[Up First] US Strikes Iran Oil Tankers, Israeli Settlements Sanctions, Smithsonian Head Retires

Since Saturday, the United States has destroyed eight Iranian crude oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island. U.S. Central Command stated that crews were warned to abandon the vessels before the strikes, and that the attacks were a direct response to Iranian missile launches against a U.S. Navy warship. The campaign represents a significant blow to Iran’s economic lifeline,

going well beyond existing sanctions and a naval blockade already targeting Iranian oil shipments.

Iran struck back, firing approximately 20 missiles at a U.S. airbase in Jordan. Jordan’s air defenses intercepted all but two, with no reported deaths. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also claimed attacks on U.S. vessels and ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Adding to the tension, Iran released footage of a captured American underwater naval drone, signaling that it remains undeterred

in the face of sustained American military pressure.

Questions are mounting about the U.S. long-term strategy in the region. Gulf Arab states are broadening their defense ties

with other countries while waiting for Washington to clarify its path forward. The Pentagon has not been forthcoming

about the extent of damage to U.S. bases, and the Trump administration has asked satellite companies to censor images over the Gulf. A telling indicator: the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, once home to some 8,000 personnel, now has fewer than 100.

The United Kingdom announced trade sanctions banning imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, with Canada and France joining the effort. Britain’s foreign minister described the move as necessary to halt settlement expansion and condemned settler violence

against Palestinians, going so far as to accuse certain settlers of ethnic cleansing.

The United Nations reports more than 3,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with at least 79 Palestinians killed by settlers this year alone.

Israel’s response was swift and furious. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denounced the British statements as outrageous, morally distorted, and antisemitic, vowing that no outside pressure would force Israel to act against its national or security interests. Israel retaliated diplomatically by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem and expelling British representatives, underscoring how the relationship between Israel and its traditional European allies has become deeply strained.

Palestinian leaders, meanwhile, welcomed the sanctions but expressed doubt about their practical impact. Local community figures in the West Bank said they hoped the measures would be firmer, noting that the Israeli government has historically shown little regard for international legal pressure.

Lonnie Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is retiring after nearly four decades at the organization. Bunch is widely credited with building the National Museum of African American History and Culture from the ground up, one of the most visited museums on the National Mall. His departure ends a seven-year tenure as the Smithsonian’s top official and comes at a moment of heightened political scrutiny of the institution.

The Trump administration has repeatedly taken aim at

the Smithsonian, accusing its exhibitions of being anti-white and of presenting an overly negative portrayal of American history. Officials have called for changes to programming they describe as ideologically driven, putting the institution’s traditionally nonpartisan identity under pressure.