BBC NEWS — Signed: BBC News

The United States carried out a third night of strikes on Iran, with President Trump stating they were hitting Iran very hard. US Central Command said they targeted coastal defence systems, missiles, drone sites, and maritime capabilities across Iran in a five-hour mission. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and on Gulf islands. In response, Iranian forces said they hit and disabled two supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one crew member and wounding eight, and also attacked US sites in Bahrain and a US airbase in Jordan, which Jordan said it shot down. President Trump announced Washington would reinstate its naval blockade of Iranian ports and proposed a 20% tax on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming America would be the guardian of the strait. Iran's foreign minister responded that Iran has always been the guardian and would impose a cheaper, fairer levy. A correspondent noted the escalatory cycle was triggered by Iranian attacks on shipping, and the interim deal signed last month appeared to be unraveling.

For the first time in over 20 years, British and French troops marched together in the Bastille Day parade in Paris, with world leaders including UK Prime Minister Siqueir Starmer attending. The event was used to send a message of European military strength and support for Ukraine, following a meeting of the coalition of the willing. French firefighters continued battling two fires south of Paris, with almost 1,500 hectares of Fontainebleau forest burned and two people arrested on suspicion of arson. In the UK, multiple wildfires raged across parts of the country, with Natural England warning of exceptional risk for large parts of southern England and the south Midlands. Fires included a rekindled blaze on Tintwhistle Moor in the Peak District, a fire on Conroy Mountain in North Wales that forced evacuations, and incidents in Durham, Hampshire, and Walthamstow.

At least 30 people died in a fire at a bar in Bangkok, with 24 critically injured and 51 others hurt; authorities are investigating possible negligence. The Home Secretary said she would look at security guidance for former and current MPs after the death of Ann Widdecombe, with counter-terrorism police leading the investigation and a 28-year-old man arrested. Ukraine reported a fresh round of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv overnight, coming less than 24 hours after Ukraine and nine Western allies agreed to jointly develop new air defences against ballistic missiles, aiming to provide cheaper alternatives as supplies of US Patriot interceptors run low.