🇺🇸🇮🇶 The U.S. withdrew the 5 remaining MIM-104 Patriot SAM batteries from the Erbil Airport as the U.S. nears completing its long delayed withdrawal from Iraqi territory.

While American officials say the withdrawal is “routine” and part of a bigger plan to reduce U.S. presence in the Middle East, the American position in Iraq became untenable after the breakout of the 3rd Gulf War in February with American bases being placed effectively in a state of siege by Iranian and Iraqi PMF projectiles.

The withdrawal is no doubt an Iranian victory as without the Patriot batteries in Erbil, Iranian drones and missiles will have an easier time getting to Jordan and potentially, Israel.

However, the biggest losers from this decision to remove all U.S. forces from Erbil are the Kurds, who benefitted greatly from the presence of American air defenses. The loss of these systems will leave the Kurds at the mercy of Iranian commanders.

🔗 https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/us-nears-full-withdrawal-iraq-bases-kurdistan-region-face-attacks-iran-proxies

🇪🇸🇲🇦⚡️ — Spain says most of the more than 50,000 people who had crossed ​the border by land and sea into Ceuta are already heading back voluntarily.

➡️ 57 bodies have been recovered on the Spanish side of the border, and ‌there could be additional casualties on the Moroccan side.

🇮🇹❌🇪🇸❌🇪🇺BREAKING: Italy suspends Schengen free movement with Spain following the Ceuta migrant crisis.

https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/flash/2026/07/31/-litalia-sospende-laccordo-schengen-con-la-spagna-_60788efd-ff25-4943-94bc-fc4cdb88e3fd.html

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🇲🇦❌🇪🇸 — Several Moroccans said to New York Times that Moroccan Royal police encouraged them to cross into Ceuta, with some Moroccan Border Guard officers telling migrants to “go that way” or “come to Spain.”

🇺🇸🇯🇵 Washington has taken over the Bank of Japan

US Treasury’s Scott Bessent just casually revealed the “close coordination” with BoJ Governor Ueda, this is the smoking gun that America is dictating Japan’s interest rates.

The Bank of Japan today has decided to not to hike interest rates despite rising yields and a devaluing of the Yen

The US Treasury forced Japan to freeze hikes and keep the yen carry trade at the moment, wide open so Wall Street can keep siphoning free money.

The longer Japan delays the inevitable rate spike, the more catastrophic the unwind will be… markets will bleed, savings will evaporate, and the pain will be devastating and widespread.

Japan’s only escape hatch? They’re integrating digital assets into their economy and allowed treating Bitcoin and XRP as Corporate Treasury assets. The ultimate off-ramp from this dollar-dominated trap.

🔗 Stern Drew

🇺🇸🇰🇼 Debasification: The U.S. is considering withdrawing part of its forces from Kuwait

In the decades since Kuwait’s liberation in the first Gulf War, the U.S. has used the oil-rich emirate as one of the Army’s biggest logistics hubs in the world, hosting thousands of troops, Abrams tanks and heavy artillery.

The American military footprint gave Kuwait a sense of security. Never again could a bigger, more powerful neighbor threaten it.

But the Iran war has undercut this arrangement for both Washington and Kuwait City. The U.S. is now rethinking the scope of its footprint in the emirate, said U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations, even as Kuwaiti officials have said they still need a firm commitment of American support.

The conflict has underscored the danger of a sustained campaign against Kuwait’s civilian infrastructure—and the vulnerability of longstanding U.S.-Kuwaiti defense ties.

“The attacks have made people in Kuwait think of the U.S. presence as a liability, but also as absolutely necessary to defend Kuwait,

Kuwait recently signed a new defense pact with Pakistan, which has played a mediating role in seeking to halt the U.S.-Iran conflict. There is no sign that Kuwait’s rulers are planning a fundamental shift away from heavy reliance on the U.S. as their main security partner. But they might press for new weapons and stepped-up air-defenses systems from Washington and other suppliers to counter the Iran threat.

What is more likely to spark changes in the relationship is a U.S. realization that a large, permanent troop presence in Kuwait is no longer critical or militarily wise, analysts said. The Pentagon was already thinking about drawing down its forces before the Iran war began, said current and former officials. In response to the Iranian attacks on American bases, the Pentagon has reduced its presence in Kuwait to minimize risk, U.S. officials said.

“The question really is, if the Iran war continues, whether that large of a U.S. presence still makes sense,” said Elizabeth Dent

For Kuwait, she added, the danger is that Washington’s commitment to its defense might decline if the Pentagon permanently shrinks its footprint.

https://archive.is/20260731012145/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/the-u-s-liberated-kuwait-but-now-struggles-to-protect-it-from-iran-acb68e94

🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 — New York Post, citing two sources, reports that CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper has drafted a plan for a two-week long large-scale bombing campaign against Iran.

It would be a sustained bombing campaign rather than the limited nightly strikes seen in the previous round of conflict, and would be the most significant military operation since the April 8 ceasefire.

🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 — WSJ, citing U.S. officials, also reports that U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a heavy strike campaign against Iran that could be conducted this weekend.

WSJ reports the strike campaign would be a few days long and be aimed at getting Iran to return to the negotiating table.

WSJ citing U.S. officials also claims that Trump has been calling the Iranians "crazy" and became very frustrated at the Camp David meeting, suggesting more violent strikes to "break Tehran's will". Iran likewise doesn't trust the United States due to negotiations repeatedly breaking down and Trump repeatedly threatening military force, according to WSJ.

🇺🇸🌚 — A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is expected to crash into the Moon on Wednesday after drifting through space for more than a year following the launch of two lunar landers in January 2025.

➡️ The abandoned rocket stage is predicted to strike the Moon at around 8,700 km/h (5,400 mph) near Einstein Crater on the Moon's sunlit western limb. The impact is expected to release energy equivalent to about three tons of TNT, creating a crater roughly 27 meters wide (90 feet) and 5 meters (16 feet) deep.

➡️ Although the brief impact flash is unlikely to be visible, scientists expect a plume of dust and debris to rise several kilometers above the surface and remain observable by telescopes for several minutes.