https://www.rferl.org/z/23311 The main stories of the day from the RFE/RL Central Newsroom. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/23311 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:20:02 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL President Donald Trump said the United States may become the "guardian angel" of the Strait of Hormuz after a new wave of air strikes, sparked by activity in the key waterway, rocked the Gulf region. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-threatens-to-take-control-of-hormuz-strait-after-fresh-round-of-attacks-rock-the-gulf/33802722.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-threatens-to-take-control-of-hormuz-strait-after-fresh-round-of-attacks-rock-the-gulf/33802722.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:08:34 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on July 12 that he intends to replace Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as part of a broader government reshuffle https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-yulia-svyrydenko-reshuffle/33802078.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-yulia-svyrydenko-reshuffle/33802078.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:41:59 +0200 NewsUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Colorized images made by NASA satellites capable of capturing the light of human activity by night show swathes of Ukrainian territory in the country's east have fallen dark amid depopulation and wartime power outages. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-invasion-night-satellite-images-depopulation-donbas/33801975.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-invasion-night-satellite-images-depopulation-donbas/33801975.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:52:02 +0200 UkrainePhoto GalleriesThe Rundown Stories Iran's cafes are navigating economic hardship and growing official scrutiny as they struggle to survive. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-cafe-culture-young-people/33799555.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-cafe-culture-young-people/33799555.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:13:13 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The United States struck targets around southern Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian attacks on its Gulf neighbors, sparking claims from Bahrain that civilians were targeted. https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-iran-strikes-hormuz-shipping-irgc/33801945.html https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-iran-strikes-hormuz-shipping-irgc/33801945.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 03:08:23 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Russian ultra-fast ballistic missiles continued to create havoc in Ukrainian cities, combining with drones and guided bombs to kill at least six people in the latest attacks, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to urge Western allies to speed delivery of air defense weaponry. https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-ballistic-missiles-patriot-trump/33801659.html https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-ballistic-missiles-patriot-trump/33801659.html Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:18:49 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Kyiv continues to strike Russian "shadow fleet" tankers in the Sea of Azov, according to footage released by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine says it struck 21 tankers overnight on July 10-11 and has hit numerous others in recent days, in a bid to disrupt the fuel supply to Russian forces in Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-says-it-hit-more-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers-amid-fuel-crisis/33801623.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-says-it-hit-more-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers-amid-fuel-crisis/33801623.html Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:31:18 +0200 VideosRussiaUkraineVideo ArchiveRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian farmers, already struggling after nearly five years of all-out war, say a massively upscaled Russian campaign to pound his country’s vital agricultural sector is threatening this year's harvest. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-targets-ukrainian-harvest-crops-wheat-war/33800899.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-targets-ukrainian-harvest-crops-wheat-war/33800899.html Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:45:24 +0200 FeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Decades after it was dissolved by Soviet-backed authorities, remnants of the Museum of the Liberation Struggle of Ukraine are held in two Czech archives. RFE/RL sourced some artifacts from the museum intended to be a safehouse for objects from Ukraine’s early 20th century fight for independence. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-museum-for-independence-prague-photo-archives/33801526.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-museum-for-independence-prague-photo-archives/33801526.html Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:37:28 +0200 UkrainePhoto GalleriesThe Rundown Stories Senior US officials have said that Iran has privately acknowledged it made a mistake by attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz https://www.rferl.org/a/us-says-iran-acknowledged-mistake-in-strait-attacks-ahead-of-oman-talks/33801548.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-says-iran-acknowledged-mistake-in-strait-attacks-ahead-of-oman-talks/33801548.html Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:15:12 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories A bipartisan group of US senators said they had reached an agreement with the Trump administration to advance long-delayed legislation aimed at imposing tougher economic penalties on Russia and countries that continue to support Moscow’s war economy. https://www.rferl.org/a/senate-trump-russia-sanctions-ukraine-graham/33801207.html https://www.rferl.org/a/senate-trump-russia-sanctions-ukraine-graham/33801207.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:56:03 +0200 NewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The United States imposed sweeping new sanctions targeting an Iranian businessman accused of managing a global financial network for Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and several exchange houses that Washington says have helped Tehran evade sanctions and maintain access to foreign currency. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-khamenei-financial-exchange/33801202.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-khamenei-financial-exchange/33801202.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:40:10 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Ukraine launched multiple strikes against Kremling energy assets, including oil terminals and tankers at sea, reportedly forcing Moscow to halt shipping through a major waterway as Kyiv intensifies what it has labeled its "long-range sanctions" against Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-energy-strikes-azov-ilsky-oil/33801161.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-energy-strikes-azov-ilsky-oil/33801161.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:21:29 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump said Iran has as requested that “talks” between the two countries continue, although he emphatically warned Tehran that the current cease-fire is no longer in effect amid a flurry of tit-for-tat strikes by both sides. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-ceasefire-talks-qatar-hormuz/33801090.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-ceasefire-talks-qatar-hormuz/33801090.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:19:06 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Iran staged an extravagant, weeklong funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Absent from the events was his son, Mojtaba, the new supreme leader. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mojtaba-khamenei-irgc-funeral/33800891.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mojtaba-khamenei-irgc-funeral/33800891.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:28:13 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Despite days of military exchanges between the United States and Iran, Washington insists it remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution. To better understand Washington's posture, RFE/RL spoke with the Heritage Foundation's James Jay Carafano. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-negotiations-heritage-foundation-james-jay-carafano/33800905.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-negotiations-heritage-foundation-james-jay-carafano/33800905.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:07:51 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Authoritarian powers are increasingly working together across military, economic, and information fronts, even without a formal alliance, analyst Christopher Walker says. He argues democracies need a long-term strategy to counter their growing cooperation. https://www.rferl.org/a/christopher-walker-russia-china-iran-authoritarian-axis/33800288.html https://www.rferl.org/a/christopher-walker-russia-china-iran-authoritarian-axis/33800288.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:49:28 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesChina Ukraine's sustained attacks on Russia's oil refineries immediately plunged Central Asian countries into energy chaos, highlighting years of short-term policy decisions that have left the region without a coordinated energy strategy and sufficient diversification to withstand major disruptions. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oil-refineries-central-asia-energy-crisis/33800342.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oil-refineries-central-asia-energy-crisis/33800342.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:23:08 +0200 News AnalysisKazakhstanKyrgyzstanRussiaTajikistanTurkmenistan UzbekistanThe Rundown Stories For more than four years, the inhabitants of Omsk, a Siberian city more than 2,250 kilometers east of Moscow, have watched the war against Ukraine from afar. This week they got a close-up view that has left many in shock. https://www.rferl.org/a/omsk-residents-describe-huge-shock-surprise-ukrainian-attack/33800151.html https://www.rferl.org/a/omsk-residents-describe-huge-shock-surprise-ukrainian-attack/33800151.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:22:11 +0200 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The fuel crisis in Russia is causing tensions to boil over at gas stations across the country. Ukraine's repeated attacks on Russian energy facilities have caused serious fuel shortages. Social media users have shared videos of brawls breaking out as people wait in hours-long lines to refuel. https://www.rferl.org/a/brawls-break-out-at-russian-gas-stations-amid-anger-over-fuel-crisis-/33800286.html https://www.rferl.org/a/brawls-break-out-at-russian-gas-stations-amid-anger-over-fuel-crisis-/33800286.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:02:27 +0200 VideosRussiaVideo ArchiveThe Rundown Stories