The Evening: Iran war expands

July 17, 2026

	By Matthew Cullen

Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.

The U.S. and Iran trade more attacks
Canada’s wildfires keep spreading
Plus, Old Ladies clean up Cape Cod

A blurry picture of a bridge that has collapsed in the middle.

An image from social media shows bridges reduced to rubble in southern Iran. Social media/UGC, via Reuters

Bridges and water plants are attacked as Iran war escalates

Videos from Iran showed bridges reduced to rubble as U.S. forces launched their seventh consecutive day of airstrikes on the country this afternoon. Recent American attacks have targeted both military sites and logistics infrastructure that can also serve civilian needs, including a control tower at an Iranian port.

The Iranian military retaliated today by firing on nearby countries that host U.S. military facilities, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Kuwait said that power and water plants had been hit, igniting fires and damaging several generators.

The return to intense fighting reflects President Trump’s stated belief that Iran would eventually bend to his demands if the U.S. military hits the country hard enough. Previous U.S. presidents have tried and failed using a similar strategy elsewhere.

For more: Oil prices rose to their highest level in a month as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz neared a halt. See a chart of the crossings.

Bags of Taylor Farms greens at a grocery store.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Salad supplier to remove products after cyclospora link

Taylor Farms, one of the nation’s largest producers of leafy greens and fresh vegetables, said today that it would remove its products at the center of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people.

The C.D.C. linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce that the company had supplied to Taco Bell. Federal investigators are now turning their attention to Mexico, where the lettuce was grown and shredded.

Is it OK to eat salad? We talked to experts about how to assess your risk.

A row of people lie on their backs on Pilates machines with their limbs aloft. An instructor paces between the rows of participants.

With things slow at her job and using A.I., Cassidy Winkler started a Pilates business. Kayla Wolf for The New York Times

U.S. start-up activity is booming

Americans filed 5.7 million applications last year to start new businesses, the most in the two decades the government has kept track. It’s part of a rising entrepreneurial spirit that was jump-started during the pandemic, when many workers were forced out of jobs, and there are signs that artificial intelligence is adding to the fuel.

For more on A.I.:

Xi Jinping, China’s leader, laid out his nation’s bid to shape the technology, casting China as a champion of an open approach.
The Chinese start-up Moonshot AI released a new, open-source A.I. model that appeared to narrow the lead held by well-funded American competitors.

Markwayne Mullin in a blue suit and red tie at a podium by an American flag, pointing at reporters whose hands are up.

Alex Kent/The New York Times

Mullin promises to keep up immigration arrest rate

Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, said today that his department would not slow down after two recent fatal shootings by federal immigration officers drew public backlash. He celebrated a recent uptick in arrests and deportations, which data through April confirms.

Mullin also said that local election officials could face prison if they “choose not to” act on “the information they need to secure their elections,” echoing unfounded election security claims that the president made last night during a prime-time speech. Trump is using the full weight of the government to raise doubts about the country’s election systems — but last night, he was unable to prove his case. Read our takeaways.

A slide show of images of New York City with the sky obscured by a gray haze.

Ian Willms for The New York Times

Canada’s fires keep spreading, sending dangerous air into U.S.

More than 20 new wildfires sprang up overnight in Ontario, where Premier Doug Ford said today that 81 of the province’s 191 blazes were still not under control. The fires have continued to send dense smoke across the Northeast, making the air in several cities dangerous to breathe. Track the air quality in your area.

I wish I could tell you exactly when the haze will go away, but as our meteorologist Judson Jones explains: It’s complicated.

For more:

Trump threatened new tariffs on Canada in response to the wildfires.
Here’s how to make sure the air in your home is safe to breathe.

More top news

Britain: Andy Burnham became the leader of the Labour Party, the final step before King Charles III asks him on Monday to form a government and become prime minister.
Ukraine: 20-somethings have transformed the military by creating new weapons and cutting red tape to get them to the field, but the old guard has pushed back.
Elections: Republicans in North Carolina have attempted to move early voting sites off college campuses and reduce Sunday voting.
Courts: Federal courthouses need billions of dollars in repairs to address things like mold, leaks and Legionella, and judges say the General Services Administration is a bad landlord.
Asia: Hundreds of Rohingya, the persecuted minority group from Myanmar, set off for a better life weeks ago on boats. They sank, and the U.N. fears more than 500 are dead.
California: The remains of a millionaire who disappeared 45 years ago were recently identified.
Lives Lived: Roger Summit, a research scientist at Lockheed, designed an early search engine in 1967, becoming a founding figure of the technology. He died this month at 95.

TIME TO UNWIND

A view from the stands of a soccer pitch, among French fans.

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

It all comes down to this

After more than 100 games between 48 countries, just one World Cup match remains to determine who takes home the most coveted trophy in sports. (The final is also on track to be the most expensive sporting event ever.)

On Sunday, Argentina will try to defend its title and cap off the international career of one of soccer’s greatest talents, Lionel Messi. They will face off against a Spanish team that has allowed only one goal in seven World Cup games. Get ready with The Athletic’s mega-preview.

For more: Scroll through our favorite photos from this year’s tournament.

An illustration of characters from this year’s movies at the ticket booth of a theater.

A.T. Pratt

Moviegoing is still alive

The domestic box office is having its strongest year since before the pandemic, with at least 14 movies so far this year topping $100 million. I’ve been particularly amazed to see how many people are lining up to see Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” in IMAX — even early morning showings!

“It’s a really exciting moment,” our film critic Manohla Dargis said. Recently, she was delighted to see a California theater humming: “It wasn’t just older people,” Manohla said. “It was couples on dates, kids, families. I thought, This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

For more: We talked to Nolan about his approach to filmmaking and the challenges of the immense IMAX cameras.

Steph Curry in a gray hoodie and sweats and an upside-down “Bay Area” hat. Behind him are attendees at a game.

Steph Curry in a version of the ubiquitous upside-down cap. Noah Graham/NBAE, via Getty Images

Dinner table topics

What’s the deal with those upside-down hats? My fashionable colleague Jacob Gallagher explains.
A new generation is rediscovering the onetime “king of honky-tonk,” Gary Stewart.
Couples therapists fight with their partners, too. We talked to them about it.
When in Venice, don’t miss these five art spots.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Two halves of a seasoned grilled cheese sandwich pulled apart with white cheese stretching between them.

Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.

Cook: This garlic bread grilled cheese packs a flavor punch.

Watch a great free-to-stream film, like “‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.”