The briefing for Monday, July 20.

The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran on Sunday as the conflict entered its ninth consecutive night, with the American military death toll now standing at 17 service members. The latest casualties include two soldiers killed in Jordan—1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19—identified by the Defense Department on Monday. Iran responded by firing missiles toward Jordan that Israeli officials warned could spill into Israeli territory.

US Central Command said the strikes targeted Iran's Revolutionary Guard facilities, including coastal surveillance systems, air defense sites, and missile storage depots. The campaign has hit bridges, water desalination plants, and electrical facilities across Iran, while Tehran has launched attacks on US-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported strikes in multiple cities including Tabriz, Chabahar, and Bandar Mahshahr.

The escalation follows the collapse of an interim peace deal reached in mid-June, with negotiations for a permanent settlement making little progress after President Trump declared the agreement 'over' on July 8. The conflict has been fought largely from the air, with American forces arrayed across the Middle East making other nations targets of Iranian retaliation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US 'always remains open to a diplomatic solution' while asserting that Iran was using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.

US gas prices jumped back to an average of $4 per gallon on Monday as the escalating US-Iran conflict pushed oil prices sharply higher. According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline reached $4—up significantly from $3.14 a year ago. The milestone comes as Brent crude rose 3.2% to $90.95 per barrel and benchmark US crude climbed 2.8% to $84.04 per barrel.

Gas prices first crossed the $4 threshold in late March before dipping below that level in mid-June when crude oil prices eased following the interim US-Iran deal. Even during that brief respite, President Trump expressed frustration that gas prices weren't falling as quickly as oil prices. The renewed spike is likely to become a key issue for voters in the upcoming midterm elections, with higher fuel costs also pushing up prices for groceries and other goods across the economy.

Andy Burnham officially became Britain's 59th prime minister on Monday after a decade-long journey from Manchester mayor back to national politics. The 56-year-old Labour leader traveled to Buckingham Palace where King Charles III formally asked him to form a government, replacing Keir Starmer who resigned after just two years in office. Burnham was the only candidate in the leadership contest, securing nominations from 379 of Labour's 403 MPs.

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham pledged to make politics 'less toxic' and restore stability after years of political turbulence. He said he was 'acutely aware' of how many leadership changes Britain has experienced since 2016 and promised to 'build on the foundation laid' by Starmer, who led Labour to a landslide victory in 2024 before being defeated by the challenges of governing. Burnham's rise from Manchester mayor—a position he took in 2017 after two failed Labour leadership bids—reflects his brand of business-friendly socialism known as 'Manchesterism.'

Questions remain about how Burnham will deliver on his ambitious pledges to improve living standards and reduce political toxicity without significant economic growth. Attention now turns to his Cabinet appointments, particularly for the major positions of Treasury chief, foreign secretary, and home secretary. Britain's parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders without calling a general election, meaning the next national poll doesn't have to be held until 2029.

The Food and Drug Administration confirmed Monday that a sample of iceberg lettuce from food supplier Taylor Farms tested positive for cyclospora, the parasite responsible for an explosive diarrhea outbreak affecting thousands of Americans. The FDA said the positive sample came from a product not included in Taylor Farms' voluntary recall announced Friday, and the company is working to determine if any part of the implicated lot remains in commerce or consumer homes.

Taylor Farms announced Friday it was voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market, issuing a list of affected products sold in 27 states. The recall includes lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well as Marketside-branded lettuce sold at Walmart in 15 states. At least 94 people have been hospitalized due to cyclosporiasis infections, though no deaths have been reported.

The CDC advises consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at affected Taco Bell locations. Symptoms of the foodborne illness can take up to two weeks to present and include watery diarrhea lasting for days, sudden weight loss, and loss of appetite. The FDA collected the positive sample during targeted surveillance as part of its outbreak investigation, with infections first detected on May 13.

Ukraine fired more than 400 drones toward Moscow in a massive overnight assault, marking its latest major strike on the Russian capital as the war enters its fifth year. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said most drones were downed far from the capital, with 85 intercepted near Moscow, though 10 people were wounded and residential buildings damaged. The attack started fires at industrial facilities south of Moscow, according to local officials.

The assault came hours after Russia bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missiles in a relentless cycle of strikes that make a settlement appear increasingly distant. Russia has stepped up its use of ballistic missiles in recent weeks, launching more in July than it reportedly produces each month, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The Washington-based think tank noted Russia appears to be dipping into stockpiles as ballistic missiles have higher success rates than drones or cruise missiles against Ukraine's air defenses.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces a deepening domestic political crisis following last week's government reshuffle that exposed divisions over how to fight the war. Days of street protests erupted after Zelenskyy sacrificed 35-year-old Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov while keeping 60-year-old Soviet-trained Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as armed forces chief. The struggle to mobilize troops has turned violent, with Ukraine's National Police reporting more than 600 assaults on recruitment officers amid what critics call 'brutal mobilization' tactics and fears about serving in a war with no end in sight.

The European Commission hit Chinese online marketplace AliExpress with a record €550 million ($629 million) fine on Monday for failing to adequately prevent the sale of unsafe and counterfeit products. The penalty is the largest ever imposed under the EU's Digital Services Act and comes months after rival platform Temu received a €200 million fine for similar violations. Last year, the EU fined Elon Musk's X platform $120 million.

Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said the spread of counterfeit clothing, unsafe toys, dangerous cosmetics, and other illegal products 'is not an unavoidable cost of shopping online—it is a failure by AliExpress to comply with its obligations.' The fine covers conduct until at least June 2025, when the commission issued a preliminary ruling and AliExpress accepted commitments to improve its systems. The company now has until October 20 to submit an action plan for remedying the breaches.

AliExpress, operated by Chinese tech giant Alibaba, said it 'disagreed with the disproportionate fine, which does not adequately reflect our established framework and the significant, proactive enhancements we have made.' The announcement comes less than three weeks after Alibaba agreed to pay $600 million to resolve US allegations that it sold and imported illegal pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and pill-making equipment into the United States.