LiveLive Updates July 21, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJuly 21, 2026UpdatesHegseth: Iran war has cost $37.5 billion so farThe United States' war in Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, an increase of nearly $8 billion since the last public estimate.Hegseth told lawmakers that the figure also included anticipated costs through September 30.This is the first time that Hegseth, who appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, has publicly faced questions from lawmakers since the U.S. military re-started operations against Iran earlier this month.Trump: 'Hereby directing' to allow direct U.S. flights to LebanonU.S. President Donald Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Tuesday. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Tuesday. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump said he instructed his administration to allow direct flights from the United States to Lebanon.Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun "has done a remarkable job working to transform his Country," saying he made the decision "so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land."He added, "Hopefully, other Countries will do the same. Enjoy!"Trump met with Aoun earlier on Tuesday in a first visit by a Lebanese head of state in Washington since 2009.2 hours agoReport: U.K. PM Burnham approves use of British bases for some U.S. strikes on IranBritish Prime ‌Minister Andy ⁠Burnham ⁠has approved the use of British military bases ‌by ‌the United States for what the UK calls defensive ⁠strikes against Iran, Bloomberg News ‌reported ⁠on ‌Tuesday.The United States has previously requested to use British bases for its strikes during the 2026 Iran war. On March 2, two days after Israel and the United States launched their war in Iran, former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London agreed to allow Washington to use its bases to strike Iran.Dozens of Israeli settlers raid Palestinian village as IDF retreats, locals sayDozens of Israeli settlers raided the Palestinian village of Jalud in the northern West Bank, setting fires in the area, according to local reports and footage from the area.The settler raid began after IDF soldiers and Border Police forces arrived at the village to open a road to the Tubasi family's house, which settlers have besieged for over two weeks. According to locals, Israeli settlers from nearby outposts blocked the soldiers and police, who retreated from the area.Responding to Haaretz's request for comment, the IDF said soldiers were dispatched to the area. According to local reports, the family managed to exit its besieged house later Tuesday evening.IDF fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian mourners after settler raid kills twoThe Israeli military fired tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian mourners in the West Bank town of Deir Jarir, a day after the IDF killed two residents of the town during a settler raid.Footage from the incident shows a soldier in an Israeli military vehicle using riot control means at a mourners' tent in the town, which lies near Ramallah in the central West Bank.On Monday, Israeli forces raided Deir Jarir shortly after a settler raid began, arresting several residents while the settlers stole 70 animals from the town's livestock. The IDF said it opened fire after "terrorists threw stones" at the soldiers.Herzog says he received warning on 'internal and external' election threatsIsraeli President Isaac Herzog speaks in a televised address on election integrity, Tuesday. Credit: Kobi Gideon / GPOIsraeli President Isaac Herzog speaks in a televised address on election integrity, Tuesday. Credit: Kobi Gideon / GPOIsraeli President Isaac Herzog said the Shin Bet security agency and Israel's Central Elections Committee warned him against "internal and external" threats to the integrity of the upcoming elections, warning against rising violence.Herzog said he met "about two weeks ago" with Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg and Shin Bet Chief David Zini, adding that they "presented me with various threats to the integrity of the elections, both internal and external."Herzog urged law enforcement to "stand firmly and effectively against these threats," also urging Israelis to "remember that elections are not a civil war."He added, "In recent days, we have once again seen dangerous violence rearing its head across the country. I turn to elected representatives, activists, and all candidates from all parties, and demand that you do not cross red lines!"In recent weeks, the Shin Bet security service and the Central Elections Committee have gathered fragments of intelligence that may point to attempts by various actors to undermine Israel's election process. Sources familiar with the matter declined to say which side of the political spectrum the information concerns.During their meeting with President Isaac Herzog, Shin Bet chief David Zini and Central Elections Committee President Justice Noam Sohlberg presented what they described as the most plausible scenarios for attempts to disrupt the elections, whether originating inside Israel or abroad, that could materialize in the coming weeks.Read the full articleRECAP: Trump says U.S. will strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain; Israel kills 10 in GazaHere are Tuesday's updates from the U.S.-Iran war and Israeli strikes in Gaza, Lebanon and the Middle East:■ U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will be striking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain "pretty soon" after Israeli intelligence reportedly assessed that Iran has transferred uranium-enrichment centrifuges to an underground compound in the mountain.■ Israeli strikes killed 10 people in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, including nine who died in the strikes and one who succumbed to previous wounds, the Gaza Health Ministry reported, adding that at least 42 others were wounded in the strikes.■ U.S. President Donald Trump met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House in the first visit by a Lebanese head of state in Washington since 2009.■ The Lebanese military said the IDF opened fire on its forces when they were deploying in the so-called pilot zones, which the IDF was set to hand over as part of the U.S.-brokered deal. The IDF said Lebanese forces crossed beyond the pilot zone.■ The Lebanese military entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the U.S.-brokered pilot zone after the IDF withdrew from the village, several hours after the IDF fired at soldiers who entered the area.■ A man from the Arab city of Nazareth in northern Israel is expected to be charged with attempting to join Hamas and harm a government minister, the Israel Police and Shin Bet security service said in a joint statement.■ Israel's State Prosecutor's Office announced that it plans to charge a former senior official at the National Security Ministry with illegally handing out firearm licenses.Lebanese army enters town after IDF pulls out, in first test of U.S.-brokered dealThe Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh.The Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh.Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of ⁠Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan.The plan foresees Lebanese army troops ⁠confiscating weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military said on Monday that the plan, dubbed the pilot zone program, had begun.The Lebanese army said later that Israeli forces had fired near its units during the deployment, warning that the incident could obstruct the steps being carried out.In the NewsSettler Raids Are Now Routine at This Palestinian Village. Another Teen Is DeadHaaretz CartoonSources: Netanyahu-Trump Meeting Postponed as U.S. Pushes IDF Lebanon WithdrawalBiden Officials Now Regret What They Let Israel Do in Gaza. Does It Matter?Herzog Says Shin Bet Warned Him of 'Internal and External' Threats to ElectionRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Most Optimistic Israeli in Jerusalem Is Leaving the CountryAs Ground Invasion Looms, U.S. and Iran Want Wild-card Israel Out of the FightDemocrats Rejected U.S. Aid to Israel, and AIPAC Couldn't Stop ThemBetween Messi and Milei: How Argentina Became Israel's Team at the World CupThe Original Ozempic Society of Ancient Rome103 House Democrats Vote to Cut U.S. Aid to Israel in Landmark Symbolic Vote