U.S. and Iran trade strikes; Platner drops out; 600 Ebola deaths in Congo

U.S. and Iran trade strikes; Platner drops out; 600 Ebola deaths in Congo Drop Site Daily: July 9, 2026 U.S. continues to bomb Iran. Iran launches retaliatory attacks. U.S. potentially preparing to strike Iran for weeks, Axios reports. Iran says slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei funeral proceeding despite U.S. attacks. Israeli forces demolish homes in Hadatha, bomb Houla in south Lebanon. President Donald Trump says Israel will withdraw from southern Lebanon; Israel’s defense minister says it won’t. Hezbollah: Lebanon-Israel framework “serves Israel entirely.” Israeli attacks on Gaza continue on Thursday. At least eight Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Wednesday. Israeli court rejects imprisoned physician’s plea. Hamas delegation returns to Cairo for negotiations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sets Nov. 28 as the date for Palestinian legislative elections. Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race. Joint Chiefs’ top legal counsel to step down early amid wave of Pentagon exits. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson weighs introducing bill to end birthright citizenship. Former Wisconsin judge fined $5,000, avoids prison for helping immigrant evade ICE arrest. U.S. to remove Syria from list of “state sponsors of terror.” Democratic Republic of Congo reports 600 Ebola deaths. U.S. migrants arrive in Eswatini. Sudanese Army takes control of Kurmuk. Brazilian police search former President Jair Bolsonaro’s home for weapons. Trump says he will allow Ukraine to make Patriot interceptors. Russia bans diesel exports. Ukrainian drones hit Russian tankers. Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak kills 39 in southern China. Calls to lift Venezuela sanctions grow amid post-earthquake recovery efforts. Drop Site is now live on WhatsApp. Get our latest reporting, podcasts, and breaking news, delivered directly. Join the channel here. This is Drop Site Daily, our free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday. Today’s edition is being sent to more than 750,000 subscribers. Help us grow that number by forwarding and recommending this newsletter. 🛒 Get your “Drop [Site] News/Not Bombs” Hoodie here: Iran and Ceasefire U.S. continues to bomb Iran: U.S. Central Command announced on Wednesday that it was conducting additional strikes on Iran. According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted sites intended to “further degrade” Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday morning, it reported that 90 strikes were carried out overnight. The U.S. struck facilities at Iranshahr airport in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province, damaging the airport’s flight operations building and meteorological station and killing a firefighter, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. U.S. strikes killed three people in Ahvaz, and shrapnel from an attack damaged a hospital in Chahbahar. The U.S. also struck the Bushehr province on Thursday, though the region’s governor insisted that the strikes did not hit the area’s nuclear power plant, according to Al Jazeera. Wednesday’s strikes follow strikes reported in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik, Bushehr, Chabahar and Konarak on Tuesday. Attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday killed 14 and brought about 78 total hospitalizations, Iran’s Health Ministry reported on Thursday, with 47 of these cases requiring continued hospitalization. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the newest wave of U.S. attacks on the country on Thursday, calling Washington’s justification—that it attacked in response to Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz—a “false pretext”. Iran launches retaliatory attacks: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Thursday that it launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting U.S. bases at Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, adding that “the aggressions of the child-killing U.S. army” would not go unanswered, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). In response to these attacks, sirens were set off in Bahrain and Kuwait’s defense ministry sent residents several alerts. A spokesperson for Kuwait’s defense ministry confirmed Thursday that one person was wounded during attacks by Iran across the country. The ministry reported the victim was hospitalized and in stable condition after being struck by falling debris, but did not specify where the incident occurred. Jordan’s armed forces also said its air defence systems intercepted eight missiles “launched from Iran toward Jordanian territory” on Thursday, Jordanian outlet Al-Mamlaka, reported. A military spokesperson said debris from the interceptions fell in several areas but caused no casualties or material damage. U.S. potentially preparing to strike Iran for weeks, Axios reports: The White House is preparing for what could become a multi-day or even multi-week military campaign against Iran centered on the Strait of Hormuz, Axios, a frequent source of U.S. and Israeli leaks throughout the war, reported on Wednesday. One U.S. official reportedly threatened to “slap” Iran “a bit,” “so they understand we’re not fucking around.” The same official said the duration of the strikes will depend on Tehran’s response. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that Iran’s representative had “called a little while ago” and that they “want to make a deal”—a claim he made without providing evidence. Iran did not confirm any direct outreach. U.S. officials also told Axios that “reopening” the Strait of Hormuz and “restoring freedom of navigation” have become the administration’s primary military objectives, as Iran has insisted the waterway will only operate on its terms. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Wednesday that U.S. strikes “are just going to keep on happening until they open up that lane and stop shooting at ships.” Regarding the Strait, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s lead negotiator and parliament speaker, said in a post on X it would “only open with ‘Iranian arrangements,’ not American threats.” He also warned Washington that it “still [hadn’t] learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free.” “Let me put it plainly, he said, “if you strike, you’ll get hit.” Traffic through the Strait slowed to a near standstill on Thursday, Bloomberg reported. Ship-tracking data showed most vessel movements were confined to the Iran-approved route along the waterway’s northern side, while the U.S.-backed Omani shipping corridor saw little activity. Among larger vessels, only a U.S.-sanctioned supertanker departing the Persian Gulf and an Iranian-flagged container ship were visible, although some ships may have been transiting with their tracking systems switched off, the outlet noted. Iran says Khamenei funeral proceeding despite U.S. attacks: Iranian officials said Thursday that recent U.S. attacks have not disrupted the funeral procession for the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose body was flown to Mashhad to be buried after week-long processions in Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi cities of Karbala and Najaf, Al Jazeera reported. Officials said an overnight strike that knocked out the railway linking Tehran to Mashhad had not altered plans, and attributed an eight-hour postponement of the burial, originally set for 6 a.m. local time near the shrine of Imam Reza, to heavy crowds in Iraq rather than the attacks. In a statement issued on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of targeting the railway route to Mashhad in an attempt to overshadow the funeral ceremonies of Khamenei, adding the attack reflected its “inability to comprehend the glory of Iranian patriotism” after the Iranian public’s “magnificent and unparalleled” turnout at the funeral, IRNA reported. Lebanon Israeli forces demolish homes in Hadatha, bomb Houla in south Lebanon: Israeli forces carried out a demolition operation targeting several houses in the town of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district, the National News Agency (NNA) reported Thursday, despite a U.S.-backed “ceasefire” signed with Lebanon. Israeli forces also bombed the town of Houla in the Marjayoun district, according to NNA. The Israeli army also carried out a series of demolitions overnight and at dawn in the towns of Khiam and Taybeh in Marjayoun. Trump says Israel will withdraw from southern Lebanon; Israel’s defense minister says it won’t: U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he thought Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon. “I think they want to,” he said to reporters, despite recent statements from Netanyahu to the contrary, and citing the recent “framework” deal as the reason for the withdrawal. “Yeah, they’ll leave. And I think it’s going to work out very well,” Trump said. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected these claims on Thursday, saying Israel would stay in Lebanon as long as it deemed necessary, and that it “did not ask permission to enter Lebanon” and “does not need permission to stay in Lebanon.” Hezbollah: Lebanon-Israel framework “serves Israel entirely”: Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Wednesday the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement “serves Israel entirely” and called for it to be scrapped, arguing it was unconstitutional, NNA reported. Speaking during a public gathering, Qassem said Israel had committed “hundreds” of ceasefire violations and urged Lebanese authorities to pursue only indirect negotiations. He also said there could be “no solution except Israeli withdrawal” in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River, alongside an end to Israeli attacks, the release of detainees, reconstruction, and the return of displaced residents. He reaffirmed Hezbollah’s support for the U.S.-Iran MOU, saying the group would remain committed to resistance. Palestine Killed and wounded: Over the last 24 hours, eight Palestinians were killed, one due to wounds sustained in earlier attacks, and 17 were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 73,118 killed, with 173,615 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,092 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 3,507, while 799 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble. Israeli attacks on Gaza continue on Thursday: An Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinians and wounded several others west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Thursday, WAFA reported. Another Palestinian was also killed in a drone strike on a vehicle west of Gaza City. Israeli attacks kill at least eight Palestinians on Wednesday: Israeli attacks across Gaza on Wednesday killed at least eight Palestinians, including multiple children, including an employee of the World Central Kitchen. Israeli forces killed a driver working for a World Central Kitchen partner logistics company, the charity announced on Wednesday, while he was transporting aid from the Kerem Shalom crossing to a WCK warehouse in Gaza. An Israeli airstrike on Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood killed two, while a strike on a vehicle west of Gaza City on Wednesday evening killed one Palestinian and wounded several others, WAFA reported. Israeli court rejects imprisoned physician’s plea: The Israeli government responded on Wednesday to a High Court petition over the detention of Gaza physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, saying he has been examined several times since being transferred to the underground Rakefet detention facility, following reports of severe abuse by Israeli forces. The government also asked the court to dismiss, without a hearing, PHRI’s petition seeking the release of 14 Gaza doctors, including Dr. Abu Safiya, held without charge. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) argued that the state failed to explain why the examinations were necessary, what they found, or to respond to allegations from his lawyer that he suffered severe injuries and repeated loss of consciousness. The group said the decision raises additional questions about Dr. Safiya’s well-being. Also on Wednesday, two more U.S. members of Congress called for Dr. Abu Safiya’s release. Sen. Bernie Sanders charged Israel of “kidnapping” Dr. Safiya because he refused to abandon one of Gaza’s last hospitals, “even after Israel killed his own son in a drone strike,” and unequivocally demanded his “immediate” release. Florida Democrat Valerie Foushee joined Sanders—and Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Democratic congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier before her—in calling for Abu Safiya’s release, saying she is “deeply disturbed” by his detention and reports of his abuse in prison. Hamas delegation returns to Cairo for negotiations: A Hamas delegation led by the group’s Gaza head, Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to continue ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian and other mediators, according to a statement from senior official Taher Al-Nunu. Al-Nunu said that talks aim to “secure a lasting ceasefire,” advance the agreement to its second phase while completing the implementation of its first phase, increase humanitarian aid into Gaza, and accelerate the transfer of governance responsibilities to the National Committee for Administration of Gaza, operating under Trump’s “Board of Peace,” following the dissolution of the Strip’s administration earlier this week. Abbas sets Nov. 28 as date for Palestinian legislative elections: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Thursday setting Saturday, November 28, 2026, as the date for legislative elections, calling on Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate, according to WAFA. Abbas, who has remained in office since 2005 after repeatedly postponing elections, announced what would be the first parliamentary vote since 2006, when Hamas defeated his Fatah movement. In June, he amended the election law, requiring candidates to endorse the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas rejected the changes, saying they entrenched political monopoly and lacked national consensus. Israel’s “Crimson Thread” barrier cuts off Palestinian farms in Jordan Valley: Israeli forces are constructing a 22-kilometer separation wall and military road through the Al-Forat farm near Tubas in the northern West Bank, part of a planned 500-kilometer “Crimson Thread” barrier that would seal off the Jordan Valley from the rest of Palestine, Drop Site reports. Farmer Muad Abdelreziq told Drop Site that Israel had cut water access to 400 dunams of farmland for five days and destroyed irrigation pipelines, and a January petition by Tubas residents estimating $200 million in annual economic damage led to a court injunction that Israel’s military successfully rescinded days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran on March 3. “I cannot irrigate the herbs, I cannot irrigate the melons,” one farmer said about the changes. “I cannot replace the water lines. All these families will have nothing. We will have to stop.” Read the latest from Drop Site’s Maysa Mustafa here, and watch Mustafa’s video dispatch here. U.S. News By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com. Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race: Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner withdrew from the race on Wednesday after a week in which he faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including a rape allegation. In a video posted to X, he called the accusations “all false” and told supporters that he was ending his campaign because the “political reality” was that party leaders and major donors “are going to take everything away from us,” making it impossible to continue. Maine Democrats now have until July 27 to choose a replacement for the November race against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. In his video statement, Platner urged party leaders to make the selection through an “open, transparent and democratic” process that reflects “the will and the values of the people of Maine,” not decisions made “in back rooms.” The Maine Democratic State Committee voted Wednesday to select a replacement nominee for Graham Platner in the U.S. Senate race through a 600-person nominating convention rather than a statewide caucus, with 500 delegates apportioned by county and the remaining 100 drawn from state committee members. The decision, reported by David Dayen at The American Prospect, reverses earlier sourcing that had pointed toward a caucus and threatens to alienate Platner’s supporters, who had pushed for an open process. Read TAP’s full report on the nominating process here. Also on Wednesday, Spencer Toth, who helped design Platner’s grassroots campaign strategy and later became the organizing director for the state’s Democratic Party, announced his immediate resignation, alleging that the Party was excluding grassroots organizers from the selection of the next nominee and saying he could no longer serve it when its decisions were not “consistent with [his] values.” His resignation cited a Tuesday statement from the Party that said that Platner’s apparatus would “have no role in determining our next nominee for U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process would look like.” Joint Chiefs’ top legal counsel to step down early amid wave of Pentagon exits: Brig. Gen. Eric Widmar, senior legal counsel to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine, is retiring nearly a year ahead of schedule, telling ProPublica he is leaving for personal reasons after two years living apart from his wife. Widmar becomes the latest in a string of top military officials to depart the Pentagon since the start of the second Trump administration, following Gen. Chris Donahue’s exit last week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s ouster in April, and Adm. Alvin Holsey’s removal from Southern Command late last year, all reportedly pushed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Johnson weighs introducing bill to end birthright citizenship: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is considering bringing legislation to the floor that would bar pregnant women from entering the United States to secure citizenship for their children, according to a report from Politico. The largely symbolic measure, unlikely to survive a Senate filibuster, would give Johnson a way to respond to hard-line Republicans pressing for action after the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s effort to curtail birthright citizenship. Former Wisconsin judge fined $5,000, avoids prison for helping immigrant evade ICE arrest: Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was sentenced Wednesday to a $5,000 fine rather than prison time by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, after being convicted in December of felony obstruction for leading Mexican defendant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz through a private jury door in April 2025 as ICE agents sought to arrest him at her Milwaukee County courthouse. Agents ultimately caught and arrested Flores-Ruiz outside after a foot chase, and he was deported in November. Other International News U.S. to remove Syria from list of “state sponsors of terror”: The U.S. announced on Wednesday that it would delist Syria as a “state sponsor of terror,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the move a “historic step” which would “give the Syrian people a chance at greatness.” Rubio added that the decision was made because Syria had made “formal assurances” to the U.S. that it would “not support acts of international terrorism in the future.” The announcement came as Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Ankara on Wednesday. Trump praised al-Sharaa for the “unbelievable job” he had done in Syria. “What a job he’s doing,” he added. The designation has significantly impacted the country’s economy since it was announced in 1979. It has limited investment within Syria by preventing U.S.-affiliated companies from doing business in the country and by preventing Syrian companies from banking with U.S.-based financial institutions. The U.S. had lifted other sanctions on the country in May, but this delisting is viewed by many as the most significant step the U.S. has taken to benefit al-Sharaa’s government. DRC reports 600 Ebola deaths: At least 600 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to data released by the country’s government on Wednesday. As the outbreak has grown more severe, many healthcare workers in the Ituri province, one of the hardest-hit, have gone on an unofficial strike because they have not been paid, according to the Associated Press. Some workers report not having been paid wages or bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Clinical trials for treatment of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus—the dominant strain in this latest outbreak—have also begun this week, according to Al Jazeera. U.S. migrants arrive in Eswatini: Eleven more migrants arrived in Eswatini on Wednesday as part of the Trump administration’s “third-country” deportation policy. Wednesday’s arrivals bring the total number of deportees to 29, following the country’s receipt of $5.1 million from Washington. Only two of these people have been released and repatriated. The “third-country” deportation policy has been challenged as illegal, with lawyers for deportees noting that their clients are being detained after having served time for crimes in the United States. Sudanese Army takes control of Kurmuk: The Sudanese Army recaptured the border town of Kurmuk in the Blue Nile region on Wednesday, Sudan Tribune reported, after battles between its forces and those of the Rapid Support Forces and its allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-N). The Sudanese Army has set its sights on Kurmuk for several weeks, launching several operations to secure the surrounding area. The town has frequently changed hands during Sudan’s civil war, which began in 2023. Kurmuk is near Sudan’s border with Ethiopia, which the Sudanese government has accused of supporting the RSF by allowing its drones to launch from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport. Ethiopia’s government has rejected these allegations. Separately, a UN probe found on Wednesday that the RSF’s actions in its 2025 siege of El-Fasher, which included mass killings, abductions of women and girls, mass gang rapes and forced starvation, amount to genocide. The decision comes after survivors testified to UN human rights officials about being raped in the same room where bodies of recently killed civilians, some of whom were their family members, were still lying on the ground. UN officials recently warned about similar conditions in the city of El-Obeid, a city which has been under assault by the RSF’s drones, calling the “signs” of human rights abuses “clear and unmistakable.” Brazilian police search former president’s home for weapons: Brazil’s federal police searched the home of former President Jair Bolsonaro for weapons on Wednesday, according to a court ruling reported on by Reuters. Bolsonaro’s lawyers insist that nothing was found. Last month, a gun registered to Bolsonaro was seized from one of his security guards at a police checkpoint, even though he was required by a court order to surrender all of his weapons. Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison term under house arrest after attempting a coup when he lost the 2022 election to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro’s son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, is Lula’s principal right-wing opponent in this year’s presidential elections. Trump says he will allow Ukraine to make Patriot interceptors: At a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ankara Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that he would give Ukraine “a license” to make Patriot missile interceptors, calling the move “pretty cool” and “defensive” and saying it would prevent the Ukrainians from “complaining” about insufficient supply. Trump gave no specifics about the license, answering a question about a timeline with only the qualification that “some” could be sent immediately, and that Ukraine would “quickly” be able to produce interceptors of its own. He also hinted that the U.S. would be willing to use its “great power” over the companies that produce the interceptors to secure them for Ukraine. Lockheed Martin is the primary manufacturer of this technology Trump struck a noticeably warm tone with Zelenskyy, with whom he has clashed in the past. He also said he intended to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the day, though he provided no further details. Russia bans diesel exports: Russia announced on Wednesday that it would ban the export of its diesel products until the end of July in an attempt to protect its energy markets from the effects of the war in Ukraine, and following several Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The move, which will significantly tighten the global supply of and demand for refined petroleum products, is expected to have a particular effect on Europe’s diesel markets, pushing up costs immediately for farmers and truckers, and eventually for consumers. Ukrainian drones hit Russian tankers: Ukrainian drones hit a dozen Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov overnight, Ukraine’s military said in a statement, as Kyiv ramps up a campaign aimed at hitting energy infrastructure and disrupting fuel supplies to Russian forces while isolating Moscow-occupied Crimea. Ireland moves to ban imports from Israeli settlements: Ireland’s Dáil passed the Occupied Territories Bill on Tuesday without a vote, setting Ireland up to become the first European Union country to legislate a ban on imports from Israeli settlements, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ. The bill heads to the Seanad next week and is expected to be law before mid-July, making settlement imports an offense under Ireland’s Customs Act, the Irish Times reports. The government’s version of the bill bans only goods, however, while exempting services, which make up about 70 percent of Ireland’s trade with Israel, said a foreign affairs spokesperson for Ireland’s Labour Party. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has cited legal risk and potential damage to U.S. multinationals in Ireland if the bill is passed, and the Irish Times reported that Ireland’s embassy in Washington has also been warned of “consequences” by its American host. Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak kills 39 in southern China: Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak has killed 39 people in China’s southern Guangxi region, including 26 after a dam breach inundated parts of Nanning, officials said Thursday. About 130,000 people have been evacuated, with more than 8,000 rescuers and 5,700 boats deployed after days of heavy rainfall brought up to 90 cm of rain in the hardest-hit areas. Authorities said floodwaters are receding, but more rain is expected, while work continues to clear debris, disinfect towns, repair roads and restore power. Calls to lift Venezuela sanctions grow amid post-earthquake recovery efforts: Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez appealed to the U.K. to release 30 tons of gold held by the Bank of England, arguing these resources are vital for reconstruction. Separaely, a coalition of over 100 prominent economists, including Jeffrey Sachs and Isabella Weber, called on the U.S. to lift all broad economic sanctions, saying the “indiscriminate” measures severely obstruct the humanitarian response and essential post-disaster recovery efforts. If you want to continue getting this newsletter, you don’t have to do anything. But if this is too much—we do try to be mindful of your inbox—you can unsubscribe from this newsletter while continuing to get the rest of our reporting. Just go into your account here at this link, scroll down, and toggle the button next to “Drop Site Daily“ to the off setting. It looks like this: "U.S. to remove Syria from list of “state sponsors of terror”..Shouldn't Israel be on the list of state sponsor of terror..Look what Israel has done to the Palestinians in GAZA..it doesn't get more terrible than killing over 20,000..Palestinian children. Platner says “the accusations “all false” and told supporters that he was ending his campaign because the “political reality” was that party leaders and major donors “are going to take everything away from us,” making it impossible to continue.” Can’t help but feel the way all this transpired feels like an electoral coup.