The United States carried out a series of airstrikes across Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, hitting at least eight cities within one hour, according to a report by Al Jazeera on Monday. The attacks occurred between 1:35 a.m. and 2:20 a.m. local time. Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Valiollah Hayati told Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency that assessments of the damage were ongoing. He denied reports of an attack on Ahvaz Airport but confirmed two strikes near its outskirts. Earlier, Hayati said one person was killed and four were injured when a missile hit an agricultural water pumping station in Mahshahr.

The report added that tensions between the United States and Iran have destabilized the Gulf region. Iran recently closed the Strait of Hormuz after accusing several ships of attempting to pass through unauthorized routes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated the strait would remain closed until US intervention in the region ends.

US Central Command confirmed that the strikes were ordered by President Donald Trump, following the IRGC’s warning that any US action would trigger retaliation against new targets in the Middle East.

Students across Bangladesh continued protests on July 13, 2026, demanding reform of the government job quota system, despite police restrictions and government appeals to end demonstrations. Police filed a case over alleged attacks and vandalism at Shahbagh, while journalists from a television network lodged a separate complaint. No suspects were named in either case. Student leaders rejected government requests to resume classes and announced new programs, including a nationwide march and submission of memorandums to district offices on July 14.

Coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement demanded withdrawal of the cases within 24 hours and an emergency parliamentary session to address quota reform. They alleged police and ruling party activists attacked protesters and journalists in several districts. Student leaders proposed retaining a 5% quota for freedom fighters’ children, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, while opposing quotas for grandchildren of freedom fighters.

Government ministers urged students to wait for a Supreme Court verdict, accusing opposition groups of exploiting the movement. Police officials said investigations were underway to determine whether outsiders had infiltrated the protests. The ruling party’s student wing warned against disrupting academic activities.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has questioned why Bangladesh has not taken steps to close or restructure banks with extremely high default loan ratios, some exceeding 80 percent. The issue was raised during a series of meetings held on Sunday between IMF representatives and officials from various departments of Bangladesh Bank. The IMF delegation, led by mission chief Ivo Krznar, is in Dhaka for a five-day visit to begin preliminary discussions on a new loan program.

Discussions covered banking sector reforms, non-performing loan (NPL) reduction, bank resolution strategies, Islamic banking, foreign exchange management, and a new 600 billion taka stimulus package. The IMF sought explanations on why state-owned banks were excluded from asset quality reviews and why weak banks had not yet entered resolution processes. Bangladesh Bank officials said guidelines for NPL resolution are being prepared for release by December, and IFRS-9 implementation instructions have already been issued to banks.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that any new IMF loan program will prioritize national interests. The government expects to secure $4–4.5 billion over three years to support macroeconomic stability and external financing needs.

An elderly woman named Rowshon Ara Begum, aged 70, died on Sunday afternoon when the wall of her earthen house collapsed due to continuous heavy rainfall in Dhukundi village of Amlab Union, Belabo upazila, Narsingdi. She was the wife of the late Abdul Aziz and had been living with her daughter in their homestead. The wall reportedly softened after days of rain and suddenly fell on her, causing fatal injuries before locals could rescue her.

Police from Belabo station visited the site following the incident. The victim’s family said they are living in extreme hardship, as their house has nearly collapsed, leaving them without shelter. The same day, another earthen house in Pahar Ujilabo village also collapsed due to heavy rain, though no casualties occurred.

Local residents urged authorities to relocate families living in vulnerable earthen houses to safer places and take steps for rehabilitation of those affected by the continuous rainfall.

A 65-year-old man named Niranjan Das died after being swept away by floodwaters in Kacchopia Union of Ramu upazila, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when he was returning from his workplace in Naikhongchhari. He slipped while crossing a submerged section of the Gorjonia Bazar–Naikhongchhari connecting road near a culvert in Fakrikata village and was carried away by the strong current.

Niranjan Das was a resident of Dochhari Purbo Dashpara in Kacchopia Union and the elder brother of local Union Parishad member Bimal Das. Locals and fire service personnel later recovered his body after a search operation and transported it to his home by boat.

The incident has cast a shadow of grief over the local community, according to the report.

The government of Bangladesh has decided to bring the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The move aims to enhance coordination between disaster response and weather forecasting. Reliable ministry sources confirmed that a high-level meeting with the Prime Minister is expected this month to finalize the decision.

Officials said that despite both agencies being directly involved in disaster management, their placement under separate ministries has caused operational confusion and coordination gaps. The proposal, already sent to the Cabinet Division, follows the Prime Minister’s earlier advice to integrate the two agencies. The Disaster Management Ministry argued that the merger would create a unified command chain, improve decision-making, and strengthen national disaster response capacity.

According to the ministry’s proposal, the integration will streamline early warning dissemination, rescue operations, and rehabilitation activities. It is expected to improve resource management, enhance accountability, and reduce disaster-related losses through faster, coordinated action across all administrative levels.

A devastating fire at a bar in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district killed at least 27 people late Monday night, according to reports. The victims included nine men and eighteen women, while more than sixty others were hospitalized. Thai media said several people remain missing. Firefighters arrived shortly after midnight and brought the blaze under control within half an hour, but many were trapped inside as flames spread rapidly.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the fire began at the main switchboard while a musician was performing, followed by a loud explosion that caused panic. Many victims were found in the bar’s restroom, where they had sought refuge from smoke and flames. The bar, named Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, was a popular restaurant and entertainment venue in the area.

Officials are investigating whether flammable decorations and partially blocked emergency exits contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and the high death toll.

BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan said that his goal is to build an equitable society in Bangladesh where the gap between rich and poor will narrow and people’s suffering will be alleviated. He made the remarks on Saturday at a memorial meeting for his late mother, Khorsheda Banu, organized by the Khan Foundation at Amdia Pakuria School ground in Narsingdi.

Addressing women attendees, Dr. Khan urged them to become aware of their rights, emphasizing that rights must be claimed rather than awaited. He described his family background as modest and recalled his father and grandfather’s dedication to education and national service. Khan Foundation Executive Director Advocate Rokhsana Khondkar praised Khorsheda Banu’s lifelong contributions to social welfare. The foundation has been working since 1993 to empower disadvantaged women and has distributed about Tk 14 crore in rural loans this year.

Dr. Khan also expressed concern about the current state of education, urging authorities to keep institutions free from political influence and to invest in improving educational quality rather than only constructing buildings.

A United States missile strike targeted a water pumping station in Iran’s Mahshahr city, killing one person and injuring four others, according to a report by Iran’s state news agency IRNA on Monday. The attack occurred early in the morning, and the deceased was identified as a security guard at the facility. Emergency and medical teams are currently treating the injured and monitoring their condition.

The strike took place in Khuzestan province, where a senior official confirmed that the missile hit an agricultural water pumping station. Around the same time, explosions were reported in Iran’s port city of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Local media said the cause of the blasts was still unknown, though Qeshm’s governor later stated that 10 to 11 projectiles had struck military infrastructure on the island without causing casualties.

The incidents followed overnight US attacks on Iran’s coastal regions, after which Iran reportedly launched drones and missiles toward US military sites in five Gulf countries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel to the United States on Monday for his first foreign visit since assuming office, according to a government spokesperson. During the week-long trip, he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, though the exact date of the meeting has not yet been confirmed. The visit comes at a time when Washington has been pressuring Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups that have previously attacked U.S. facilities in Iraq.

Government spokesperson Haidar al-Abudi said the visit, made at Trump’s invitation, will focus on strengthening economic ties and attracting U.S. investment, particularly in the oil and electricity sectors. Iraq, facing major revenue losses due to halted oil exports amid regional conflict, is seeking urgent measures to revive its economy. Al-Zaidi has pledged to bring all weapons under state control, a move he says is essential for stability and investment, though it has met resistance from powerful militias.

During the trip, several new agreements are expected, including a fund where Iraq will deposit 500,000 barrels of oil daily in exchange for enhanced electricity supply. The U.S. has also resumed transferring Iraq’s oil revenue funds, which had been temporarily suspended earlier this year.

Global crude oil prices rose by more than 3 percent as tensions between the United States and Iran intensified, raising concerns over energy supply disruptions. Brent crude climbed by 2.67 dollars, or 3.51 percent, to reach 78.68 dollars per barrel, according to market data released on July 13, 2026.

Analysts attributed the price increase primarily to fears of transport disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for global energy shipments. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicated that before the conflict began, nearly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum supply passed through this strait.

Market observers warned that if the conflict escalates further, oil transportation through the Strait of Hormuz could be severely affected, potentially triggering greater instability in the global energy market.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of breaching a memorandum of understanding signed last month and violating international law through its latest military actions. In a statement issued within the past 24 hours, Tehran described the U.S. operations as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter. The ministry said the attacks targeted Iran’s transport infrastructure, commercial shipping, cargo vessels, and aviation facilities, undermining the ceasefire agreement reached only 25 days earlier.

Tehran further alleged that the United States disrupted Iran’s established measures in the Strait of Hormuz, causing interruptions to international maritime trade and increasing insecurity in the vital waterway. The ministry also claimed that Washington used the territories and facilities of Gulf countries to prepare for the attacks. Iran warned neighboring states not to allow their land, airspace, or infrastructure to be used for any military operations against it.

While asserting that it does not seek renewed conflict, Iran’s armed forces cautioned that any location used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a legitimate target for defensive action.

In Durgapur of Rajshahi, farmers are discarding bitter gourds in local markets after failing to get fair prices. Despite abundant harvests, growers are being forced to sell at only 2.5 to 5 taka per kilogram, far below production costs. Some farmers have even destroyed their crops in frustration, as wholesale buyers are refusing to offer reasonable rates. At Hatkanpara market, one farmer was seen trampling his unsold bitter gourds after being offered just 120 taka per maund.

Farmers report spending 25,000 to 30,000 taka per bigha on cultivation, but recovering less than a quarter of that investment. The Durgapur Upazila Agriculture Office confirmed that 178 hectares were planted with bitter gourd this season. While early yields fetched 80 to 100 taka per kilogram, prices have since plummeted. Many farmers now face severe financial strain and loss of capital.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Sahana Parvin Laboni urged farmers not to destroy their crops and assured that efforts are underway with the agricultural marketing department to stabilize prices soon.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has called for legislation ensuring a “firm and final” response to any assassination attempt or attack targeting the country’s supreme leader or senior military and state officials. In a post on social media platform X, he stated that Iran’s parliament or the Expediency Council should pass a law specifying in advance the type of reaction to such incidents.

Gharibabadi emphasized that this initiative would align with Iran’s existing policy of responding strongly to military aggression. He argued that the nature of Iran’s response should be legally predetermined rather than decided after an attack occurs.

He reiterated that no action against Iran should go unanswered, underscoring the government’s stance on deterrence and national defense.

Iran-backed militia coalition Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) has strongly opposed the Iraqi government’s upcoming visit to the United States and the planned meeting between Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and President Donald Trump. In a statement circulated via Sabereen News, the group denounced the government’s decision, saying the visit comes at a time when the United States and Israel are committing atrocities across Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine.

The militias called for Iraq’s economy to be freed from American dominance and declared that any U.S. military presence on Iraqi soil would be considered an illegal occupation. Their statement reflects deep resentment toward Washington’s influence in the region and signals growing internal opposition to the government’s diplomatic outreach.

Prime Minister Al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington is expected to include discussions on several oil and gas agreements. However, the militias’ reaction has heightened political tension within Iraq, underscoring divisions over the country’s foreign policy direction.