Evening Brief: Iran Says 27 Inmates Still at Large After Israeli Strike on Tehran Prison, China Blocks US Government Employee from Leaving

· Guy D. McCardle

Evin Prison's main entrance (Image grab via Center for Human Rights in Iran)

Tonight’s Evening Brief takes you from Tehran to Tel Aviv, Ukraine to Zimbabwe, and everywhere in between. We’re tracking fallout from an Israeli prison strike, a deadly Gaza aid crisis, and Russia’s escalating drone war. Plus, new flashpoints in Syria, a tragic crash in Zimbabwe, and tighter US military enlistment rules. Let’s get you caught up.

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Iran Says 27 Inmates Still at Large After Israeli Strike on Tehran Prison

Iran confirmed Tuesday that 27 inmates remain at large following an Israeli airstrike last month on Evin prison in northern Tehran.

The strike, part of Israel’s 12-day bombardment campaign against the Islamic Republic, killed around 1,100 people in Iran. Iranian retaliatory strikes left 28 dead in Israel.

According to judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir, 75 inmates escaped after the strike, and 48 have since been recaptured or returned voluntarily. The remaining escapees, mostly convicted of minor offenses, face re-arrest if they fail to surrender.

Iranian officials reported that 71 people were killed in the prison attack, though local media earlier cited 80 deaths, including guards, prisoners, soldiers, and visiting relatives. Authorities also acknowledged five inmate deaths.

It remains unclear why Israel targeted the prison, which is widely regarded as a symbol of political repression.

Israel’s Defense Ministry stated that the operation involved 50 aircraft dropping 100 precision munitions on military targets based on high-quality intelligence.

The New York-based Center for Human Rights condemned the strike, arguing it breached international law by failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets.

 

Over 1,000 Palestinians Killed Seeking Food in Gaza; Israeli Strikes Leave 25 More Dead

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while attempting to obtain food aid in Gaza, with most fatalities occurring near sites run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the United Nations human rights office Tuesday.

The figure includes 766 deaths near GHF aid points, while the rest were killed around UN convoys or food distribution areas.

Israel denies firing directly at civilians, claiming only warning shots were used. GHF also disputed the UN’s death toll.

Gaza faces a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with widespread hunger and collapsing infrastructure. The UN World Food Program reported that over 100,000 women and children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, and a third of the population routinely goes without food. Aid groups say food and medicine are dangerously scarce, with MedGlobal confirming five children recently died of starvation.

Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 25 more Palestinians across Gaza, including 12 in a tent camp in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp and eight near an aid distribution point. Dozens more were wounded.

Israel’s military said it had no knowledge of a strike in the camp and offered no comment on the other incidents.

A joint statement from 28 Western-aligned countries condemned Israel’s aid delivery model, calling it dangerous and dehumanizing.

Israel and the US rejected the criticism, accusing Hamas of obstructing aid and prolonging the conflict by refusing ceasefire terms.

Talks over a potential truce continue amid growing international pressure.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed since, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which the UN regards as a key source for casualty data.

 

Syria Probes Sectarian Bloodshed on Coast, Faces New Violence in South

A Syrian government committee reported Tuesday that over 1,400 people were killed during a wave of sectarian violence on the country’s coast earlier this year.

The clashes erupted after the December ouster of longtime President Bashar al-Assad and were triggered by pro-Assad groups attacking government security forces on March 6. In response, roughly 200,000 armed men, including military factions and civilians, flooded the region, with some committing widespread abuses against the Alawite community.

The inquiry identified nearly 300 suspects linked to crimes including murder, torture, and looting. Authorities arrested 37 individuals but did not confirm how many belonged to security forces.

The committee said it found no evidence that Syria’s new military leaders ordered the attacks and characterized the violence as driven by revenge rather than ideology.

The violence coincides with renewed sectarian clashes in southern Sweida province between Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin clans, and government forces.

The fighting has left hundreds dead and displaced over 130,000 people.

Red Crescent officials described dire humanitarian conditions in Sweida, where bodies overwhelmed the main hospital and aid convoys were only recently able to enter the city.

Efforts to evacuate Bedouin families from Druze-majority areas are underway, with concerns rising about possible long-term displacement. Human Rights Watch condemned abuses by all parties and warned of escalating sectarian tensions nationwide.

The Syrian government insists the relocations are temporary and has pledged that displaced civilians will be allowed to return.

 

Turkey Warns Syria’s Kurds Against Autonomy, Threatens Intervention

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday warned Kurdish and other factions in Syria against pursuing autonomy or separatist agendas, declaring that any move to divide the country would be treated as a direct threat to Turkey’s national security and could prompt military intervention.

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan stated, “If you cross that line, we won’t leave ourselves exposed to threats.” He emphasized Turkey’s support for a unified Syrian state under the interim government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and backed the integration of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria’s national army.

Fidan condemned recent Israeli strikes in Syria, including attacks on Sweida and Damascus, and urged all factions not to exploit ongoing instability in southern Syria for political gain. He called for unity while respecting cultural and religious identities, stating, “Now is the time for integration.”

The warning follows violent clashes in Sweida province between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, which triggered Israeli strikes aimed at protecting Druze communities.

Turkey has conducted multiple military operations in northern Syria since 2016, targeting Kurdish fighters it considers affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a designated terrorist group.

 

Court Allows Trump Administration to End Deportation Protections for Afghans in US

Thousands of Afghans in the US lost their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after a federal appeals court declined to block the Trump administration’s decision to end the designation.

The Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that there was “insufficient evidence” to justify delaying the policy change, which officially ended TPS for Afghans on July 14. A brief extension expired July 21.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in May it would terminate TPS for 11,700 Afghans, stating conditions in Afghanistan had improved. The program, in place since 2022, shielded Afghans from deportation and allowed them to work legally in the US.

Advocacy group CASA sued to halt the revocation for Afghans and Cameroonians — whose protections end August 4 — arguing the move was racially motivated and procedurally flawed.

A lower court allowed the suit to proceed but declined to freeze the deportation timeline. The appeals court acknowledged CASA’s claims as “plausible” and urged the lower court to move quickly.

TPS holders now face potential deportation or legal limbo.

Immigration advocates argue Afghanistan remains unsafe, particularly for former US allies, women, minorities, and ethnic groups targeted by the Taliban.

Global Refuge called for Congress to provide a permanent solution for Afghan nationals.

 

Truck and Minibus Collision Kills 17 in Zimbabwe, Including Pedestrians

A head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a haulage truck killed 17 people on Tuesday near Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, according to local police Tuesday.

The accident occurred roughly 25 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of the capital, Harare.

Authorities said the truck veered into oncoming traffic after the driver lost control, first striking two pedestrians before colliding with the minibus.

Fifteen of the 17 minibus passengers died instantly, while others were rushed to a hospital with injuries. The state-run Herald reported the minibus was flattened beyond recognition, with only chassis fragments visible beneath the truck. Recovery operations extended into the afternoon.

Chitungwiza Mayor Rosaria Mangoma called for the crash to be declared a national disaster, describing the scene as one of the most traumatic in the town’s history.

Deadly road accidents are common in Zimbabwe due to speeding, overloading, and poor road conditions. The country averages one road accident every 15 minutes and five fatalities daily, according to government data. In February, a similar crash near Beitbridge killed 24 people.

 

B-52 Near Miss with Delta-Connected Passenger Jet Sparks Federal, Military Probes

A near-miss between a B-52 Stratofortress and a SkyWest-operated Delta Connection passenger jet over Minot, North Dakota, has triggered multiple investigations, including from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Air Force.

The July 18 incident forced SkyWest Flight 3788 to abort its landing and perform an evasive go-around maneuver after encountering the bomber in its flight path.

The SkyWest flight, en route from Minneapolis to Minot, had been cleared for approach when the pilot suddenly spotted the B-52 and was forced to divert. A TikTok video recorded onboard showed the pilot apologizing to passengers, citing a lack of warning from air traffic control or the nearby Air Force base: “Nobody told us… This is not normal at all.”


The Air Force confirmed a B-52 assigned to Minot AFB had conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair that evening.

SkyWest and the Air Force are both investigating the incident. The FAA confirmed the Minot control tower involved is operated by a private contractor, not FAA personnel.

Aviation experts point to a breakdown in communication between civilian and military controllers.

In a Monday report by Military.com, Former Air Force Reserve pilot John Nance said both the tower and the bomber crew should have coordinated better to avoid the incident.

This close call comes amid heightened scrutiny over military-civilian airspace integration, following a deadly January collision in DC between a commercial plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

 

Pentagon Bans Medical Waivers for Heart Failure, Schizophrenia, and Paraphilic Disorders

The Pentagon has updated its enlistment policies to bar medical waivers for individuals with congestive heart failure, schizophrenia under treatment, or a history of paraphilic disorders, according to new rules signed Tuesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The directive tightens medical eligibility standards, eliminating waiver options for several severe health conditions.

Hegseth said the changes aim to ensure troops are “physically and mentally capable” of enduring battlefield conditions and minimizing risk to units.

The update follows the Trump administration’s broader review of medical conditions affecting military service eligibility, including a ban on transgender personnel.

Under the revised policy, additional conditions now considered disqualifying include multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, past organ transplants, and suicide attempts within the previous 12 months. Some conditions—such as amputations, implanted pacemakers, kidney disease, and prior psychotic disorders—will still be eligible for waivers but only if approved by the secretary of a military branch.

Medical waivers have historically allowed exceptions for a variety of health conditions, but the new rules significantly narrow the scope of that discretion.

The move aligns with the administration’s push for stricter personnel standards amid ongoing debates over military readiness and inclusion.

 

Ukraine Parliament Passes Controversial Bill Weakening Anti-Corruption Agencies

Ukraine’s parliament passed a bill Tuesday granting the prosecutor general expanded authority over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), drawing widespread criticism over fears it would compromise their independence.

The legislation, now awaiting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s signature or veto, would effectively place both agencies under the prosecutor general’s control, according to a joint statement from NABU and SAPO.

The move has sparked public outrage and prompted protests in Kyiv.

Critics, including the European Union’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Transparency International Ukraine, warned the bill undermines vital anti-corruption reforms and threatens Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

Kos called the legislation a “serious step back” and stressed that independent anti-corruption bodies are central to EU accession talks.

Transparency International urged Zelenskyy to veto the bill, warning he would otherwise share responsibility for dismantling post-2014 anti-corruption reforms.

The legislation comes amid rising concerns about Zelenskyy consolidating power.

Last week, he reshuffled his wartime cabinet, and on Monday, Ukraine’s domestic security agency detained two NABU officials for alleged Russian ties and searched others over separate accusations.

Zelenskyy’s office declined to comment.

 

China Blocks US Government Employee from Leaving as Exit Ban Tensions Resurface

China has barred a US government employee from leaving the country, the State Department confirmed Tuesday, marking another case of Beijing restricting American nationals from departing.

The individual, affiliated with the US Patent and Trademark Office, traveled to China in a personal capacity.

Officials said they are actively engaged with Chinese authorities to resolve the situation.

The incident follows growing concern over China’s use of exit bans, which have affected both Chinese citizens and foreigners. Beijing claims such restrictions are part of legal proceedings or investigations, but critics allege they are used arbitrarily.

The US has warned citizens in the past about the risks of traveling to China, though it relaxed its advisory in November after China freed three long-detained Americans.

This latest case comes just days after China blocked Chenyue Mao, a US-based Wells Fargo banker, from leaving the country. China says Mao is under investigation for a criminal matter.

Wells Fargo has halted all travel to China while seeking her return.

China’s foreign ministry has offered no specifics on the US government employee’s case but insists it acts according to law. Similar exit bans in recent years included two American siblings who were stuck in China for three years before being allowed to return in 2021.

 

Sources: News Agencies