Iran warns it will strike all Gulf infrastructure if Trump attacks Iranian infrastructure

Tehran, Iran — Iran declared on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz is an inviolable "red line," warning that if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to attack Iran's infrastructure, Tehran would strike all infrastructure across the Gulf region, according to Reuters.

Renewed fighting is now in its sixth day. The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports has been reinstated following the dissolution of a truce signed in mid-June.

"We are in an essential and existential war with America," said Tehran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Saber-Rattling Intensifies on Both Sides

Trump warned earlier this week that the U.S. military would hit Iranian power plants and bridges as early as next week unless Tehran comes to the negotiating table.

An Iranian army spokesman responded that if Trump made good on his threat, the military would strike "all remaining infrastructure" across the region — seemingly referring to U.S. bases — with greater intensity than before.

Iran said it had already targeted American bases in Kuwait and Jordan:

"Our neighbours should know that providing a base to the Americans and allowing them to fire on Iranian soil is unacceptable and will not go unanswered."

The situation appears to be escalating, though the regime's statements are consistent with previous warnings. It remains unclear what the path out of the current crisis looks like.

Pentagon to Screen Troops for Testosterone Deficiency

Washington, D.C. — The Pentagon plans to screen troops for testosterone deficiency as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues his overhaul of the U.S. military, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Hegseth said on Wednesday that service members aged 30 and older would be tested every year during their annual health assessments. If treatment is recommended, troops can decide whether to receive testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

The Trump administration announced the policy in a social media post:

The High-T Department of War. — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar), July 15, 2026

"By addressing these health markers early we're keeping you on the leading edge of lethality," Hegseth said.

Wider Push for Testosterone Use

The Trump administration has pushed to widen access to TRT and encourage its use, according to The Washington Post. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted testosterone as an anti-aging tool.

Testosterone use has surged in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among young men, as online platforms have made it easier to obtain prescription medication.

New York City Jail Reforms: Plan Submitted for Rikers Island

New York, NY — The official in charge of fixing New York City's troubled jails submitted a 33-page plan to a federal judge on Tuesday to improve conditions at Rikers Island, reports The New York Times.

The plan, produced by Nicholas Deml's team, calls for changes to investigations, discipline, and infrastructure. Deml was appointed in January by a federal judge overseeing the city's jails, effectively replacing the mayor as the person responsible for major safety decisions.

The city's Department of Correction would begin implementing more than a dozen steps as soon as September, pending approval from Federal Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

Quick Hits

• "Without Lindsey Graham and Graham Platner, both parties face a late-summer scramble," writes Henry Olsen for The Washington Post.
• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul discussed the state's data-center moratorium policy on the Odd Lots podcast, framing it as a measure that will not turn into a ban. She stated she believes AI will be an important driver of future growth.