in the Mohammadia suburb of Algiers.

"At around 3:00 am, we heard the fire engines arriving and the children screaming," said Abdessalam Merrah, 41, who lives nearby.

"We helped as much as we could, but unfortunately we were told that 11 people had already died."

An AFP journalist saw black stains around the building's windows on Thursday morning. A witness said firefighters had used a chainsaw to remove metal bars from a window.

The Algerian civil defence said the toll was provisional and added that another 19 people were injured in the fire, the cause of which is unknown.

Rachid Belhadj, head of the forensic medicine department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital, told local television that some of the bodies were completely burned and required DNA tests to be identified.

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune later said "several children" were among the dead.

Additional sources • AFP

Russian Foreign Minister Hosts His Guinea-Bissau Counterpart in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, center, welcomes Guinea-Bissau's Foreign Minister Fatumata Jau in Moscow, Russia, July 16, 2026.

Guinea-Bissau

Africa News

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed his Guinea-Bissau’s counterpart Fatumata Jau in Moscow on Thursday.

During a joint press conference following bilateral talks, Lavrov said that "Russia has firmly reaffirmed our support for any efforts to normalize relations between the Economic Community of West African States, on the one hand, and Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, on the other."

"We discussed pressing contemporary issues, including in the context of the trend toward strengthening the multipolarity of democratic principles in international affairs and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, which must be respected in their entirety and in their interconnection, rather than selectively, and, of course, emphasized the importance of respecting the rights of all peoples to choose their own path of development—something our Western colleagues are trying to prevent," said the Russian foreign minister.

Ebola is Spreading Faster in Eastern DR Congo Than it Can Be Tracked, as Deaths Pass 700

By JUSTIN KABUMBA and MONIKA PRONCZUK

8:27 PM EDT, July 14, 2026

Eighty percent of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, a sign the outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response.

Congo has been battling an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola since May, with no approved treatment or vaccine. The Africa Centres for Disease Control says it is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on the continent.

“Perhaps the most alarming finding is that many of the newly reported deaths are people who died in their communities without ever reaching a health facility and without receiving care,” Chikwe Ihekweazu said after returning from Bunia, in Ituri province, one of the worst-hit cities. “And as of today, 80% of new cases are outside our contact lists and so are coming to us from unknown chains of transmission.”

People who die outside the health system cannot be isolated, treated or have their contacts traced promptly, increasing the risk of further transmission.

The outbreak, Ihekweazu said, “continues to outpace the response efforts.”

As of Monday, at least 1,926 people have been infected, of whom 702 have died, in three provinces in Congo from the rare Bundibugyo virus, Congolese authorities said. Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva that his visit to Bunia had been “quite encouraging on many fronts, but also deeply concerning.”

Treatment capacity in Bunia is now close to 800 beds, with capacity increasing every week, and lab capacity has grown from 1 to 14 labs, an effort the emergency chief lauded.

However, Ihekweazu said that despite “our best efforts ... we have not caught up in the race.”

A funding gap, attacks on health centers, an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, and mistrust among local communities have hampered the response.

Dozens of healthcare workers at an Ebola virus treatment center in northeast Congo went on strike over unpaid salaries and bonuses on Monday. On Tuesday, they agreed to resume work under the condition that the government pays them within 72 hours.

“Just one day of strike action has already caused damage. Patients were unable to access the center,” the striking health workers said in a statement. “We hold the government solely responsible for any loss of life if the site closes after this ultimatum.”

The Congolese authorities declared a fresh Ebola outbreak on May 15 after the disease had been transmitting for weeks without official detection, according to the WHO. Clinical trials for treatment began last week after researchers launched a highly anticipated study in the hope of fighting the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on July 11 that a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo has tested positive for the Ebola virus, without providing further details.

_

Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.

Why the Fastest-growing Ebola Outbreak in History is Becoming More Challenging

By CARA ANNA

8:12 AM EDT, July 15, 2026

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is now the fastest-growing one in history, and new challenges are emerging even as work begins on a study of two badly needed treatments for a type of Ebola that currently has none.

Strikes this week by unpaid workers at two health centers at the heart of the outbreak could light the flame for others in a remote region already suffering from bare-bones infrastructure, rebel threats and misinformation asserting that the deadly virus isn’t real.

Over 2,000 cases, including over 750 deaths, have been confirmed. Now cases are suspected in two more provinces, including one of Congo’s largest cities, Kisangani, as responders struggle to understand how far Ebola has spread. Eighty percent of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. The outbreak’s origin is still not known.

Here’s a look at the outbreak and the growing effort to contain it.

This type of Ebola is rare

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola that has no approved vaccines.

Ebola is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people from wild animals. It spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

Traditional funerals in which loved ones wash and prepare bodies have been restricted, which has angered some residents.

The disease is rare but severe and often fatal. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding. Outbreaks often occur in remote villages in Central Africa, near rainforests.

This outbreak is occurring in a volatile region

Associated Press journalists have witnessed the aftermath of attacks on health centers by a wary, highly mobile population that has long been traumatized by armed groups.

Outsiders can be looked upon with suspicion, and community outreach teams have worked to spread the word about Ebola prevention measures in the face of abuse and accusations that the outbreak is a scam.

Part of the outbreak is unfolding in a major city and humanitarian hub, Goma, that rebels backed by neighboring Rwanda seized over a year ago, further complicating the response.

Now there is unrest among local Ebola responders themselves after weeks of risky crisis work and little or no pay from the Congolese government. On Monday, staff at a treatment center in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter, closed the facility and blocked access. Striking staffers included epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers. They later agreed to resume work under the condition that the government pays them within 72 hours.

On Wednesday, a new strike began at Bunia General Hospital as workers barricaded the entrance.

A labor strike that spreads to even more overstretched and underequipped facilities would be another serious blow to Ebola containment efforts. Congolese officials have said they are in talks to find a solution.

The first participants are enrolled in a treatment study

The strikes come at a vulnerable time. Earlier this month, researchers began a study of two possible Ebola treatments and began enrolling participants.

One is Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, a broad-acting antiviral approved to treat COVID-19 that has shown some hints in lab tests that it may help fight the Bundibugyo virus. The other is Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s experimental MBP134, antibodies engineered to target Ebola viruses, including Bundibugyo.

The WHO has said patients will be randomly assigned to receive today’s best standard of care as well as remdesivir, MBP134, both or neither.

The United Nations body has warned it could take months and possibly as many as 1,000 study participants to tell if either drug works.

Currently, the study is offered in just one Ebola treatment center in Ituri province — not the one where the strike has begun. Officials plan to expand the study to other locations once it is safe to do so.

Workers at an Ebola Treatment Center in DR Congo Strike Over Unpaid Salaries and Bonuses

By PROSPER HERI NGORORA

11:31 PM EDT, July 13, 2026

RWAMPARA, Congo (AP) — Dozens of people working at an Ebola virus treatment center in northeast Congo went on strike Monday over unpaid salaries and bonuses, posing a new challenge for the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded on the continent.

Congo since May has been battling the outbreak of a type of Ebola with no approved treatment or vaccine. Last week, the Congolese health minister, Roger Kamba, said the virus had spread to two more provinces.

The striking staff at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, includes epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers who say they have not been paid by Congolese authorities. The protesting staff shut the hospital and blocked the road leading to it, even burning a tire outside.

“We don’t know how it is possible to not have been paid for two months,” Bahati Claude, a health worker at the hospital told The Associated Press. “We don’t want to give up the job.”

The treatment center is different from the one in Ituri where a study of two badly needed treatments began earlier this month.

Congolese authorities declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15, after the disease had been transmitting for weeks without official detection, according to the World Health Organization. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, and the delay in confirming the outbreak came in part because tests were done for a more common type of Ebola.

During a visit to Ituri last week, Congo’s health minister said the government is verifying a list of those working to control the outbreak, as some unrelated names have been added to the payroll.

“We must ensure that these payments reach the right people,” Kamba said. “We have faced a few challenges, notably changes to the lists, which have led to complaints from people saying they are not being paid even though they are working. We have the means to sort this out.”

There are 1,926 confirmed cases in the country, including 702 deaths, according to Congolese authorities.

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted Monday on X that a second U.S. citizen, a humanitarian worker in eastern Congo who had contracted Ebola, was transferred to Germany. The first American to test positive for the virus was a doctor working in Congo during the early weeks of the outbreak.

More Health Workers Strike as Ebola Cases in DR Congo Exceed 2,000, Including 754 Deaths

12:13 PM EDT, July 15, 2026

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, according to government data released overnight in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record.

Health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region’s largest medical center, went on strike Wednesday and are the latest group to walk off the job at the epicenter over payment issues. Health professionals and other front-line workers barricaded the entrance to the hospital, claiming they have not received pay despite working under difficult conditions.

The World Health Organization says more than 100 healthcare workers have been infected since the beginning of the outbreak.

The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15. A total of 753 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 366 have recovered so far, according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.

The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response. At least 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, the WHO said Tuesday.

A key challenge is that health authorities have yet to identify the outbreak’s patient zero, while displacement from armed conflict and mining-related movements have made it difficult to trace thousands who have come in contact with infected individuals.

The authorities have been able to trace 67% of the contacts of those exposed to confirmed cases, Congo’s health ministry said.

Many of the newly reported deaths are of people who died in their communities without ever reaching a health facility and without receiving care, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the WHO emergencies chief, said Tuesday after returning from Bunia in Ituri, the worst-hit province in the outbreak.

The response is being hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health centers, an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, and mistrust among local communities.

Dozens of healthcare workers at an Ebola virus treatment center in Rwampara, another hard-hit city in the Ituri province, went on strike over unpaid salaries and bonuses on Monday. On Tuesday, they agreed to resume work on condition the government pay them within 72 hours.

Some have told The Associated Press they have not received any payment since they started work at the onset of the outbreak.

Response efforts have also been challenged by the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus, unlike the more common Zaire virus for which there is a vaccine and which was responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks of the disease.

Enrollment in a highly anticipated study of two possible Ebola treatments recently started in Ituri.

Amazon Will Launch Its Satellite Internet in South Africa, Seemingly Beating Musk in His Homeland

By GERALD IMRAY

12:24 PM EDT, July 15, 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Amazon said Wednesday that the technology company will launch its new satellite internet service Amazon Leo in South Africa in 2027, seemingly pushing ahead of Elon Musk’s rival Starlink to win business in Africa’s most advanced economy.

Amazon, which was founded by Jeff Bezos, said that it would partner with South African internet provider Herotel to launch a new service in the country of 62 million people. Amazon said that it was its first satellite internet agreement on the African continent.

No financial details were initially disclosed.

Amazon’s announcement follows Musk’s bitter criticism of the government in his country of birth. The world’s richest man has said that South African regulations have prevented him from launching Starlink there because he’s white, and has accused the government of racism.

He was referring to South Africa’s affirmative action policies, which require foreign companies operating in the communications sector to give a minority share of their local entities to Black or other non-white owners in order to acquire a license.

The regulations are meant to provide opportunities that were denied non-white people under the country’s previous apartheid system of white minority rule.

The South African government has backed the Amazon deal, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi joining Amazon and Herotel representatives to announce the agreement.

Amazon launched its first low orbit internet satellites last year and says it has more than 390 currently operational.

Starlink’s first operational satellites were launched in 2019 and it now has more than 10,000 in orbit. Starlink’s satellite internet has launched in around two dozen other African countries, but Musk has refused to follow South Africa’s affirmative action regulations.

Amazon said Wednesday that the South African deal was the start of its effort to roll out across Africa, where it would also partner with Vanu Inc., a Lexington, Massachusetts-based company specializing in mobile internet in developing countries.

There’s a large potential market for satellite internet in Africa, a continent of more than 1.5 billion people where many live in rural and other areas without fixed internet connections.

Amazon Leo, which was previously called Project Kuiper, has already signed deals to launch in Thailand, Kazakhstan, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, according to announcements from the company and local operators it’s teaming up with.

Starlink, though, is well ahead and says it’s now operating in more than 160 countries.

Orphanage Fire in Algeria Kills 11 Children, Injures 19 Others

12:53 PM EDT, July 16, 2026

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — A fire at an orphanage near the Algerian capital on Thursday killed 11 children and injured 19 others, authorities said.

Algeria’s Civil Protection agency said the fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. at the two-story childcare institution in Mohammedia, in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.

The ages of the victims have not been released by authorities, who did not report any adult fatalities or injuries. Authorities have not said what caused the fire.

Five children with reduced mobility were safely evacuated by rescue teams, while several of the injured were transported to a hospital specializing in burns, said Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui, head of communications for the Civil Protection department.

Yassin Ibrize, who lives nearby, said he heard the commotion when the fire broke out and rushed to try and save children trapped inside.

“We heard screams and voices coming from the burning orphanage, and then I saw that the flames had begun to engulf the place and the girls were inside. I ran out without a shirt on,’' he said.

“I did everything I could to save as many people as possible. And thank God, I saved three girls.’'

Covered in bandages, he said his shoulder, head and pelvis were injured.

His son also tried to help.

“When the screams intensified, I was the first one out. I found an officer completely overwhelmed, and when I tried to go upstairs, there was too much smoke. I couldn’t get through,” said Amir Ibrize, also visibly wounded.

Security officials guarded the entrance to the orphanage, beneath charred, empty window frames.

Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences to those impacted by the fire which happened on Algeria’s National Children’s Day.

“It is with a heart resigned to the will of Allah that I learned of the death of children and the injuries suffered by other children of Algeria following the fire that broke out in a childcare institution,” said Tebboune, who is on an official visit to Berlin.

Algeria has been experiencing a heatwave that has sparked nearly 1,000 fires in recent days, according to the Civil Protection agency.

A Boat Carrying Migrants Capsizes off Libya’s Coast, with at Least 50 Dead or Missing

This is a locator map for Libya with its capital, Tripoli. (AP Photo)

By SAMY MAGDY

1:23 PM EDT, July 15, 2026

CAIRO (AP) — A boat carrying about 60 migrants, including women and children, bound for European shores capsized off the coast of eastern Libya in the latest maritime tragedy off the North African country. At least 50 are dead or missing, authorities said.

The shipwreck occurred on Tuesday near Bardaa Island, off the coastal city of Tobruk, according to Coast Guard authorities in eastern Libya. They said 10 survivors managed to swim to the island to save themselves. The search for others continues, the Coast Guard said.

It was the latest tragedy off Libya, one of the main departure points for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach European shores for a better life there. Last month a shipwreck off eastern Libya left 51 migrants dead or missing.

Even though Libya was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed its longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the country has over the years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

Smugglers usually pack Europe-bound migrants into small and unsafe boats, with thousands dying during the perilous sea journey.

More than 800 migrants were reported dead or missing in the central Mediterranean route between Jan. 1 and May 16 this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. Last year saw more than 1,300 migrants perish or go missing on that route, it said.

No Radiation Leak After ‘Contamination’ Events at Africa’s Only Nuclear Plant, Regulator Says

South Africa's Koeberg nuclear power station on the outskirts of the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File)

By GERALD IMRAY

8:46 AM EDT, July 16, 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s nuclear regulator said Thursday that no radioactive material leaked into the environment during three recent “contamination” events inside Africa’s only nuclear power station.

The incidents involved “elevated airborne radioactive contamination” inside the Koeberg Power Station, on South Africa’s west coast, when there was a loss of power to ventilation units during maintenance work, the National Nuclear Regulator said, adding there was no danger to the public.

It said the three separate contamination events on June 30, July 2 and July 7 were contained inside the station.

Workers inside the power station who may have been exposed were screened and recorded radioactive contamination below the radioactivity a person is exposed to when they have a dental X-ray, the NNR said.

The regulator said that while it was conducting further inspections the recent events “did not meet the criteria for classification as a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency and did not result in any off-site radiological consequences.”

The Koeberg plant is located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of South Africa’s second biggest city, Cape Town. It is Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station and was commissioned in the 1980s during apartheid. It has two reactors which generate around 5% of South Africa’s electricity, and is operated by the national electricity company, Eskom.

Its reactors were recently granted 20-year life extensions, clearing them to be operational until after 2040.

The energy shock from the Iran war is boosting nuclear power generation among some nations and adding momentum to the atomic desires of hard-hit countries in Africa and Asia.

South Africa has plans to expend its commercial nuclear capability with new stations to support its unreliable and polluting energy supply, which is struggling to provide for a growing population and heavily based on burning coal.

Other countries are also turning more towards nuclear power to meet skyrocketing energy demands despite long-held safety fears from opponents of nuclear power citing disasters like Chernobyl and, more recently, Fukushima in Japan.

Several other African nations are advancing their own commercial nuclear plans, including Egypt, which is building its first nuclear power station with four large Russian reactors that it hopes will be operational around 2030 and generate around 10% of the country’s electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Russian Forces Systematically Push Ukrainian Troops from Omelnik — Expert

Andrey Marochko noted that Russian troops are particularly successful in advancing in the areas of Novoselovka and Verkhnyaya Tersa

© Alexander Reka/TASS

LUGANSK, July 16. /TASS/. Russian troops have significantly expanded their zone of control near Omelnik in the Zaporozhye Region over the week and are systematically "pushing" the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of the settlement, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"Over the week, we have quite seriously expanded the zone of control northwest of the settlement of Omelnik. A systematic squeezing out of the enemy is underway here now," he said.

Marochko noted that Russian forces are particularly successful in advancing in the areas of Novoselovka and Verkhnyaya Tersa. Omelnik is located approximately 13 km from Orekhov, which is heavily fortified and important for Kiev.

Ukrainian Military Uses Grad Multiple Rocket Launcher to Attack Russia’s Bryansk Region

The attack killed a 15-year-old girl and her grandmother

© Yelizaveta Demidova/TASS

BRYANSK, July 16. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces carried out a strike on the village of Suzemka in Russia’s border Bryansk Region using a Grad multiple rocket launcher, Acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk wrote on Telegram. The attack killed a 15-year-old girl and her grandmother, while another woman was injured.

TASS has gathered the key information on the attack.

Circumstances of attack

- The Ukrainian military attacked the village of Suzemka, the administrative center of the Suzemka District, using a Grad multiple rocket launcher, the acting governor said.

- The attack killed a 15-year-old girl and her grandmother.

- Another woman was injured.

- The woman was taken to the hospital, where she received medical treatment.

- According to preliminary reports, one home was destroyed and four others were damaged, along with several outbuildings, a car and a tractor, Kovalchuk added.

Authorities’ reaction

- Bryansk Region Prosecutor Vladimir Mosin instructed the Suzemsky District prosecutor to monitor the situation and coordinate with the relevant agencies and local authorities to ensure comprehensive support for those affected by the attack.

- A hotline has been established by the prosecutor’s office to receive requests from local residents and provide them with legal assistance.

Russian Forces Hammer Ukrainian Long-range UAV Storage Sites in Past Day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,450 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours

MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Russian forces struck Ukrainian long-range UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) storage sites and enemy deployment areas in nearly 150 locations over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck fuel and energy and transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army, sites for the storage of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 147 locations," the ministry said in a statement.

Kiev loses 1,450 troops along engagement line in past day - latest figures

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,450 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost roughly 195 troops and three armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, over 215 troops and two armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and more than 165 troops, a US-made armored personnel carrier and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South.

During the last 24-hour period, the Ukrainian army also lost roughly 330 troops and three armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup Center, over 490 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and more than 55 troops and a jamming station in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr, the latest figures show.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 195 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 195 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Mogritsa, Novaya Sech, Ryzhevka, Sadki and Ulanovo in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Zakharovka, Kazachya Lopan and Yurchenkovo in the Kharkov Region, the ministry reported.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 195 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, five field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station and an electronic surveillance station in those frontline areas over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 215 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 215 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a border guard detachment of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service in areas near the settlements of Peski-Radkovskiye, Podliman and Studenok in the Kharkov Region, Volchy Yar, Mayaki, Svyatogorsk and Shchurovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Overall, the Ukrainian army lost more than 215 troops, two armored combat vehicles, 20 motor vehicles and four artillery guns in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup West over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 165 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 165 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a US-made armored personnel carrier and an armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade, a guard brigade of Ukraine’s General Staff and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Vasyutinskoye, Verolyubovka, Druzhkovka, Izhevka, Kramatorsk, Nikanorovka, Nikolayevka and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Overall, the Ukrainian army lost more than 165 personnel, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, an armored combat vehicle, 25 motor vehicles, two field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup South over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 330 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 330 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Gruzskoye, Dobropolye, Novovodyanoye, Petrovskoye, Rubezhnoye, Svetloye and Sergeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Novopavlovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 330 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, an artillery gun and three electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 490 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 490 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two air assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Volnoye, Kolomiytsy, Malomikhailovka, Podgavrilovka and Prosyanaya in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, Dolinka, Lyubitskoye, Nikolskoye and Novosoloshino in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 490 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, seven motor vehicles, a field artillery gun and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates over 55 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated more than 55 Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy jamming station in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on formations of a mechanized brigade and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Malokaterinovka and Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region and Ingulets in the Kherson Region," it said.

"Over 55 [Ukrainian] military personnel, seven motor vehicles and an electronic warfare station were destroyed," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 802 Ukrainian UAVs, eight smart bombs over past day

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 802 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and eight smart bombs over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down eight guided aerial bombs, five rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 802 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 673 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 284 helicopters, 182,526 unmanned aerial vehicles, 666 surface-to-air missile systems, 30,174 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,758 multiple rocket launchers, 35,783 field artillery guns and mortars and 66,603 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

What We Know About Death of Zaporozhye Nuke Chief Engineer from Ukrainian Strike

On July 15, Ukraine struck a service vehicle of the nuclear power plant with a drone, killing Alexander Yakovlev and his driver

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. On July 15, Ukraine hit a vehicle belonging to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant with a drone, killing the station's chief engineer Alexander Yakovlev and the driver, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev.

TASS has compiled the key facts about the terrorist attack and the reaction to it.

About the attack

- Likhachev said that on July 15 Ukraine struck a service vehicle of the nuclear power plant with a drone.

- Yakovlev and driver Dmitry Filippov were killed.

About the deceased chief engineer

- Yakovlev devoted his whole life to nuclear energy, according to the station's Telegram channel.

- Yakovlev was an experienced specialist, whose knowledge and experience were unrivalled at the station, adviser to the head of the Republic of Crimea, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Zaporozhye Region Renat Karchaa said in an interview with TASS.

The IAEA's response

- IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the Ukrainian strike. He reiterated his call for an immediate end to any attacks on nuclear facilities and their personnel.

Condemnation of the terrorist attack

- Grossi must finally acknowledge the crimes of the Kiev regime after Yakovlev’s death. Russia demands a clear and articulate condemnation of this killing by international structures, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

- Yakovlev’s killing is a new attempt to endanger the safe operation of the plant. The West is ready to encourage the Kiev regime, regardless of the degree of its savagery, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

- The ministry noted that the danger posed by the Ukrainian army being near the nuclear power plant is now more obvious than ever.

- Likhachev said that Russia expects the IAEA to respond promptly, concretely and clearly to the tragedy.

- The killing of Yakovlev is an encroachment on the principle of safety of nuclear facilities, which should always remain removed from politics, the station said.

- The Kiev regime killed Yakovlev, a man who worked to protect Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the whole world from radiation threats, said Mayor of the plant’s satellite city Energodar Maxim Pukhov.

- Russia will demand a full-fledged international investigation into the killing, Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia.

- Leonid Ivlev, a State Duma deputy from the Republic of Crimea, expressed hope in a comment to TASS that the international community, represented by the IAEA and the UN Human Rights Committee, would take immediate measures to stop Ukraine's aggression against the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

- The organizers and curators of the terrorist attacks against the station and its employees should be court-martialed after the completion of the special military operation, Karchaa told TASS.

- According to him, the Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye Region’s Energodar were planned and conducted under the supervision of British military specialists.

North Battlegroup Liberates 50 Settlements Since Start of Year

During the first half of July, the group established control over five settlements: Ukrainskoye, Losevka, Zemlyaniy Yar, Petro-Ivanovka, Bachevsk

© Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Russia’s North battlegroup has liberated 50 settlements in the Kharkov and Sumy Regions since the beginning of 2026, TASS calculations show.

In January and February, the group liberated 13 settlements - Grabovskoye, Komarovka, Siminovka, Staritsa, Belaya Bereza, Zelenoye, Popovka, Chugunovka, Sidorovka, Pokrovka, Kharkovka, Grafskoye, Neskuchnoye.

From March to May, during the spring campaign, 29 more settlements were liberated - Krugloye, Bobylyovka, Chervonaya Zarya, Sopych, Potapovka, Peschanoye, Shevyakovka, Malaya Korchakovka, Verkhnyaya Pisarevka, Miropolskoye, Volchanskiye Khutora, Zybino, Veterinarnoye, Bochkovo, Taratutino, Zemlyanki, Novodmitrovka, Korchakovka, Pokalyanoye, Miropolye, Chaikovka, Volokhovka, Shestyorovka, Zapselye, Ryasnoye, Granov, Novovasilevka, Budarki, Karaichnoye.

In June, the fighters of the North battlegroup liberated three settlements - Shevchenko, Okhrimovka, Ivolzhanskoe. During the first half of July, the group established control over five more settlements: Ukrainskoye, Losevka, Zemlyaniy Yar, Petro-Ivanovka, Bachevsk.

Iranian Forces Strike US Facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan

By Al Mayadeen English

Iran announces new strikes on US-linked facilities in Kuwait and Jordan as military exchanges intensify across the Gulf following renewed US attacks on Tehran.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it targeted a major US military logistics and support center in Kuwait as part of the fourth wave of Operation Nasr 2, while Iran’s Army said it launched a new wave of drone strikes against US positions in Jordan.

In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC said the KJL logistics and support center in Mina Abdullah, Kuwait, revealed as a key US military supply hub in West Asia, was "set on fire and destroyed" during the operation.

The force said the strike was carried out under the code "Ya Aba Abdillah al-Hussein" in response to continued US attacks on Iranian coastal positions and southern areas of the country.

The IRGC said retaliatory operations would continue, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what it described as US aggression ends.

Strikes hit US facilities in Bahrain

The IRGC reported additional retaliatory operations against US military infrastructure in the region, expanding its ongoing “Nasr 2” operation. In its 12th communique, the IRGC said its forces targeted facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain during the fifth wave of the operation.

The strikes hit the National Security Information (NSI) management center, command and control facilities, large storage sites for military parts and equipment, and fuel depots belonging to the US Fifth Fleet.

The IRGC said the operation was carried out in response to US efforts to impose control over the Strait of Hormuz and restrict regional energy flows.

“The export of oil and gas from the region is either for everyone or for no one,” the statement said, warning that further disruptions could follow if Washington continued its actions in the region.

Iranian Army announces new drone strikes on Jordan base

Separately, The Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh) announced the eighth phase of Operation Saeqeh, saying a new wave of drone attacks targeted US military facilities at al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan.

According to the statement, Iranian drones struck locations housing F/A-18 fighter aircraft and large equipment hangars belonging to US forces at the base for the second time.

The Army said the operation was carried out in response to repeated US attacks and reaffirmed that Iran would continue defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The power of our defense is not to start any war, but to protect Iran’s independence and territorial integrity," the statement said.

Regional military exchanges intensify

The latest announcements come amid a widening confrontation between Iran and the United States following the collapse of the June ceasefire and the resumption of the US aggression on Iran.

Iranian forces have carried out multiple retaliatory operations targeting US-operated facilities across the region, including bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

Earlier footage showed an Iranian one-way attack drone striking a US military facility in Kuwait, while a photo released by Iranian state television showed a fire in northern Jordan following a reported ballistic missile strike on a US-linked position.

Regional reports also indicated explosions at US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan as military exchanges expanded across the Gulf.

US strikes targeted civilian infrastructure

The escalation has also included accusations over the targeting of civilian and economic infrastructure.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Tehran reported that the latest US strikes on Iran targeted a mineral water production facility in Ilam Province.

Iranian media reported that the facility near Musaian village was hit by three projectiles.

The reported strike came after US President Donald Trump threatened further attacks against Iran’s critical infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if Tehran did not return to negotiations.

Under international humanitarian law, attacks targeting civilian infrastructure that is not directly contributing to military operations are prohibited and may constitute war crimes.

‘Airport for Airport, Siege for Siege’: Yemen Issues Warning

By Al Mayadeen English

14 Jul 2026 19:22

Yemeni officials say the operation on Abha Airport was a response to the targeting of Sanaa Airport, while UN efforts continue to push for de-escalation.

The Yemeni Armed Forces issued a warning on Tuesday to all airlines against flying through Saudi airspace, saying carriers must take the warning seriously until the siege on Sanaa International Airport is lifted.

The warning was issued through the forces’ Military Media channel, which said Sanaa had activated the equation of “airport for airport and siege for siege.”

Al Mayadeen dissects situation

In a related development, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Yemen reported that possible scenarios stemming from the siege on Yemen could include a situation in which “America will not achieve any outcome,” while stressing that developments on the ground were moving in favor of the Yemeni Armed Forces.

“The upper hand was with the Yemeni Armed Forces on all fronts that were opened against them across various Yemeni provinces,” our correspondent added.

He added that Yemen was calling for the blockade to be lifted and for laws to be implemented, while noting that one possible scenario involved the activation of internal elements within Yemen.

Yemen signals expanded response if blockade on airports continues

Elsewhere in his remarks, our correspondent noted that Yemeni leaders had confirmed that the targeting of Abha Airport was a response to the Saudi bombing of Sanaa Airport.

“Sanaa confirms that if war breaks out, Yemen will expand the scope of fire deep inside Saudi territory,” the correspondent said, adding that Yemen had decided to apply this model to all airports if Saudi Arabia entered the war.

Our correspondent also said that breaking the blockade was not limited to the siege of Sanaa Airport but included the broader land, sea, and air blockade.

UN seeks renewed dialogue after Saudi aggression

Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen said meetings had been held in Muscat with senior Omani officials and Ansar Allah’s chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdul Salam.

“My discussions with senior Omani officials and Ansar Allah’s chief negotiator focused on the need for immediate de-escalation,” Hans Grundberg said.

He added that the parties must engage in negotiations under United Nations auspices to address both short- and long-term priorities. 

The developments followed the Yemeni Armed Forces’ announcement that Saudi warplanes had targeted Sanaa International Airport on Monday, prompting a retaliatory operation against Abha International Airport using ballistic missiles and drones. YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the operation achieved its objectives and warned airlines against flying through Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa Airport is lifted.

Yemen maps Saudi targets, reveals coordinates: ‘Response is coming’

Yemen has vowed to retaliate against Saudi Arabia over its aggression on Sanaa International Airport, earlier today, asserting that the strikes targeting the vital lifeline for Sanaa are an act of war that ends any pretense of a truce.

Yemeni Military Media identified major Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities as potential targets after Riyadh attacked Sanaa International Airport, signaling that Yemen will not allow its sovereignty or civilian infrastructure to be violated without consequences.

Yemeni Military Media released footage, titled “The response is coming,” displaying several strategic airports, ports, and energy facilities across Saudi Arabia following the attack on Sanaa International Airport.

Facilities mapped

The footage marked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

It also identified Jazan Port, Jeddah Islamic Port, King Fahd Industrial Port, and the Ras Tanura refinery and oil-export complex.

The locations featured in the footage stretch from the Saudi capital and the Red Sea coast to the oil-producing Eastern Province, demonstrating the reach of Yemen’s missile and drone capabilities.

King Khalid International Airport serves Riyadh, while the airports in Jeddah and Dammam are among Saudi Arabia’s most important civilian and commercial aviation hubs.

Jazan and Jeddah ports are vital to Saudi trade and maritime activity, while King Fahd Industrial Port and Ras Tanura form a central part of the Kingdom’s petroleum and export infrastructure.

The footage did not state that every listed site would necessarily be targeted. However, it delivered an explicit warning that Riyadh cannot expect to attack Yemen while preserving complete security for its own economy and infrastructure.