US and Iran Trade Strikes Once Again, Endangering Ceasefire
Your Daily Update for June 28, 2026. Plus: The US and Iran have begun to trade airstrikes once again, raising fears of a renewed conflict in the Middle East.
Welcome to today’s daily update for Sunday, June 28, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
Before we dive into today’s news, we’ve published a deep dive breaking down Nvidia’s solution to the AI water problem.
99.9% of the electricity used by GPUs is converted into thermal energy, and AI data centers use millions of gallons of water a day for the sole purpose of cooling.
However, Nvidia could have a vital solution, simply relying on a water-glycol mixture and new cooling infrastructure. According to the company, it could reduce data centers’ water consumption by up to 100% — but others disagree.
Check out our latest Deep Dive here to read more.
The Breakdown
The United States and Iran are trading strikes once again. Iran struck a Singapore-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, following several rounds of arguments between the two nations regarding control over the crucial waterway. Trump insists that the strait is completely open and free to access, but Iran’s recent attacks are challenging that narrative.
The United States struck Iran in the hours after the attack on the container ship. Six fighter jets were involved in the retaliation attacks, hitting at least four different locations – including Qeshm Island, a military base along the Strait of Hormuz that provides Iran with various natural resources and a highly-strategic position. However, the exchange has re-escalated he situation in the Middle East once again.
Following US retaliation strikes, Iran hit another ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday – this time, a Panama-flagged oil tanker. A drone struck the bridge of the ship, preventing a potentially-catastrophic oil spill, but Iran did not take credit for the strike.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration launched fresh rounds of missiles into Iranian territory, hitting missile silos and storage locations across the coast of Iran. Trump claimed that the US was still being “reasonable,” and he threatened to “complete the job” if Iran refuses to end the war.
Iran, on the other hand, launched retaliation strikes of their own. The Middle Eastern nation confirmed that they had sent missiles towards US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait – two nations that have borne the brunt of this devastating conflict. At least eight targets across American bases in both nations were successfully struck, according to Iran, but no information regarding the loss of any lives of equipment has surfaced.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the already-fragile ceasefire, but negotiations are set to continue in Switzerland later this week – assuming that the situation settles. If not, the region could return to a full-blown war, which would hurt Gulf nations, shipping companies, and the global economy as a whole.
Meanwhile, the bill for American taxpayers continues to rise. On Wednesday, the Trump administration submitted a request for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding to cover the costs of the war in Iran – a conflict that was highly unpopular from the beginning. More than $21 billion would be allocated to the sole purpose of replenishing munitions and missile stockpiles, while billions more will be used to cover the costs of the war, which have already grown since then.
Trump insists that the war was “necessary” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but others have argued that the sky-high cost of the operation and the needless deaths and damage that came with it do not justify such a war.
The conflict was also not authorized by Congress, and the House and Senate have already officially passed a relatively symbolic war powers resolution effectively mandating the administration to halt the conflict. Democrats have confirmed that they will not support the request for supplemental funding, arguing that the Pentagon already has more than $100 billion in unspent funds.
The Global Snapshot
The death toll from Wednesday’s Venezuela earthquakes has surpassed 1,400, and it is expected to keep rising as officials and rescue crews uncover more bodies from the rubble. Stay tuned for further updates on the disaster.
Yet another earthquake struck yesterday, with this tremor hitting Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. No damage or injuries have been reported, but the quake is part of a growing trend as major tectonic plate shifts rock the globe.
Two tropical storms have hit Japan at the same time – Mekkhala is the stronger of the two, pounding various prefectures like Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Yamaguchi. Meanwhile, Higos is inundating Chiba prefecture with heavy rains, causing serious landslides across the region. At least one person has been confirmed dead.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced that he will resign in the coming weeks after months of anti-corruption protests and widespread discontent with his administration.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan – a racist, extremist group that existed in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century – in Atlanta, Georgia were purchased by the Catholic Church and then turned into a church, now named the Cathedral of Christ the King.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. (Mark Twain)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Oracular (adj, aw-RAK-yuh-ler) - Oracular is a formal word that can describe something used to forecast or prophesize, or something that resembles or relates to something used for such purposes. Oracular can also describe something that resembles an oracle – a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak; in this sense, an oracular statement, voice, etc. conveys wisdom or solemnity.
In a Sentence: A few recordings of the famous speaker still exist, and though his language is formal to the point of sounding almost foreign to the modern listener, the oracular quality of his speech remains effective.
Image: "Mersad Air Defense System with Shahin Missile" by Vahid Reza Alaei / Mehr News Agency is licensed under CC BY 4.0
