Global Express | July 12, 2026 US Launches Third Round of Strikes on Iran as Middle East Crisis Spirals

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📰 US Launches Third Round of Strikes on Iran, Hits 140 Military Targets

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Sunday that American forces had carried out a new large-scale round of military strikes against Iran, attacking at least 140 military targets. This marks the third round of US strikes against Iran this week, signaling a further escalation in the Middle East conflict. A previous interim ceasefire agreement has largely collapsed under sustained crossfire from both sides.

The strikes came in response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps once again closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacking passing merchant vessels. The US military stated that targets included missile launch facilities, drone bases, and command and control centers. Iran, for its part, claimed it had launched retaliatory attacks against multiple US military installations across the region.

President Trump and Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei have escalated their war of words. Trump threatened on social media that Iran would face "unprecedented" consequences if it did not immediately cease attacks on commercial shipping, while Khamenei responded with equal defiance, stating Iran "will not back down in the face of any threat."

— CNN

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📰 Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz, Launches Attacks on Multiple Gulf Nations

Approximately one hour after the third round of US strikes, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz and launched missile and drone attacks against multiple targets in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan. This represents the first time Iran has simultaneously launched large-scale attacks against multiple Gulf states since the 2026 US-Iran conflict began.

Iran claimed these nations provided military bases and logistical support to US forces, making them "legitimate targets." The UAE and Bahrain activated their air defense systems to intercept incoming attacks, while Qatar's Foreign Ministry issued an urgent call for restraint from all parties. A Cyprus-flagged merchant vessel was reportedly struck near the Strait of Hormuz, with casualties still unknown.

The UN Secretary-General issued a statement expressing "extreme concern" over the rapidly deteriorating situation and called for an immediate resumption of negotiations. Analysts note that the Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and a prolonged blockade would have catastrophic consequences for the global economy.

— The Guardian

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📰 Venezuela Twin Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 4,300 as Recovery Efforts Intensify

The Venezuelan government confirmed Saturday that at least 4,333 people have died and 16,740 have been injured in the devastating back-to-back earthquakes that struck on June 24, with thousands more still listed as missing. The two quakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, striking just 39 seconds apart — the worst seismic disaster to hit Venezuela in over a century.

The earthquakes flattened entire districts in the coastal state of La Guaira, reducing high-rise apartment blocks to rubble. While official rescue teams have ceased searching for survivors, many family members continue to scour the ruins for their loved ones, hoping to give them a dignified burial. On Friday, a 3.0-magnitude aftershock in central Caracas caused momentary panic and prompted the evacuation of multiple buildings.

The United Nations on Wednesday issued an urgent appeal for nearly $300 million toward earthquake relief operations to assist 1.3 million people in urgent need of aid. President Delcy Rodríguez and the international community have called for financial support, but Venezuela's prolonged economic crisis has severely degraded state services, presenting enormous challenges for recovery efforts.

— The Guardian

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📰 SK Hynix Surges 13% in Record $26.5 Billion Nasdaq Debut

South Korean chip giant SK Hynix made its Nasdaq debut on Friday, closing its first trading day at $168.01 — up approximately 13% from its $149 offering price. The IPO raised $26.5 billion, making it the second-largest US IPO in history after SpaceX's earlier listing and the largest ADR (American Depositary Receipt) offering ever.

SK Hynix's chairman told CNBC that "demand is enormous," highlighting the company's control of roughly 60% of the global high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market — a critical component for AI chips. The offering was 7 times oversubscribed, reflecting intense investor appetite for AI infrastructure investments.

The listing gives SK Hynix direct access to US capital markets and represents a significant step toward narrowing the so-called "Korea discount" — the valuation gap between Korean companies and their global peers. Analysts believe SK Hynix is well-positioned to benefit from continued growth in global data center and AI chip demand amid the ongoing AI boom.

— CNBC

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📰 NATO Ankara Summit Pledges €70 Billion in Military Aid to Ukraine for 2026

NATO leaders concluded their 2026 summit in Ankara, Turkey, with a joint declaration pledging €70 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine in 2026, alongside a commitment to sustaining at least equivalent support levels in 2027. The NATO Secretary-General stated that "Allies stand united in their unwavering support for Ukraine."

The summit also addressed several critical issues, including the reinforcement of NATO's eastern flank, Arctic security, and the strategic position of Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made clear in response to questions about Greenland's sovereignty that "decisions about the future of Greenland are for Greenlanders and Danes," a position the EU affirmed.

The summit declaration also emphasized NATO members' defense spending commitments, calling on allies to continue increasing their defense budgets. Against the backdrop of Russia's sustained large-scale attacks — having launched over 12,000 missile, guided glide bomb, and drone strikes against Ukraine's Sumy Oblast alone since the start of 2026 — NATO's support remains critical to Ukraine's defensive capability.

— Al Jazeera

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📰 Putin Claims Russia Is Fighting a 'War with NATO' Amid Heavy Battlefield Losses

Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in military fatigues, visited a frontline command post to hear General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov's assessment of the Ukraine situation. Gerasimov claimed in televised remarks that "the Kyiv regime, lacking success on the ground, is trying to convince its Western sponsors that it has seized the initiative and achieved significant battlefield gains." Putin responded by characterizing the conflict as Russia effectively fighting the entire NATO military alliance.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed on July 8 that Russian forces have conducted over 12,000 missile, guided glide bomb, and drone strikes against Sumy Oblast alone since the beginning of 2026 — a staggering figure that underscores the intensity of the fighting and the enormous firepower Russia has deployed.

Despite Russia's sustained large-scale offensives, analysts note that Russian forces have also suffered heavy casualties. Western military observers view Putin's "war with NATO" rhetoric as an attempt to justify Russia's military campaign in Ukraine while simultaneously signaling to the domestic audience that this is not a war between Russia and Ukraine, but rather a confrontation with the entire Western bloc.

— Al Jazeera

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📰 ASEAN Foreign Ministers Hold Historic Informal Meeting with Myanmar Counterpart

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held an informal meeting with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe in Bangkok on Sunday, marking the first direct talks between the two sides since Myanmar's 2021 military coup. Thailand's Foreign Ministry described the meeting as cautious steps toward "gradually advancing" Myanmar's peace process.

The meeting focused on Myanmar's national reconciliation and peace process. Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has been mired in civil war and humanitarian crisis. ASEAN had previously barred Myanmar's junta representatives from attending formal summits, allowing only "non-political representatives" to participate. The invitation to Myanmar's foreign minister for informal talks is seen as a subtle adjustment in ASEAN's Myanmar policy.

Foreign ministers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and other ASEAN member states attended the meeting. Analysts say that while the talks are unlikely to produce immediate substantive breakthroughs, the resumption of dialogue itself is a positive signal. Divisions within ASEAN over how to approach the Myanmar issue persist, and balancing principled positions with dialogue remains a major challenge.

— Reuters

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📰 Jurgen Klopp Agrees Deal to Become Germany Head Coach After Nagelsmann Resignation

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has agreed to a deal in principle to take over as the new head coach of Germany's men's national team, following the resignation of Julian Nagelsmann. The German Football Association (DFB) announced Saturday that Nagelsmann's contract, which ran through Euro 2028, would be terminated with immediate effect, and that Klopp had "already indicated his fundamental readiness to take over the position."

The 57-year-old Klopp has been on a break from football since leaving Liverpool in 2024. During his tenure at Liverpool, he won the Premier League and Champions League titles, and also enjoyed tremendous success at Borussia Dortmund. Klopp is renowned for his passionate touchline demeanor and his philosophy of "heavy metal football."

Germany is currently navigating its 2026 World Cup campaign. The reasons behind Nagelsmann's departure have not been detailed, though reports suggest it relates to the team's performance falling short of expectations. Klopp's appointment is being hailed by German media and fans as an inspiring move that could reinvigorate German football.

— BBC Sport

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📰 Missouri Declares Flash Flood Emergency as 12+ Inches of Rain Inundate the Heartland

Iron and Reynolds counties in Missouri declared a Flash Flood Emergency on Friday after rainfall totals reached as high as 12.25 inches (approximately 311 mm) in some areas, triggering widespread flooding. The Black River experienced severe flooding near Lesterville, with multiple roads and bridges washed out as emergency responders worked overnight to evacuate stranded residents.

The extreme rainfall was caused by a slow-moving thunderstorm system that stalled over southern Missouri for hours, continuously dumping torrential rain. The National Weather Service warned that with more rain in the forecast, the flash flood threat would expand across multiple southern states over the weekend, including Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

This is the latest in a series of extreme weather events to hit the United States during the summer of 2026. Meteorologists link the increasing frequency of such events to climate change, noting that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to significantly higher rainfall intensity. Local authorities have opened multiple shelters, and the National Guard remains on standby.

— Fox Weather

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📰 AI Model Wars Heat Up: GPT-5.6, Grok 4.5, Claude Sonnet 5 Launch in Rapid Succession

The artificial intelligence industry has witnessed a concentrated wave of major model releases in July. OpenAI launched the GPT-5.6 family (Sol, Terra, and Luna variants) on July 9, xAI shipped Grok 4.5, and Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 5 has been on the market for over a month with introductory pricing of $2 per million tokens running through August 31. Google's Gemini 3.5 Pro is expected to launch on July 17.

On pricing, GPT-5.6 Luna at $1 input and $6 output per million tokens is the most economical option, while Grok 4.5 at $2 and $6 offers the strongest price-to-benchmark ratio with 83.3% on Terminal-Bench 2.1. Meta also officially released Muse Spark 1.1 on July 9 — its first model available through the Meta Model API with developer pricing — marking an important turning point in Meta AI's commercialization strategy.

This AI arms race is driving surging demand for underlying hardware. SK Hynix's record-breaking Nasdaq listing — raising $26.5 billion — is the latest testament to the global AI infrastructure investment frenzy. Industry observers note that as model capabilities converge, pricing and task-specific performance are becoming the key factors in developer model selection.

— Fello AI

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Summary: On July 12, 2026, global geopolitical tensions sharply escalated — the United States launched a third round of large-scale military strikes against Iran, prompting Iran to immediately close the Strait of Hormuz and launch attacks on multiple Gulf nations. Meanwhile, the death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has surpassed 4,300, the NATO summit pledged €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2026, and the AI industry entered a new era of intensified model competition.