Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General: Iranian attacks undermine regional peace efforts
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Iranian military strikes US base in Bahrain, threatens further attacks
According to Mars Finance, citing Jinshi News, the Iranian military stated that it has launched strikes against US bases in Bahrain and pledged further attacks should the US launch another attack on Iran.
UN Secretary-General Guterres: The pace of AI development has outpaced our ability to keep up; global rules must catch up as soon as possible.
According to Odaily Odaily, on July 6, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated at the first global dialogue on AI at the governmental level in Geneva on Monday that the pace of AI development has exceeded everyone's ability to keep up, and called for the development of globally unified rules to reduce potential risks, especially those to children. Guterres stated that this technology has the potential to reshape the economy, alter workplace dynamics, influence election outcomes, and sway the security balance, but its deployment speed has surpassed that of anyone, including its developers' ability to keep up. Guterres emphasized that innovation needs "guardrails," and for AI to play a powerful role, it must be effectively governed.
Less than 20 days after the ceasefire between the US and Iran, the situation has changed again: the US has intensified its attacks on Iran, revoked oil waivers, and increased the scale of its strikes fivefold.
PANews reported on July 8 that, according to Jinshi News, the United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran and revoked a waiver allowing it to sell oil globally. This move further jeopardizes the peace agreement between the two countries following frequent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command issued a statement on the X platform stating that this "powerful strike" was intended to "impose a heavy price on attacks and harassment of merchant ships carrying innocent civilians in international waters," and that Iran's aggression was "unjustified, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement." According to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on July 7, the U.S. revoked a general license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, with the remaining transactions allowed to continue until midnight Eastern Time on July 17.
The Iranian military issued a strong warning: any attacks during Khamenei's state funeral will be met with "brutal retaliation."
According to Mars Finance, on July 2nd, as Iran prepares for the state funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the military issued a stern warning. Ali Abdourahhi, commander of the Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces at Hatem Anbia, stated, "We warn the United States and Israel not to make any miscalculations. Any threat or aggression will invite brutal retaliation from the Iranian armed forces." Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi also spoke out on social media, urging Trump to "keep his henchmen in Tel Aviv in check." The state funeral arrangements include a procession starting in Tehran on July 4th, followed by burial in Mashhad on July 9th, with commemorative events held in Qom and Iraq. Iran has raised its national security level and implemented temporary airspace controls in several areas. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf called for large-scale public participation in the funeral, "letting the call for revenge resound throughout the world." Currently, the next round of indirect negotiations between the US and Iran will begin after the funeral, focusing on issues such as the implementation of the ceasefire memorandum, the unfreezing of frozen assets, and the Strait of Hormuz. Sharp disagreements remain between the two sides over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on February 28, the first day of the war, and his son Mujtaba Khamenei has succeeded him as Supreme Leader.
The Iranian military claims that US military bases in the Middle East are "legitimate targets."
According to Mars Finance, on July 8th, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the Iranian military issued a statement saying that all US military bases in the Middle East would become "legitimate targets" for Iranian drone strikes. The statement said that in light of US attacks on military and civilian areas in southern Iran and violations of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the Iranian military used drones to strike the US Sheikh Issa Air Base in Bahrain. This action was a response to the US's blatant and repeated violations of the ceasefire.
The US revoked waivers for Iranian oil sales, leaving approximately 63 million barrels of Iranian crude oil stranded at sea.
According to Mars Finance, on July 8th, Bloomberg cited Vortexa data, after the US revoked waivers for Iranian oil sales, approximately 63 million barrels of Iranian crude oil are currently stranded at sea, with most tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf and Asian waters, and no buyers have yet been found. Previously, the US had allowed Iran to sell crude oil within 60 days without sanctions, but this week revoked the waivers citing Iran's attack on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a significant amount of already loaded crude oil facing sales difficulties. Market analysts stated that Iranian crude oil exports are once again under pressure due to factors such as sudden changes in US policy, European and American sanctions, and insurance restrictions. Apart from China, no Asian refineries have publicly purchased Iranian crude oil, and industry insiders expect Iran may need to further increase discounts to attract overseas buyers.