Israeli forces have raided the Qalandiya Training Centre, operated by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem in what officials and analysts describe as a pivotal step towards dismantling international refugee protections and consolidating control over the occupied West Bank.
Tuesday’s storming of the UNRWA facility, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was justified by Israeli authorities under October 2024 legislation banning the UN agency, prompting sharp condemnation from Qatar, which warned of systematic efforts to strip millions of Palestinians of essential services.
Israeli affairs expert Adel Shadid identified broader territorial ambitions behind the raid, carried out on the boundary line between East Jerusalem and the West Bank. He told Al Jazeera the assault serves a larger geopolitical scheme involving a historic airport close to the training centre.
“The institute is directly adjacent to the historic Qalandiya Airport, which was built more than 106 years ago,” Shadid said.
“The occupation aims to gain complete control over the airport adjacent to the institute to establish a massive settlement comprising over 9,000 settlement units in addition to a Jewish heritage centre and to erase the historical and geographical Jordanian landmarks of the airport,” he explained.
“By controlling these two areas and annexing them to the occupation municipality, the pillars of the ‘Greater Jerusalem’ project are completed. This project alone will carve out between 12 to 13 percent of the total area of the West Bank,” he added.
Shadid noted that this expansion would allow the municipality to control an area exceeding 800sq km (310sq miles), essentially destroying Palestinian continuity.
“The ultimate goal of the occupation exceeds preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state. Rather, it aims explicitly to prevent the establishment of any independent Palestinian entity or presence on this land,” he said.
Echoing this assessment, retired Lebanese Brigadier General and military analyst Elias Hanna pointed to Israel’s tactical encirclement of urban Palestinian hubs.
“The importance of Qalandiya is linked to the broader settlement project in the West Bank, which is based on creating settlement blocs aiming to control geographical continuity between Palestinian areas and isolate them from each other,” Hanna told Al Jazeera.
“The control over the area can affect the movement and connection between the two cities,” he added, referring to Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Detailing the immediate impact on UNRWA’s institutional mandate, the agency’s media adviser Adnan Abu Hasna outlined the unprecedented nature of the takeover.
“UNRWA was not informed [in advance] of any action by the Israeli government against the UNRWA institute and complex in Qalandiya,” Abu Hasna told Al Jazeera.
“This measure is unprecedented as the UN flag is lowered and this headquarters is taken over in this unusual manner, and it represents a dangerous escalation against international humanitarian law, against UN laws and against the mandate granted to UNRWA by the UN General Assembly,” he said.
Abu Hasna underscored how the raid violated historic bilateral frameworks that long governed UN operations.
“There is an agreement signed between UNRWA and Israel on June 14, 1967, providing for facilitating UNRWA’s operations and protecting its facilities and its employees and headquarters enjoying immunity and privileges, but unfortunately, all of this has ended now under the weight of escalating Israeli measures,” he said.
The agency operates schools and provides healthcare, social services and microfinancing for Palestinians. Compounding the Israeli raids, destructions of its compounds and offices, and restrictions on its operations, the agency is also facing a financial crisis. Abu Hasna cited major political defunding campaigns, particularly by the United States.
“We have a large deficit, especially after the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers cut $360m, which constitutes about 30 percent of UNRWA’s annual budget,” he noted.
Regarding the operational dynamics on the ground, Israeli affairs specialist Anas Abu Arqoub highlighted the deepening alignment between state forces and armed settlers.
“It is a division of roles accompanied by a state of complete integration,” Abu Arqoub told Al Jazeera.
“The settler phenomenon … [is] in fact armed organisations with a clear leadership hierarchy, a system of regular and reserve fighters called upon when needed, and they possess a military combat doctrine,” he explained.
“A large part of them are elements from within the Israeli army, armed with its weapons, and undergo joint military training,” he added.
Abu Arqoub said Israeli research institutions, such as the Institute for National Security Studies, have recognised the severe implications of this convergence.
“The Institute for National Security Studies recently pointed out that this military force of settlers has become capable, under the cover of ‘loss of control’, of executing complete ethnic cleansing in the West Bank,” he observed.
Examining the international impunity enabling these actions, Birzeit University political science Professor Ghassan Khatib emphasised Washington’s decisive role.
“The weakness of the United Nations position is one of the two main factors driving Israel to persist and increasingly rebel against international laws and violate the rights of the Palestinian people,” Khatib told Al Jazeera.
“The first and most important factor is the American position, the actual sponsor of this Israeli rebellion,” he stressed, pointing out a “direct correlation between the rising pace of Israeli violations and the reascent of [President Donald] Trump to the leadership of the United States about two years ago”.
“These settler militias have become an integral part of the occupation system, and the danger will inevitably escalate,” Khatib added.
From the local community’s perspective, Mohammed Saeed – public relations director for the popular committee of the Qalandiya refugee camp, which Israeli forces also raided on Tuesday – framed the raid as both diplomatic defiance and domestic political posturing.
The Israeli incursion, he said, was a clear message of defiance stating: ‘We are the owners of the land, and we decide its fate,’” Saeed told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
A YOUNG rock bassist in Australia has revealed he only months to live after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Jordan Brunoli, 29, is the bass guitarist for Brisbane-based band Bugs and last year was told he had colorectal cancer.
The rocker gave a devastating update that after trying all kinds of medical interventions he was told in June that his prognosis was terminal, with him having between three to four months to live.
“I have spent over a year now trying different chemotherapy drugs, backed by an amazing oncologist and treatment team,” Jordan wrote on the band’s Instagram.
“Unfortunately I have a mutation that causes rapid growth of tumours, and none of the treatments have been able to stop the cancer from spreading. I am now entering the final chapter of my life after being told in June I had a prognosis of 3-4 months.”
Jordan vowed to live his life to the fullest and thanked his bandmates, Connor Brooker and Brock Weston and the wider Bugs team for rallying around him to record their latest album, Head Noise.
“I’m forever grateful for the support from Con, Brock and our OG Bugs team who have banded together to indulge my wish, to release our album and play some shows before I go,” he wrote.
“Head Noise means so much to me. I can’t wait for you to hear the whole album.
“We’ve worked on it for the last 2 years, through the good and the bad. We kept recording when I was recovering from surgery, sick from chemo, even when I had neuropathy so bad I couldn’t feel the guitar I was playing.”
He added: “My focus has always been on enjoying the music and sharing it with others.
“Playing, recording and touring around Australia with Bugs has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I just wanna say, if there were a few final shows coming up, you can bet your ass I’ll be playing them.”
Jordan concluded: “Thank you everyone, and watch me enjoy the f**k out of the rest of my life.”
The bassist revealed his cancer diagnosis last year and explained it was at stage 4 because it had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.
Jordan had surgery to remove part of his bowel and got a permanent stoma before beginning chemotherapy.
Bugs launched a fundraiser at the time to help pay his medical bills and to cover his living costs while he couldn’t work.
The musician used his platform to raise awareness about bowel cancer and its rise amongst people under 50.
“Not to be preachy, but if you have witnessed any blood in your stool, experienced weird abdominal pains, unexplained weight loss, or extended periods of fatigue — don’t be afraid to raise it with your GP and ask for an abdominal ultrasound,” Jordan wrote on the fundraising page last year.
“I thought I was too young, but there has been a recent increase in instances of colorectal cancer in people under 30. Getting a diagnosis now could be the difference in a stage 1 tumour or stage 4 metastatic.”
There has been a worrying rise in younger people getting the disease in recent years – many of whom face delays in diagnosis due to their age.
Bowel cancer has become a leading cause of death across the world, and it’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
But since the 1990s, rates of bowel cancer in 25 to 49-year-olds have increased by 72 per cent, according to Cancer Research UK – compared to a 6 per cent increase in people aged 50 to 59, and a 3 per cent increase in 60 to 74-year-olds.
Experts said several factors were driving cancer risk in younger adults, with obesity being the main one.
Professor Marc Gunter, from Imperial College London, said: “Obesity seemed to be one potential factor that could be driving increasing rates of cancers both in older and younger people.
“We know that obesity is an established risk factor for around 19 different cancers now.
“For some of these cancers, including colorectal [bowel] cancer, we think this could be partly caused by increased levels of hormones, which often dysregulate in obesity.”
The NHS sends free home testing kits that check for traces of blood in poo – a telltale sign of bwel cancer – to everyone aged 50 to 74 every two years.
FORMER Strictly pro James Jordan secretly lived apart from his wife Ola for months prior to their split.
Pals said he moved into a flat earlier this year close to the five-bedroom house the dancers once shared.
James, 48, is said to have “needed space” as he and Ola, 43, embarked on a trial separation after 22 years of marriage.
A source explained: “It was James’s decision to move out, he needed some space. It happened months ago. He has been holed up in a small flat in Kent.
“These past few months have been tough for James but he is trying to keep moving forward. Ola has been supporting him as best she can but their decision to end their marriage has been incredibly difficult for both of them.”
James was photographed looking downcast as he walked close to his flat last week, minus his wedding ring.
READ MORE ON JAMES OLA SPLIT
We revealed on Saturday how the couple, who have not been photographed together since last year, had split.
James, originally from Gillingham, and Polish-born Ola, who have a daughter, Ella, then released a joint statement confirming their break-up.
It read: “We’re taking some time apart as we work through very difficult personal challenges.
“James moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for us both and it certainly wasn’t an easy decision.”
It said James’s mental health “hasn’t been in a good place for quite some time”.
James added: “I’ve been struggling more than I’ve let people see and I’m taking the time I need to focus on getting myself into a healthier place, both for myself and for Ella.
“Neither of us is in a good place right now. We’re both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives.”
James and Ola both joined Strictly in 2006.
James quit in 2013 with Ola leaving two years later, after winning the trophy in 2009 with Chris Hollins.
OLA and James Jordan described marriage as a “constant job” and opened up about sex life struggles years before their shock split.
The former Strictly Come Dancing professionals confirmed they’d gone their separate ways after 23 years of marriage this week.
Ola, 43, and James, 48, share daughter Ella, six, and previously spoke out about what it takes to make a relationship work.
Speaking to HELLO!, he said: “We’ve got a beautiful daughter and as my dad always used to say, and it’s true, ‘Marriage can be like a job sometimes, you’ve got to work at it’.
“I feel sometimes people are quick to give up on something and think the grass is always greener on the other side.”
James also joked that “marriage and wives” are some of the most stressful things to deal with in life.
And Ola confessed that when they’re working together on dance routines they “argue the most”.
She said: “James has his idea and I’ve got another idea and we clash more than we do any other time.”
In recent years Ola and James lost a combined seven stone and admitted that when they were bigger their sex life suffered.
Speaking to The Sun in 2022 ahead of their weight loss journeys, Ola said: “The sex life is definitely different, if not worse, because we are so fat and don’t want to move after a bag of crisps and a Chinese.
“The bellies get in the way of us when it comes to sex. And I’m a bit heavy now. It’s not as exciting.”
James added: “Sex is definitely not better with the mum and dad bods. I can’t throw her about any more like I am used to doing.
“So we realise we need to switch up our eating habits to get back in shape.”
If you are over the age of, say, 14, you might not be familiar with daughter-father duo Salish and Jordan Matter. But if you are a parent of a Gen Alpha kid, it can feel like you hear about nothing but Salish and Jordan Matter. Their YouTube videos — a high-octane mix of zany challenges, games and hijinks — are admittedly hard to resist, which may be why they rake in millions of views as soon as they blast into the social media universe.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
Sixteen-year-old Salish was in elementary school when she started appearing in her father’s YouTube videos and the channel is like a time capsule of her childhood — or, well, the most public, heavily produced version of it. There’s the day Salish turned her house into a waterpark (73 million views) or the night she had a secret sleepover in a mall (31 million views) or the time she survived 100 babysitters in 24 hours (61 million views). “A blessing and a curse for me is that we’ve documented it all,” says Jordan, whose background is in photography. “I have these beautiful videos of her when she was 10. I was just watching them 30 minutes ago and was like, oh wow, it feels like yesterday.”
Now their creator journey is taking a new turn. Salish and Jordan recently signed a deal with Netflix to develop, produce and star in original projects — it’s the largest such creator partnership for the streaming giant. Their show, “Salish & Jordan Matter,” reached Netflix’s Top 10 this month. Beyond the screen, the duo co-founded the popular teen skincare brand Sincerely Yours. (The launch of one glossy lip balm brought 2,000 fans to the Santa Monica Pier earlier this summer.)
It’s been a wild ride for the pair, but despite their snowballing fame, they swear they’re like any other dad and daughter who bicker, joke around and simply enjoy each other’s company.
“I think we’re pretty chill, right?” Jordan says.
“Yeah, we’re pretty chill,” Salish agrees.
Here they share what they’d do together on a Sunday Funday around their South Bay home, noting that a perfect day would involve the whole family, including mom Lauren Matter and Salish’s 20-year-old brother, Hudson Matter.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
10 a.m.: Wake up and debate the day’s options
Jordan: Salish, what time would you actually wake up?
Salish: Probably like 10.
Jordan: OK, so we’re sleeping in until 10. Then why don’t we go get breakfast? We’ll go to Ocean Diner in Hermosa Beach. We’ll both get huevos rancheros and fresh orange juice. And then I would love to go get coffee at Boy and the Bear in Redondo Beach.
Salish: Or Two Guns!
Jordan: No, I prefer Boy and the Bear.
Salish: Oh, I prefer Two Guns.
Jordan: Well, if we go to Two Guns, Salish would get the avocado toast.
Salish: No, the chai! It’s so good!
Jordan: OK, well, if Salish has an opinion, that’s what we’re doing. But later today, one thing I would love is a bike ride on the beach. Are you still down?
Salish: [High-pitched voice] Yeah.
Jordan: Did you hear that voice?! That tone is like, “Yeah, but not for much longer.”
Salish: [Laughs] No, I like doing bike rides with you! It’s just that I don’t know how much of a “biker” I am.
Jordan: You’re not one.
Salish: I’m not.
Jordan: But you have an electric bike! You just have to go like [makes e-bike revving motion] vvrrrrrruurr.
11:15 a.m.: Shopping and soup dumplings
Jordan: The next thing we’re going to do is …
Salish: Go to the mall! I like picking out new outfits for him because every day he just wears a black T-shirt.
Jordan: OK, and if we’re going to go to Del Amo mall, we’ll have lunch at …
Salish: Oh, Din Tai Fung.
Jordan: Which means we’ll have to put our name on the waiting list.
Salish: It’s like a two-hour wait.
Jordan: So we’ll put our name down right after breakfast. And then we’ll shop for clothes before our reservation.
Salish: I’ll go to Aritzia and probably Garage. And then you’ll go to Express and Levi’s. I go to PacSun a lot too but normally I don’t find anything there. I always wear sweats and hoodies — literally just sweats and hoodies.
Jordan: Also tank tops. Salish doesn’t like to repeat outfits on videos, so she does need at least one new outfit a week.
And I’ll just follow her around. I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that looks good.’ And she’ll be like, ‘No, it doesn’t.’ And I’ll be like, ‘No, it looks really good.’ And she’ll be like, ‘You’re just saying that.’ And then she’ll ask, ‘Which color?’ I’ll say the blue, and then she’ll get the pink. And I’m like, ‘I’m glad I could be helpful.’ So that’s how shopping with Salish goes. Then finally, there’s Din Tai Fung.
3 p.m.: An afternoon by the ocean
Jordan: Then we would leave the mall because I’m not gonna be there all day. We’re gonna go paddleboarding in Long Beach, in the Naples Canals area. We love anything with water, right? We love vacationing in Lake Tahoe, swimming and boating.
Then we would probably go for a bike ride along the Strand. I would vote for pulling over and having dinner. There’s a really good taco place right near the Hermosa Beach Pier called Palmilla Cocina Y Tequila.
Salish: [Winces slightly] I’m not gonna lie. I don’t really like tacos.
Jordan: Salish is an absolutely impossible eater. All she eats is Chipotle. She’s a vegetarian but she’s a picky vegetarian, so that combo makes it almost impossible for her to find food anywhere. But she’d get the black beans and rice and tortillas and cheese and mix it all together.
Salish: Yeah.
Jordan: See, I basically know everything about you.
Salish: And you would get the chicken!
Jordan: Yes.
Salish: I knew it. But you have to make sure it’s white meat.
Jordan: White meat chicken, mole, enchiladas — yum!
8 p.m.: Family hang time
Jordan: Now if there’s a good horror or suspense movie out, I might convince Salish to go. But that would be a tough sell. So maybe we’ll go back home. We just got a pool, so that’s exciting. And late nights in the pool has become a thing. We might play ping pong or a board game.
Salish: Then my brother and I would probably just chill and talk in one of our rooms. He doesn’t live here so we try to talk as much as we can while he’s home.
Jordan: Our family isn’t looking for big things to have fun — just time together. We just talk and hang out. With Salish, we talk about work but I’m also super interested in what her everyday life is like. You know, from the time she was young, I feel like I treated her like an adult in a way and we’ve always had real conversations. That’s made it easier as she’s grown up. It feels comfortable having these types of conversations.
Salish: Also, I’m a great kid, so like …
Jordan: Of course, of course. You are such a great kid. But you were a spitfire when you were little, I’ll say!
Salish: [Laughs]
Jordan: It’s a joy. It’s a joy to be with her every day.
The US has bombed multiple cities across southern Iran, including Ahvaz and Abadan, in what Central Command described as a ‘heavy wave of strikes’. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said the US would hit Iran ‘very hard’ in retaliation for an attack on US forces in Jordan.
Published On 30 Jul 202630 Jul 2026
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Threat comes as Iranian media says four Iranians were killed in joint US-Saudi attacks on Iraq.
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Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Danny Welbeck while Jordan Henderson is set to cancel his Brentford contract to enable a move to Stamford Bridge.
Henderson, 36, is under contract until 2027. Welbeck, 35, has agreed a two-year deal and been given permission by Brighton to conduct a medical at Stamford Bridge.
A fee for the striker has also been agreed but remains undisclosed as Chelsea tie up the deal for him to join pre-season in Hong Kong after Chelsea‘s final match in Australia against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
Welbeck will become the oldest signing under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership, until Henderson’s likely arrival with the west Londoners.
It is part of new manager Xabi Alonso’s drive to add experience to Chelsea‘s squad, which has been the youngest in the Premier League for the past two seasons.
Their focus on youth has been viewed as a factor in their inability to challenge consistently for major honours.
Towards the end of last season’s disappointing campaign, when they finished 10th and won nothing, Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali said their recruitment model needed a “tweak”.
Since then, Chelsea have made an offer to reunite Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, 34, with Alonso – they won the Bundesliga title together at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024.
They have also signed 26-year-old centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace on a six-year contract, pending an official announcement, while talks continue over Henderson.
Morgan Rogers, who signed for a club-record £117m from Aston Villa earlier this month, is relatively experienced, despite having just turned 24.
The club have also signed 21-year-old full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta.
Welbeck, formerly of Manchester United and Arsenal, has hit 90 goals in 400 top-flight appearances – and is the leading Premier League scorer at Brighton, who he joined on a free transfer from Watford in 2021.
His arrival would leave Chelsea with six senior strikers on their books, with others available for loan or sale.
Among those who could leave on either a permanent deal or loan are Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.
The Blues have also brought in Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha from sister club Strasbourg this summer and he could remain part of the squad.
Henderson, meanwhile, would add further experience and seniority to the squad, having been selected by Thomas Tuchel as part of England’s leadership group at this summer’s World Cup.
It was during the celebrations following England’s last-16 victory over Mexico that Henderson fractured his arm and wrist after landing awkwardly while jumping over an advertising hoarding.
Henderson joined Brentford last summer after spells abroad with Dutch side Ajax and Saudi club Al Ettifaq. That followed a hugely successful spell at Liverpool, where he won six major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League.
He joins a midfield that includes Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco – who is expected to join from Strasbourg – pending an official announcement.
The US military says it has successfully intercepted a barrage of missiles fired by Iran at its troops in Jordan. The sudden attack coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House and comes after a five-day pause in the war. Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Tehran.
Published On 29 Jul 202629 Jul 2026
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AMMAN, Jordan — When Iranian ballistic missiles repeatedly struck Jordan last week, killing three American service members and wounding dozens of others, it brought the spotlight on a U.S. military presence the government of this desert kingdom has long worked to downplay.
Jordan has been a decades-long military and counterterrorism partner with the United States, opening its territory over the years to U.S. and other Western troops in their engagements throughout the region. But faced with a population that is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian and suspicious of the U.S. for its all-out support of Israel, the government had kept those relationships at a low profile.
But now, Jordan’s growing role in the United States’ war with Iran — and the intensifying Iranian retaliation that role invites — is spurring uncomfortable conversations for the government.
“Jordanians are trapped in a dilemma: They’re being dragged into a war they didn’t want, but the cause of that war is ironically the ally they bargained with to protect them in the first place,” said Sean Yom, a professor of political science and Jordan expert at Temple University who wrote the book “Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible.”
“So they’re asking what’s the wisdom of having this geopolitical bargain with a patron like the U.S. when one of the sources of our instability is the relationship that’s supposed to guarantee our security.”
Since the ceasefire broke down July 8 and the U.S. began launching near-daily waves of strikes on Iran, Jordan has been targeted on nine occasions, with ballistic missiles and drones hitting U.S. assets and facilities and endangering some 4,000 service members at a number of Jordanian military bases across the country.
One of those salvos, on July 17, hit a housing unit in Muwaffaq Al-Salti, a Jordanian base in the country’s east, killing three U.S. service members and wounding at least four others. Also attacked were King Faisal Airbase, Prince Hassan Airbase and the airport in Aqaba.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the strikes not only killed and wounded dozens of U.S. military personnel, but also damaged drones, helicopters, F-15 preparation hangars, radar sites, missile defense systems and munitions depots.
More worryingly for Jordan, the IRGC issued statements thanking “honorable people” in Jordan for providing “sincere cooperation and precise information,” which it said enabled it to target and kill “dozens of American terrorist forces.”
“Seize every opportunity to dismantle American institutions and expel the American occupation army from Jordan,” one of the statements said.
As word of the attacks spread, Jordan’s government, normally reticent about foreign military deployments in the country, embarked on damage control.
Officials and members of parliament swiftly condemned Tehran for violating the country’s sovereignty, while the foreign ministry summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Amman, the Jordanian capital, and demanded Iran cease attacks on the kingdom. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, meanwhile, rejected Iran’s claim that the U.S. has bases in the country.
“There are no American bases in Jordan. We have American troops that are in Jordan as part of our long-standing military cooperation,” he said at the Aspen Security Forum earlier this month. Safadi was referring to the 2021 defense agreement that allows U.S. forces unfettered access to 12 facilities in Jordan, including five air bases; the agreement was approved via royal decree and bypassed parliament.
“Their presence is governed by a defense agreement that fully respects our sovereignty,” he said.
Yet government statements didn’t do much to allay concerns. Though many Jordanians have little love for Iran, more than 300 politicians, academics, lawyers, retired military officers and tribal leaders signed an open letter last week calling on the government to withdraw from the defense agreement and keep Jordanian installations neutral — a bold move in a country where opposition to government policies (especially in security matters) can be a red line.
“Jordan is not a party to this war. Its people should not have to bear the consequences or pay the price for policies that do not serve the nation’s supreme interests,” the letter said.
“We urge the avoidance of the dangers associated with aligning ourselves under the American umbrella; this requires adopting a policy of genuine neutrality, based on refraining from any military or logistical involvement that serves any party to the conflict.”
Another sign of popular anger came Sunday: When one member of parliament exhorted the body to send condolences to Congress for the killing of the U.S. service members, others shouted him down, saying the legislature wasn’t a funeral parlor to console “criminals” and “child killers,” in reference to the United States’ support for Israel in Gaza.
Jordan grapples with questions similar to those facing its gulf neighbors, all of which rely on the U.S. security umbrella that has exposed their nations to Iranian attack. But those countries’ oil riches afford them leverage to push back on the U.S. presence, while Jordan — a resource-poor nation of some 11 million people — cannot.
The conflict, meanwhile, has only compounded Jordan’s economic woes. Tourism, which official figures say accounts for almost 15% of the country’s GDP and had just begun to recover from the 2023 Gaza war, has cratered since the start of military operations against Iran. One month after the war, gas prices rose by 11%, a body blow for Jordan’s perpetually anemic economy.
All that has made the kingdom ever more reliant on U.S. largesse. Washington gives Amman roughly $1.45 billion annually, including around $800 million that go straight to government coffers for budgetary support. It would be hard pressed to substitute that level of support from Europe or elsewhere, experts say.
At the same time, Jordan has become a vital nerve center for U.S. forces. The U.S. military has since 2019 spent hundreds of millions of dollars on upgrades for Muwaffaq Al-Salti and other facilities, according to U.S. federal contracting documents, laying aircraft aprons, taxiways, munitions depots and other infrastructure.
Satellite imagery of those bases from 2019 onward show significant construction and an increasing presence of U.S. assets, including F-16s, F-18s, drones and helicopters.
Now, with U.S. troops deployed in gulf nations proving vulnerable to Iranian barrages, Pentagon planners have transferred assets to locations farther away from Iran, especially Jordan.
In recent days, despite a pause in operations against Iran, flight tracking sites showed brisk U.S. military traffic, with logistical aircraft — including the massive C-17 Globemaster and KC-35 fueling tankers — making repeated trips between Jordan and U.S. military hubs in Europe.
A US Democratic Congressman challenges UN Ambassador Mike Waltz during a congressional hearing, playing an Al Jazeera video to question troop safety in Jordan. Some lawmakers do not trust the Trump administration to be open about the danger posed by Iranian strikes on US bases.
Published On 24 Jul 202624 Jul 2026
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The US president’s threat comes after another day of Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Published On 23 Jul 202623 Jul 2026
United States President Donald Trump says he may launch the largest strikes on Iran yet after Tehran carried out another wave of retaliatory attacks on US allies in the Gulf, including hitting a telecommunications tower in Kuwait.
In remarks to US news website Axios on Thursday, Trump said he was “considering a massive attack” that would be “bigger than ever before”.
list of 4 itemsend of list
“I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump said.
The threat raises the stakes yet again in a weeks-long military confrontation in which the US has attacked Iran for 12 straight nights, including hitting bridges and tunnels, according to Iranian media reports.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks have rippled throughout much of the Gulf, sparking fears of a worsening energy crisis.
The spiralling conflict has all but destroyed an interim peace deal signed by the US and Iran last month.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday that Tehran would retaliate “an eye for an eye” against any future attacks, including those on Iran’s infrastructure.
After another night of US attacks on Wednesday, Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait on Thursday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attacks in Jordan and Kuwait targeted and hit US military assets.
The IRGC also acknowledged attacking a telecommunications tower in Kuwait, saying it was in retaliation for US attacks on telecommunications towers in Iran.
In a statement addressing the Kuwaiti people directly, the IRGC insisted that the US, not Iran, had breached the Gulf state’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty”.
Later on Thursday, Kuwait said that its Abdali border crossing with Iraq had also come under attack by “hostile drones”.
“The armed forces’ retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the US attacks on the country’s infrastructure and coastal areas continue,” said the Iranian army’s spokesperson, Mohammad Akraminia.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels further expanded the confrontation on Thursday by firing at two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, leading to broad international condemnation and a spike in global oil prices.
“The situation is getting out of control. It is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a meeting of the Security Council. “One crisis feeds another. One escalation triggers the next.”
The Houthis have declared a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports, destabilising a second key global shipping route: the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February.
Reporting from Sanaa, Yemen, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry cited Houthi sources as saying that the facilities of Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Aramco “could become a future target” of the Houthis if Riyadh does not lift its own blockade on Houthi-controlled ports.
The international oil benchmark Brent crude surged past $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time in May, in what analysts said could have an even greater impact on the global economy.
“Much of the world’s spare production capacity has already been used, while strategic and commercial oil inventories are lower than when the war began, leaving the market with fewer buffers against a prolonged supply disruption,” said Janiv Shah, vice president of the Rystad Energy consultancy.
JADE Thirlwall has split from Jordan Stephens after six years as a couple.
The Little Mix star began dating the Rizzle Kicks singer in 2020 and had since moved in together – dividing their time between homes in London and Margate.
But The Sun has learned they separated earlier this year, although are still close.
A source said: “Jade and Jordan had a very serious and loving relationship but recently they have had some frank discussions about their future and have decided to separate.
“It’s not been an easy time but they’ve both been throwing themselves into work.
“Their friends adore them as a couple and are really hoping they get back together but it’s still very raw at the moment.”
READ MORE ON JADE THIRLWALL
Reps for both Jade and Jordan have been approached for comment.
Last month, they failed to post about their sixth anniversary together, which they had shared updates about in the past.
They have also not been photographed together for several months – with their last red carpet appearance as a couple being at February’s Brit Awards where they partied until the early hours.
Neither have posted about each other on Instagram since mid-March, and Jordan recently wiped all of the TikTok videos they made together from his profile.
When asked in June about progress on her second album, she hinted at her heartache.
She told The Fader: “I’m just writing stuff. Whatever I’m going through at the minute, like privately, I’m sort of putting pen to paper.
“I think this is the exciting phase or the experimental phase, where you don’t know what it’s going to be yet.”
Jade also attended her bandmate Perrie Edwards’ wedding in Portugal last month without him.
The Sun first revealed they were dating in 2020 after they went on a series of socially distanced walks during the Covid lockdowns.
The Shout Out To My Ex singer said she “slid into his DMs” after a friend suggested they would be a good match, and they had dates on video call.
She explained: “It was through a friend. I slid in the DMs. I’d been doing this for quite a while. I kept getting pied left, right and centre.
“Jordan and I did a few Zoom dates in lockdown. We made a joke and said it was business and put suits and ties on and asked each other questions. I did the full shebang, a full suit.
“Then we had a socially distanced date in Greenwich park, apart from each other just chatting.”
Jordan recently took over as co-host of the popular Miss Me? podcast with Miquita Oliver, replacing Lily Allen.
Fans had noticed he hasn’t spoken about Jade on the podcast for several weeks.
He had a successful career as one half of pop duo Rizzle Kicks from 2008 to 2016 before relaunching the group in 2024.
As a musician, Jordan also worked on her debut album That’s Showbiz Baby! which was released last year.
Jade said at the time: “I actually really didn’t want to date a musician. I’d done it previously; it never works out well. But it’s amazing now. We write together.
“He’s on my album; I’m on his. Jordan’s on the backing vocals for Headache.”
She is currently on a festival tour which will see her spend August travelling across America, Japan, Ireland and the UK.
Washington vows revenge for US military casualties, while Iran claims attacks on US sites across the region.
Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026
The United States is carrying out its 10th consecutive night of attacks against Iran, with Iranian media reporting explosions in Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Isfahan.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the operation on Monday evening, claiming that the strikes are “designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement claiming to have retaliated by launching ground-to-ground missiles at “US HIMARS missile systems” stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
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Two Greek-owned oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were struck earlier on Monday, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors attacks on ships, reports that another tanker has been hit off the coast of Oman’s port city of Limah.
Shortly before the night’s bombing began, US President Donald Trump took to social media to warn that Iranian attacks on US military personnel would be paid back “many times over”. On Friday, two US soldiers were killed, and a third was reported missing when an Iranian missile struck a military site in Jordan, while another US service member was killed in northern Iraq.
Trump also reiterated earlier warnings that continued Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a stronger response.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthis have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, escalating tensions and sparking fears that the Yemeni conflict, which had been relatively quiet for four years, may be about to reignite and threaten shipping in the Red Sea.
July 20 (UPI) — The Department of Defense on Monday identified the two active-duty U.S. soldiers who were killed in action by an Iranian strike on Friday in Jordan.
The Pentagon announced the deaths of 25-year-old Tyler James Feehan of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and 19-year-old Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas. They were stationed at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan when it was hit by Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes.
Four more U.S. troops were injured in the strikes.
The deaths of Feehan and Gonzales were the first deaths of U.S. troops since the peace deal between the United States and Iran was briefly met earlier this month. Since the war began in February, 17 U.S. troops have been killed, including a soldier who was killed in Iraq on Saturday. That soldier has not been publicly identified.
Feehan was assigned to the 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command in Fort Bragg, N.C. Gonzales was assigned to the 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.
The United States and Iran have traded strikes for nine consecutive nights since the peace agreement between the sides was broken earlier this month. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the U.S. strikes over the weekend were in “honor” of the “probably three” soldiers killed in Jordan and Iraq.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Saturday that it began launching new airstrikes against Iran at Trump’s direction.
Tomas Ragina
The U.S. military launched airstrikes targeting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Sunday in retaliation for an attack in Jordan that killed two American service members and wounded four others, further escalating the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
U.S. Central Command
US Central Command says new strikes on Iran are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to choke the Strait of Hormuz.
By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and Reuters
Published On 19 Jul 202619 Jul 2026
The United States military said Sunday that it launched new strikes on Iran to “swiftly punish” the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for an attack that killed two American service members and left one missing and four requiring hospitalisation.
An area near Sirik in Iran’s Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island have been hit on the eighth consecutive night of US air strikes on Iran, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr and Tasnim news agencies.
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The attacks happened early on Sunday, hitting Sirik at 1:30am local time (22:00 GMT, Saturday), and Qeshm Island at about 3:38am (00:08 GMT, Sunday) and again at 6:10am local time (0240 GMT) according to Iranian reports.
Tasnim also said the US military targeted a location near Shadegan in Iran’s Khuzestan province at 5:55am (02:25GMT Sunday).
The reports said there were no casualties and that residential and commercial infrastructure was not damaged in the attacks.
In a post on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US military launched new strikes “designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”.
The post added that strikes were also in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a US base in Jordan that killed the two US service members on Friday.
US Central Command later said its strikes targeted “Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites.”
Since the war began in February, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded.
The Tasnim news agency said there were reports of explosions in Qom, Arak and Behbahan that were later denied by local authorities.
The governor of Arak said that “the situation is completely normal and so far we have not had any reports of attack or explosion”.
Iranian retaliatory strikes
Tasnim news agency said the Iranian army targeted US military assets in two bases in Kuwait.
A statement from Iran’s military said, “In response to the repeated aggressions of the enemy”, the army targeted a US “ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and the Patriot radar and air radar” at the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait.
Before the latest US strikes began, Iran’s supreme leader warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the US continued its attacks on Iran.
Initially, the battle focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz. But US strikes have now widened to include civilian infrastructure, including bridges and desalination plants for drinking water.
State-run news agency IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television the US is violating terms of the interim deal and “no longer implementing them”.
Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in US strikes in the past three weeks.
Late Saturday, the Iranian embassy in India named two girls – Sogand Dardmand and Fatemeh Zahra Akbari – who were among seven killed in a US strike on Bandar Khamir in southern Iran, which took place on Thursday.
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that the last eight nights of US strikes on Iran have caused “anger” and “frustration” among the populace.
“People don’t really know whether they are going to see the continuation of this confrontation, or how long it’s going to take, and also if there is a possibility for a diplomatic settlement to resolve all these complexities and find a long-lasting solution”, he said.
The US has launched a new wave of strikes on Iran after two American soldiers were killed by Iranian strikes in Jordan. President Donald Trump called it ‘swift punishment’, as Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reports.
Published On 19 Jul 202619 Jul 2026
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The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Two U.S. troops were killed in action and one remains missing in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, U.S. Central Command announced on X. Another “four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.”
“Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM is withholding additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified,” the command added.
CENTCOM Statement on Recently Fallen, Missing U.S. Service Members
TAMPA, Fla. — On July 17, two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally,…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 18, 2026
CENTCOM did not say where in Jordan, however, yesterday, CBS News reported that “Iran attacked at least two Jordanian bases this week, resulting in several American service members being injured in the attack after their facility was struck.”
We noted yesterday that data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) at 10:59 PM EDT indicated a fire adjacent to the runway near an area where aircraft are parked at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. However, TWZ cannot independently verify what happened at the base and if any equipment was destroyed or damaged and how personnel there were affected. We’ve reached out to CENTCOM for answers.
We reached out to CENTCOM for confirmation.
Video emerged on social media purporting to show attacks on the base.
Video captures the moment that several Iranian medium to intermediate-range ballistic missiles struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan overnight, killing at least two and injuring several other American Servicemembers. pic.twitter.com/cJz39E1LvP
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 18, 2026
Muwaffaq Salti, as we have frequently reported, has come under attack numerous times. In March, CNN obtained imagery from Planet Labs showing an AN/TPY-2 radar damaged, or even possibly destroyed, following an Iranian attack there.
The air base has long been a major regional hub for U.S. operations, and is being very actively utilized in the current conflict. It hosts the greatest concentration of U.S. tactical aircraft in the region, and thus is an extremely important target, where, as we pointed out last night, even one ballistic missile landing on an apron could destroy multiple prized aircraft and take the lives of U.S. service members or cause injuries.
Iran also hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia yesterday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid stated on X.
🚨U.S. official: Iran launched a ballistic missile at a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia
🚨Why it matters: This is the first direct Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia in nearly four months— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 17, 2026
In addition, officials in Kuwait yesterday said one of the country’s power and water desalination plants “was attacked as a result of the Iranian aggression…leading to a fire and damage to the plant’s facilities and several electricity generating units.”
“The fire is now under control and repairs are ongoing,” the Kuwait government added.
Kuwait announces one of its power and water desalinization plants “was attacked as a result of the Iranian aggression…leading to a fire and damage to the plant’s facilities and several electricity generating units.” The fire is now under control & repairs are ongoing. https://t.co/MrFcwkeTHr pic.twitter.com/LoxTCM4v92
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) July 17, 2026
The two deaths and the injuries came as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran is escalating rapidly, with each side now attacking critical infrastructure and Iran intensifying strikes on U.S. bases across the region.
Amid the fighting, “Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Qaribabadi stated that Tehran has suspended its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Washington as United States attacks continue,” the official Fars News Agency reported.
This is a developing story.
UPDATE: 6:31 PM EDT-
CENTCOM announced a new wave of attacks on Iranian targets.
“Today at 6 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began launching new airstrikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” the command stated on X. “The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night.”
Today at 6 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began launching new airstrikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction. The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 18, 2026
President Donald Trump called the deaths of two U.S. service members in Jordan, “a very sad thing,” in a brief phone call with NewsNation, the outlet stated.
Trump told the outlet that the troops died “in service of our country” and reiterated that the war’s central objective is “never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Asked about Iran’s announcement that it was no longer abiding by a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, Trump replied: “I couldn’t care less.”
NewsNation exclusive: President Donald Trump responded to the deaths of two U.S. service members who were killed in an Iranian missile attack in Jordan. Trump said the service members died “in service to our country” and reiterated that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear… pic.twitter.com/JykOv5Upla
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) July 18, 2026
UPDATE: 9:10 PM EDT-
U.S. officials offered The New York Times a recounting of the last five days of Iran’s attacks on Jordan, which the Pentagon has not yet discussed in detail publicly.
“The first attack to hit U.S. forces in Jordan struck a residential facility at King Faisal Air Base, wounding as many as five U.S. service members, they said,” the publication reported. “The second hit a base in eastern Jordan where U.S. Blackhawk helicopters were operating from, damaging a significant number of them.”
“Then, 48 hours ago, Iranian missiles hit Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, which is the same base where the troops were killed on Friday,” the newspaper added, citing officials. “The earlier strike wounded about 20 U.S. troops rushing to take cover in bunkers. No one was killed in that barrage. But on Friday, when the Iranians struck the base again, two U.S. troops were killed and four other service members were injured, according to U.S. officials. Other personnel were evaluated for minor injuries and returned to duty.”
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
The US military has continued strikes against Iran, hitting targets further to the country’s north as well as close to capital Tehran for the first time in the latest round of violence.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said early on Thursday it struck several military sites and assets in a bid to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners” in the Strait of Hormuz. The unit also said it disabled an oil tanker in the passageway.
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At least 35 people have died, and more than 300 have been wounded in the latest wave of attacks that began last Wednesday after CENTCOM launched strikes on Iranian port cities close to the Strait of Hormuz. The US says the attacks are in retaliation for Iran hitting three commercial ships in the Strait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military assets in neighbouring Gulf countries.
Here’s what has happened in Iran and the US on Wednesday and Thursday and what both sides are saying:
CENTCOM said in a statement early on Thursday that US air strikes targeted Iranian command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities as well as coastal surveillance facilities.
Multiple locations were hit, CENTCOM said, including Bandar Abbas on Thursday.
An earlier wave of strikes late on Wednesday hit coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island in a 90-minute bombing wave, CENTCOM added. The small, strategically located island sits near the Strait of Hormuz and is believed to hold a naval base, although details are not publicly available. It is also believed to be a point from which the Iranian military has disrupted shipping routes.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported attacks in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask, Khondab, Khorramabad and Semnan.
A hospital in Ahvaz was forced to evacuate 211 patients after reportedly being hit in the strikes.
Air defences were activated in Tehran and neighbouring Pakdasht and Parchin on Thursday. The Iranian military said an MQ-9 drone was downed over the city of Andimeshk.
CENTCOM, in a separate statement on Thursday, said it was enforcing a naval blockade reimposed on Tuesday by disabling a “non-compliant” oil tanker that was attempting to sail towards Iran’s Kharg Island using Hellfire missiles.
Iran’s army claimed retaliatory attacks on US military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain on Thursday.
Kuwait: The Iranian army said in a statement it targeted radar systems, the Patriot defence system and fuel tanks belonging to US forces at the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait. In an earlier statement, it said it hit a radar and gathering point for US soldiers in Kuwait, as well as US communications systems and fuel depots in Jordan’s al-Azraq airbase.
Bahrain: Drones also targeted US Super Hawk radars and Patriot defence systems at the Sheikh Isa airbase in Bahrain, the army added.
Jordan: Meanwhile, Jordan said it intercepted eight Iranian missiles on Thursday.
Iraq: Iraqi authorities said five drones attacked the city of Erbil, with two crashing near a US base and one shot down near the US consulate. Iran’s army has not claimed the attacks.
Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Ghalibaf, said on Wednesday Iran is prepared for a fuller military confrontation if the US does not live up to the terms of the interim deal. The country is fighting an “existential” battle, he added.
The IRGC has, meanwhile, threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East over the US’s naval blockade, which was reimposed on Tuesday.
“The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one,” it said in a statement.
Speaking at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, President Donald Trump reiterated his claims that Iran was pushing to strike a peace deal behind the scenes but did not provide details.
“They don’t like what we’re doing, and they do want to settle. We’ll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off,” he said.
However, in a rare show of gratitude on Wednesday, Trump thanked Iran via his Truth Social platform for the release of Dena Karari, an American citizen the US says was “wrongfully” jailed in the country since 2024.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan released on Wednesday, defended the war on Iran but added that an agreement was needed between the two sides to end the conflict.
Iran’s bridges, power plants possible targets, Trump said as IRGC says it attacked US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan.
Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026
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PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Walker silenced Philadelphia’s boo birds by homering on his last six swings, chasing down Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in the final round and becoming the first St. Louis Cardinal to win the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Schwarber hit 11 homers during his 15-swing turn in the final round. Philadelphia, fans, who loudly booed everyone but Schwarber and Bryce Harper throughout the night, quietly headed to the exits when Walker’s winning shot soared over the left field wall.
“I was once told you don’t boo nobodies,” Walker said. “So it feels pretty good.”
Schwarber advanced out of the first round and then beat Boston’s Willson Contreras in a head-to-head matchup in the second round to face off against Walker, a 24-year-old who beat Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero in Round 2.
Schwarber, the major league home run leader, had fans roaring on every swing.
Swinging away with the top button on his Cardinals jersey undone, the 24-year-old Walker seemed nonplussed by the jeers and the massive stage during All-Star festivities.
“He earned it,” Schwarber said.
Walker chewed a big wad of bubble gum and wore his cap backward just like Hall of Famer and derby great Ken Griffey Jr. He celebrated with his family immediately on the field, while his father rejoiced in recalling how Walker started hitting long home runs when he was 6 years old.
He fulfilled this childhood dream in dramatic fashion. Walker hit his seventh homer with two swings remaining and his eighth on the next swing to earn bonus swings. Needing to hit four straight homers to win, the right-handed-hitting Jordan knocked one off the top of the center field fence 401 feet away. He reached 10 homers, and Philadelphia fans booed with all their might, only for Jordan to finish the sensational surge and celebrate as fireworks shot off around him.
“That was impressive,” said Schwarber, a runner-up for the second time.
Walker is a first-time All-Star for the Cardinals having a breakout season. He has a career high 22 homers after struggling with a combined 11 over the previous two years.
Those final six in Philadelphia are now stamped on the derby highlight reel.
MLB ditched its timed clock and returned to a swing format, with each hitter continuing to swing if he went deep on his final one.
The extra time between swings gave hitters time to track their home runs — and Philadelphia a smidge more time to unleash those throaty boos at Contreras and Walker.
Each player had 20 swings in the first round and the top four advanced. Hitters were seeded for the second round, where No. 1 faces 4 and 2 meets 3.
Each player got 15 swings in the second round, with batters homering on their final swings continuing until they fell short.
Gelston writes for the Associated Press.
