
Iran announced on Sunday that it is "determined" to defend its sovereignty and conducted strikes targeting Kuwait and Bahrain. This action follows American attacks on Iranian territory, marking a new escalation of tensions that jeopardizes ongoing negotiations to end the Middle East conflict. The two countries accuse each other of violating a ceasefire agreed upon in a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17, concerning control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran had previously locked down the strait during the war launched against it on February 28 by Israel and the United States. Although the strait reopened on June 17, Iran has only authorized a single passage corridor along its coasts and threatened to target any non-compliant vessels. On Saturday, US aviation targeted ten sites, including "air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying assets," according to the US Central Command Centcom. These strikes were in response to an Iranian drone attack on a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker passing through the strait. Iranian media reported several explosions in the Sirik and Qeshm regions in the south of the country. In retaliation, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, announced on Sunday morning that they had fired missiles and drones towards Kuwait and Bahrain. They claimed to have "destroyed eight important infrastructures of the American army at the Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait and at the Fifth Naval Fleet base in Port
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Must ReadSenegal's coach Pape Thiaw is finalizing his team for the decisive World Cup 2026 round of 16 match against Belgium. Following a 5-0 victory over Iraq, Thiaw is expected to make several significant changes to the starting lineup to field his most competitive squad for the crucial encounter. One anticipated adjustment is in defense, with Isma茂l Jakobs, who was not in the starting eleven for the last match, expected to return to the left-back position. His high-level experience, speed, and ability to push forward are considered vital assets for containing Belgium's transitions and adding depth to Senegal's play.

Senegal, having qualified for the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, is set to play Belgium this Wednesday in Seattle. The Lions of Teranga secured their spot in the knockout phase by finishing as one of the best third-placed teams after a competitive group stage. A decisive 5-0 victory against Iraq in their final group match improved their goal difference, leading to an eleventh-hour qualification. Senegal is the only team with three points to advance, while Iran, South Korea, and Scotland were eliminated. Belgium, who topped their group, had anticipated an easier opponent at this stage. Belgian media outlets, including RTBF, DH, and La Libre, describe Senegal as a formidable and dangerous adversary, highlighting their status as one of Africa's strongest teams in recent years. This match between Belgium and Senegal is expected to be a significant clash in the round of 16, with the winner advancing to face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the quarter-finals.

Senegal's path in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage has been outlined, prompting questions about the Lions' chances of reaching the final. Statistical models, considering Elo rankings, squad value, past five-year performance, current form, and bracket difficulty, estimate the probabilities at each stage. Senegal faces Belgium first, with a 35-45% chance of qualifying, a median estimate of 40%. Should they advance, a likely match against Germany or the Netherlands in the round of 16 would reduce their qualification chances to approximately 35%. The quarter-finals would be even more demanding, potentially against France or Sweden, with models giving Senegal about a 30% chance against France. A semi-final against Brazil or Argentina would present the ultimate test, with an estimated 25% probability of reaching the final. Multiplying these successive probabilities 0.40 脳 0.35 脳 0.30 脳 0.25 results in an overall probability of close to 1% for Senegal to reach the final. While this figure may seem low, it reflects the extreme difficulty of achieving four consecutive upsets against top international teams, rather than indicating no chance at all.