Iran war to cost about $37.5 billion, Hegseth says

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1. Pete Hegseth estimated the latest cost of the Iran war at $37.5 billion.

The figure, provided to the Senate Appropriations Committee, is $9 billion more than the Pentagon’s last update. The estimate includes some operations and maintenance costs as well as military pay, the Defense secretary said. For months, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been calling on Hegseth to offer more information about the war, including its costs and strategy. Meanwhile, here’s why Israel is sitting out the latest U.S. bombing campaign in Iran.

2. Global oil supplies are facing a growing list of disruptions.

Tankers loaded with Saudi oil made a U-turn after blockade threats by Yemen’s Houthi militants near the Red Sea, as Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s Black Sea shipping snarled pipeline operations. This compounds the disruption caused by Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. International benchmark Brent crude rose by 2% to around $91 a barrel, the highest levels in weeks.

3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the country’s armed-forces chief.

The move followed days of street protests over Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy’s handling of the conflict with Russia. His replacement is Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatiy, another experienced commander. In related news, an American manufacturer will for the first time begin producing drone boats that Ukraine designed and battle-tested, as the Pentagon seeks to expand its arsenal of autonomous weapons.

4. New Jersey is removing 6,600 non-U.S. citizens from the state’s voter rolls.

State officials said a software error caused noncitizens to be mistakenly registered to vote when they applied for driver’s licenses and ID cards. That mistake led to several hundred improper votes being cast. The individuals had indicated on their applications that they weren’t U.S. citizens. The revelation comes as the Trump administration pushes the GOP-controlled Congress to pass strict new voter-ID and proof-of-citizenship rules before the midterm elections. President Trump has falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen.

The Number

The decrease in the median listing price for single-family homes in Malibu, Calif., in June, from a year ago. That’s compared with a 0.1% decline for the whole state, according to Realtor.com, which is operated by WSJ parent News Corp. More than a year after the Palisades fire, Malibu has a glut of luxury homes and empty lots stuck on the market.

Catch Up

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What Do You Think?

Last week, we asked whether you have high cholesterol. Here’s what you had to say:

“I have genetically high cholesterol (275 with an LDL of 184). I started taking a statin in April at my request. Since I don’t have any other heart disease indicators, my doctors haven’t seen it as an issue. But I’ve been reading that long-term high cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, so I opted for the statin. My current PCP was happy to prescribe it.” —Valerie Gantzler, North Carolina

“I am doing absolutely nothing about it and just continuing to live my highly active lifestyle paired with a healthy diet as I have for most of my 74 years. I refuse a statin. I have genetically inherited high scores and cannot do one single thing to improve my lifestyle or diet, so I am going to ignore the doctor’s pleas to take drugs based on some formula.” —Cathy Miller, Texas

“I am 87, have taken Simastatin for 30 years and have no side effects. My cholesterol is within the normal range, so I will not make a change. I suggest that people be fully informed before making any changes to their current regimen.” —Evelyn Zirein, South Carolina

Responses have been condensed and edited.

Take a Break

French-English artist Lydia Corbett sat for Pablo Picasso in 1954 and was the subject of about 60 works, turning her hair style—a high ponytail and bangs—into a sensation. The now 91-year-old spoke to WSJ about posing for the cubist, why she sat in a rocking chair during their time together and how her life changed.

Beyond the Newsroom

WSJ | Buy Side: See the best term life insurance companies based on cost, coverage features and more.

Today’s newsletter was curated by Zlati Meyer in collaboration with Liz Webber in New York. Follow Zlati on X at @Zlatimeyer.

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