Operation Project Freedom

US sanctions network accused of procuring weapons for IRGC as Iran ramps up strikes in Hormuz

Those targeted allegedly used aviation and logistics companies in Iran, Italy, and Russia to source arms and drone components in violation of renewed UN restrictions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (2nd-R) and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Prime Minister of Iraq Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.
US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to the press as he exits a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington.

House rejects bill to strip Israel aid despite over 100 Democrats voting to cut funding

US President Donald Trump speaks at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in front of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025.

‘I want to be reimbursed’: How will Gulf nations receive Trump’s push for protection payments?

Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reads his statement while attending a press center after registering as a candidate for June 18, presidential elections, in the Iranian Interior Ministry building on May 12, 2021 in Tehran, Iran.

Why is the Mossad-Ahmadinejad meeting's dirty laundry being aired now? - analysis


Trump says he doesn't want to 'waste his time' negotiating with Iran after overnight strikes

"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react," said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026.

Iran's FM Araghchi warns US that final deal talks will not commence if military threats continue

Araghchi was likely responding to a Monday interview where US President Donald Trump threatened Iran, saying, "We're going to make a deal, or we're going to finish the job."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference alongside Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (not pictured), in Baghdad, Iraq, June 28, 2026.

Trump warns US can wipe out Iran's power grid in 'small part of an afternoon' if deal not reached

The president said, "We freed up the blockade because we're close to maybe making a deal - I don't know, look - we're going to win one way or the other."

US President Donald Trump gestures after ringing the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq during an event to mark the launch of "Trump Accounts" in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, July 6, 2026.

US threatened to withhold interceptors after clash with Saudi Arabia over Hormuz escorts - report

According to the WSJ, Saudi Arabia refused to allow the United States to use its bases and airspace for the mission. In retaliation, the White House threatened to withhold interception systems.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman attend a bilateral meeting at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.

Trump threatens Iran will 'no longer exist' as both sides trade blows in Strait of Hormuz

"There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," said US President Donald Trump.

n F-35 lights its afterburner as it does a flyover during a rally to kick off the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Ship traffic plunges after Iran re-closes Strait of Hormuz following Israeli strikes on Lebanon

Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, from 26 ships spotted a day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed.

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 16, 2026.

Beirut claims Israel struck Lebanon for first time since US-Iran ceasefire announced

US-Iran agreement to be signed in Switzerland on Friday • World congratulates all parties for reaching agreement • Israeli leaders decry inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran deal

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 13, 2026.

US-Iran deal agreed upon after Iran vows IDF strikes on Beirut will ‘not go unanswered’

US to cut NATO support • Qatar made a secret deal with Iran, report claims • US-Iran agreement to be signed in Switzerland on Friday

Iranian missiles are displayed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran.

US sanctions 13 individuals, entities linked with Iran IRGC's missile procurement network

The sanctioned persons and organizations, who reportedly sought to source weapons that included man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).

A MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defiance Systems) missile is detonated along the shore facing the Firing Range, east of the Libyan capital Tripoli, on December 11, 2011. A top U.S. official said that a team of U.S. and Libyan bomb-disposal specialists has secured about 5,000 surface-to-air missiles.

Maritime leaders say US-Iran peace deal must provide clear framework for Strait of Hormuz transit

Shipowners and maritime industry officials met at a Capital Link conference and other events ahead of Posidonia, a week-long biennial shipping exhibition, where they commented on the matter.

A drone view shows vessels anchored at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, May 30, 2026.