The Long March 7A rocket launched at 1200 UTC, Monday, (Aug. 10), by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, suffered a catastrophic failure about 85 seconds after liftoff. Video reposted to social media captured the shock of onlookers the moment that the rocket burst into flames.

The failure occurred during the joint burn phase of the first stage and boosters, specifically involving the YF-100 engines, which has triggered a fleet-wide investigation potentially impacting other missions like Chang'e 7.

The explosion generated a massive fireball and debris cloud over the South China Sea, resulting in the total loss of the vehicle and its payload, the China's Zhongxing-4B communications satellite, presumably bound for geostationary transfer orbit(GTO). China's Zhongxing satellites provide telecommunications and broadband internet services and are also thought to provide services for China's military.

The Long March 7A's four side boosters and core stage detach as a full cluster during first stage separation, which typically occurs just under three minutes after liftoff. As today's incident occurred just 85 seconds into flight, the rocket was still engaged in the main stage's initial engine burn to escape Earth's atmosphere.

Monday's incident marks the second in-flight failure for the Long March 7A since its debut in 2020, ending a streak of 16 consecutive successful missions. The debut launch also ended with the vehicle's explosion. China traced that mishap to an engine malfunction that occurred shortly after first-stage separation. This morning's launch, however, didn't get that far.

A Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket is scheduled for liftoff Monday evening to fly from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, 2,415 kilometers from Wenchang, at 2345 UTC, and is expected to feature a first-stage landing attempt. It is unclear what repercussions Monday's explosion may have on the mission.

CASC uses the standard Long March 7 rocket, which shares its core stage with the 7A, as its launch vehicle for delivering cargo to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit about every eight months. The most recent of those missions launched in May, putting the next resupply launch sometime around January 2027 which may face delays due to Monday's explosion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan, declaring that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from any part of the Gaza Strip until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed."

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said, "Israel rejects the 15-point document," emphasizing that any disarmament must include "heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons" and cannot be "fictitious."

Netanyahu also vowed that "as long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established," rejecting the plan's implications for governance in both Gaza and the West Bank.

The core disagreement centers on the sequence of actions outlined in the proposal by Trump's "Board of Peace." The US-backed plan envisioned a phased process where Hamas would surrender weapons to a new Palestinian technocratic administration in tandem with a gradual Israeli withdrawal.

Netanyahu adamantly opposes this simultaneity, insisting that no reconstruction or withdrawal can begin before the "complete dismantling and demobilization" of Hamas. While Hamas agreed to the roadmap to spare Gaza further war, it conditioned its implementation on Israel first halting attacks and withdrawing forces.

Political and diplomatic tensions inform Netanyahu's decision as he faces pressure from his Zionist extremist coalition ahead of October elections, political observers say.

Despite calling Trump a friend, Netanyahu asserted Israel's independence, stating, "We know how to stand our ground" on matters where US ideas are unacceptable to Israel.

Following Israel's pushback, the Board of Peace reportedly adjusted its language to suggest Israeli withdrawal would occur only after Hamas's disarmament is completed, though Netanyahu maintains the current document is still rejected. Hamas called on Trump to pressure Netanyahu to abide by the originally plan.

The disagreement comes as the gaps between Israeli and US interests widen. CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper on his recent visit to the region, reportedly conveyed to Israeli leaders that the US is interested in ending the war in the three active theaters - Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

In Lebanon, the US reportedly wants the IDF to withdraw from additional points in the security zone in the south of the country, and in Gaza, to see progress, an end to assassinations and the entry of the multinational force, which now includes several hundred soldiers from Morocco and Uganda.

Netanyahu reportedly spoke on the phone with President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner and promised to give the 15-point plan a chance despite his skepticism and curb attacks on Gaza so that the process of demilirarization of Gaza can begin. Since then Israeli attacks on Gaza have decreased and the IDF is reportedly gradually moving back to the Yellow Line.

The Whote House is reportedly "not bothered" by Netanyahu's statement on the Gaza plan and sees it as part of the election season in Israel, saying they "have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask - especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza."

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), led by Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, on Saturday, issued a sweeping list of demands declaring that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the United States "corrects its behavior."

These demands, published by Iranian state media, include permanently ending threats and hostilities against Iran and its regional allies, withdrawing all U.S. military forces from the region, lifting the naval blockade and sanctions, paying full war reparations, and unconditionally releasing frozen Iranian assets.

Iran effectively closed the Strait in retaliation for attacks by the U.S. and Israel, halting critical maritime trade and causing global energy prices to spike, with U.S. gas prices averaging $4.02. A temporary ceasefire memorandum signed in June collapsed over U.S. military interference. Tehran claims that after shipping restored to roughly 60% of pre-war capacity, the U.S. sought to establish unauthorized alternative routes and challenge Iranian management of the channel.

Iranian military continue to 'violating' vessels—including a Saturday Iranian missile strike on an Emirati-flagged tanker—underscoring the volatile environment surrounding the Strait of Hormuz through which roughly 20% of the world’s petroleum and natural gas normally flows.

SNSC's stated conditions include,

1. A permanent cessation of U.S. threats and military actions directed at Iran probably directed at President Donald Trump who regularly threatens the Iranian government in apocalyptic terms.

2. An immediate end to strikes and offensive military operations targeting Iran's allies across Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq.

3. Complete termination of the U.S. naval blockade restricting Iranian ports.

4. Full pullout of U.S. naval and air forces deployed in the immediate vicinity of Iran.

5. Financial compensation paid by Washington for damages inflicted during the war.

6. Complete lifting of economic sanctions and the immediate release of frozen Iranian assets abroad.

"Until America corrects its behavior, the Strait of Hormuz will not open," Zolghadr declared, emphasizing that Tehran views control over the waterway not merely as an economic mechanism, but as a core pillar of its geographic and strategic power.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday, that negotiations with Oman are in the "final stages" and close to an agreement on managing shipping traffic, specifically regarding the determination of new transit routes.

Araghchi noted that the historical Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the strait is no longer acceptable to Tehran. Iranian and Omani naval delegations have drafted maps for a temporary route along Oman's coast to serve as a bridge toward a permanent framework.

However, Araghchi cautioned that this bilateral deal alone is insufficient; the full reopening of the waterway remains contingent on the U.S. meeting Tehran’s conditions, which he attributed to Washington's alleged violation of the interim ceasefire memorandum signed in June.

Oman described talks as "positive and constructive" but warned that ongoing attacks on commercial vessels, such as the recent missile strike on UAE-owned ship, could derail progress.

The Trump administration has insisted on the complete, unhindered reopening of the Strait and rejected Iran’s attempts to charge transit fees or exercise unilateral control, viewing the Iranian demands as unlikely to be agreed upon.

While U.S. officials expressed optimism over a potential 30- to 60-day maritime truce, they warned that sanctions relief and unfreezing assets remain strictly tied to a broader peace agreement and nuclear compliance.

Zolghadr’s public hardline stance Saturday, follows unconfirmed reports of internal debates within Tehran. Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian had supported the Omani diplomatic track to resolve the crisis and end economic isolation. However, hardline factions led by Zolghadr and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders insist that the strait remain closed as leverage against U.S. pressure.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday: "We're talking to the Iranians, of course. We're trying to maximize the amount of oil and gas that is coming out of the Strait of Hormuz. We're just trying to make sure that we get what we need out of this particular conflict.

"We've destroyed their nuclear program, we've destroyed their conventional military, we've radically reduced their asymmetric military abilities, and right now, we're trying to see if they're willing to make the kind of long-term changes that would be necessary to have a better relationship with the United States—and if not, that's fine too. We're just going to keep on applying the pressure that we can apply and getting as much oil and gas out of the Middle East so that Americans can enjoy lower gas and energy prices."