Evening Brief: Iranian Parliament Votes in Favor of Closing Strait of Hormuz, Latest Assessment of Damage to Iranian Nuclear Facilities, Suicide Bombing in Damascus Church

· Guy D. McCardle

Iran Threatens to Shut Down a Global Oil Lifeline — But It’s Not a Done Deal

The Iranian parliament is flexing its muscles, voting in favor of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz—a tight bottleneck that sees around 20% of the world’s oil pass through every day. This comes as Tehran’s latest answer to U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, part of the broader tit-for-tat tension with the United States and Israel.

But here’s the catch: this vote is symbolic. It’s not an executive order. The real authority lies with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Parliament can stomp its feet and pass resolutions all day, but unless the Council gives the green light, the Strait stays open.

Iranian state media and lawmakers were quick to clarify: Parliament’s message is loud and clear, but the final call rests with the top brass. Esmail Kosari, a prominent MP, said it plainly—parliament wants the Strait closed, but it’s out of their hands for now.

That’s not just a local issue. If Iran follows through, the economic shockwaves would go global. Oil markets would convulse. The U.S. is already nudging China—Tehran’s biggest oil customer—to reel them back in. Everyone knows that even rattling the sabers at the Strait makes energy markets jittery.

Experts aren’t convinced Iran will actually close it. Too risky. Shutting down the Strait could backfire hard, inviting a massive military response and crushing Iran’s own economy in the process.

So, while the Iranian parliament just issued a war cry, the guns haven’t come out—yet.

 

U.S. Airstrikes Slam Iran’s Nuclear Sites, But the Full Damage Remains Unclear

In a bold show of force, the U.S. launched a precision strike package against three of Iran’s most fortified nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation featured seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers armed with fourteen 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators—the first time this bunker-buster has ever been used in combat. These were backed up by a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a U.S. Navy submarine.

Fordow took a direct hit. Satellite imagery shows significant damage to its entrances, tunnels, and even the mountainside surrounding the underground facility. The Pentagon is calling it “obliterated,” but independent analysts aren’t ready to sign off on that just yet. There’s no clear evidence that the strike penetrated the deepest underground chambers, where Iran’s most sensitive enrichment work likely takes place.

Natanz was also hit hard. This site is where Iran enriches uranium to 60%, and it reportedly housed around 1,700 advanced centrifuges. The U.S. says it was “destroyed,” with surface infrastructure wiped out and power systems fried. But again, questions remain about whether the subterranean enrichment halls—the real heart of the program—were actually neutralized. The IAEA hasn’t confirmed a total knockout.

Isfahan, Iran’s uranium conversion and fuel-plate facility, didn’t escape either. Over two dozen Tomahawks slammed into key buildings used for converting uranium and fabricating reactor fuel. The damage here is described as “major,” but no full structural report is out yet.

Despite the ferocity of the attack, there was no radiation release—these were enrichment sites, not reactors. Iran claims it had already moved most of its nuclear material out of harm’s way, suggesting the strikes didn’t vaporize tons of enriched uranium.

All told, the U.S. is confident it delivered a serious blow. There are craters, collapsed bunkers, and fried electrical systems at all three sites. But the million-dollar question—whether Iran’s underground centrifuge halls were truly knocked out—remains unanswered. Pentagon officials say damage assessments are still ongoing.

Politically, the U.S. is framing this as a defensive operation aimed solely at Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Vice President JD Vance made that clear. Iran, not surprisingly, has responded with missile threats and posturing, raising fears of a wider escalation. China and Russia are predictably furious, and the international community is urging restraint.

Bottom line: The U.S. hit hard. Iran’s nuclear ambitions took a solid punch to the gut. But whether they’re down for the count or just shaken up is still being figured out.

 

Suicide Bombing Rocks Damascus Church, Dozens Killed

On June 22, a suicide bomber walked into the Mar Elias Church on the outskirts of Damascus and turned a packed Sunday mass into a massacre. The attacker, reportedly tied to the Islamic State, opened fire inside the sanctuary before detonating a suicide vest. By the time the smoke cleared, at least 20 people were dead and more than 50 wounded—children among them.

The church, located in the Dweila neighborhood, was full when the blast hit. Witnesses described sheer chaos: pews splintered, blood on the floors, and panicked survivors clawing for a way out. According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, some reports suggest a second person might have been involved, though only one attacker detonated explosives. Security forces quickly locked down the area and emergency responders, including the White Helmets, worked through the wreckage for hours.

This marks the first major suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown late last year. The country has been under the interim leadership of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who’s trying to stabilize a battered Syria and protect minority communities still reeling from years of sectarian bloodshed.

No one’s claimed responsibility yet, but Syrian authorities aren’t mincing words—they’re blaming the Islamic State. The bombing’s a grim reminder that even after the fall of a dictator, the ghosts of Syria’s long war haven’t gone anywhere. With sleeper cells still lurking and the country’s wounds far from healed, the attack has reignited fears that religious minorities remain prime targets in a fractured state struggling to rebuild.