US and Iran Trade Attacks Again, Sen. Lindsay Graham Dies, Congress Returns

What It Covers

US-Iran military exchanges escalate over Strait of Hormuz control, oil prices spike 4%, Senator Lindsey Graham dies at 71 from aortic tear, and Senate Republicans face thinning margins as Congress returns from July 4 recess.

Key Questions Answered

• •Strait of Hormuz conflict: US CENTCOM struck dozens of Iranian missile launchers, drone sites, and coastal radar installations in a single Sunday night operation, while Iran simultaneously targeted US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman. Global benchmark oil prices jumped over 4% when markets opened Monday.
• •Ceasefire status: The US-Iran 60-day interim deal is at its halfway point with talks in limbo. Trump declared the ceasefire over at NATO but left room for further negotiations. Iran's foreign minister confirmed contact with mediators in Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan, stating diplomacy continues daily.
• •Graham's Senate legacy: Over 20+ years, Graham shepherded three Supreme Court confirmations, steered Trump's tax legislation through the Senate without Democratic support, and visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's invasion. South Carolina's Republican governor will appoint a temporary replacement until a November general election.
• •Republican legislative margins: Graham's death removes a key judiciary and budget committee chair, complicating Todd Blanche's attorney general confirmation hearing this week. A Russia sanctions bill Graham championed before his death is now being fast-tracked by colleagues who plan to rename it in his honor.