Wednesday saw a new escalation in the conflict between the United States and Iran: Washington carried out another series of strikes against Iranian military targets and reinforced a naval blockade of the country’s ports, while Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed “until the United States ends its aggression.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its forces struck dozens of military targets in Iran during a seven-hour operation, using fighter jets, drones and naval vessels to deliver precision munitions against missile and drone launch and storage sites, naval capabilities and coastal defense systems. According to CENTCOM, the aim was to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Among the strikes, the port city of Bushehr — the site of Iran’s only civilian nuclear plant — was hit in three locations, and a bombardment of a barracks near Iranshahr in southeastern Iran reportedly killed seven members of the Iranian military, according to Iranian military sources.
Iran, for its part, struck targets and bases linked to the United States in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could be extended to other regional oil and gas export routes. Meanwhile, Bahrain reported intercepting a new Iranian airborne attack, an Indian sailor previously missing after the attack on the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy was confirmed dead, and Iran’s judiciary executed a person convicted for involvement in January antigovernment protests.
Below is a minute-by-minute account of developments:
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U.S. video shows its latest strike on Iran
U.S. Central Command released video footage corresponding to its most recent round of strikes against Iranian targets.
CENTCOM said the strikes targeted coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb island.
U.S. says it has redirected two vessels since restarting the blockade
As previously reported, the United States resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports at 16:00 Washington time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
CENTCOM posted on the social platform X that, since restarting the blockade, U.S. forces have redirected two commercial vessels attempting to transit the area.
Since restarting the naval blockade against Iranian ports 17 hours ago, U.S. forces have redirected 2 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade. The U.S. military remains vigilant and prepared to ensure full compliance. pic.twitter.com/E00JAlmBua
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 15, 2026
Iran’s foreign minister attended the former emir of Qatar’s funeral in Doha
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi traveled to Doha to attend the funeral of former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Iranian state news agency ISNA reported.
Araqchi’s visit to Qatar comes after Iran repeatedly said it struck what it described as U.S. targets in the country — most recently on the Sunday when the former emir’s death was announced.
Qatar has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran during the conflict.
Indian seafarers have suffered the most casualties in the Gulf maritime crisis
At least 13 Indian nationals have died and three remain missing following attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf since the conflict began in February, government sources cited by EFE said — the highest tally among identified nationalities so far. The latest case, confirmed on Tuesday by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, reported one deceased sailor and ten injured after an attack on the tankers MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, an attack the United Arab Emirates attributed to Iranian cruise missiles.
Those two ships together carried 30 Indian seafarers among a total crew of 46. While victims from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia have also been reported among crews attacked in the area, no nationality has matched the number of Indian casualties. India is also the world’s second-largest supplier of certified seafarers, with about 300,000 active merchant mariners, according to the Seafarer Workforce Report 2026.
The sequence of incidents — including three Indian crew killed in a U.S. strike on the tanker MT Settebello in June and the disappearance of an Indian sailor after the attack on GFS Galaxy — prompted the Indian government to launch a special operation to locate and assist every Indian mariner transiting the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
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A drone struck Iraq’s Grand Faw port during the prime minister’s U.S. visit
An unmanned aerial vehicle of unknown origin struck Iraq’s Grand Faw port on Wednesday, causing no injuries or material damage, Iraqi officials said. The incident occurred while Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi was visiting the United States to negotiate an economic and investment partnership with Washington.
The Iraqi Ports Company said the device crashed in an open area of the port’s container yard, leaving workers, equipment and facilities unaffected and operations continuing normally. Iraqi security authorities opened an investigation to determine the circumstances, but the statement did not say whether the drone was launched from Iraqi territory — where Iran-aligned militias operate — or from Iran amid reciprocal strikes in the Persian Gulf.
This is the first such incident at Grand Faw since the conflict began in late February. The deepwater port, with a draft of more than 19 meters capable of receiving large vessels, is central to Iraq’s strategy to diversify its economy and become a regional logistics hub. The strike coincided with al-Zaidi’s first visit to Washington, where he seeks support to stabilize Iraq, disarm Iranian-aligned militias and attract U.S. investment.
U.S. completed another wave of strikes on Greater Tunb
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian targets that “further degraded Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
CENTCOM said on X that it “launched precision munitions against coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb island during a 90-minute strike wave.”
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European stocks fall as oil rises
European markets fell on Wednesday despite a rise in oil prices, as investors monitored the Middle East conflict. At midday, the FTSE 100 was down 0.2%, the CAC 40 lost 0.2% and the DAX fell 0.8%, while Brent rose 1.1% to $85.63 per barrel after new U.S. strikes on Iran and the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.
In Asia, technology stocks led a strong rebound: Seoul closed up 6.2% after earlier intraday gains of as much as 7%, driven by an 8.8% jump in SK hynix, while a softer-than-expected U.S. inflation reading eased rate-hike concerns. Tokyo, Hong Kong and other markets also rose, although Shanghai slipped 0.3% after China reported weaker-than-expected economic growth.
Positive momentum on Wall Street — helped by solid quarterly results from major banks — and a shift in U.S. policy on tariffs for ships in the Strait of Hormuz supported Asian markets, though IBM plunged more than 25% after disappointing results.
U.S. military says it resumed daytime strikes on Iran as part of escalation
The U.S. military said it began a new wave of strikes on Iran at 10:00 GMT on Wednesday.
“The strikes aim to further weaken the military capabilities that Iranian forces have used to attack merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 15, 2026
Read the full report at the source link.
Iran executed a man arrested during the January protests
Iran’s authorities executed a man on Wednesday who was accused of setting fire to government and police buildings during antigovernment demonstrations in January in Isfahan province, state-backed judicial outlet Mizan News reported.
The report identified the executed man as Mohammad Amini Dehaghani and said he was hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence. Judicial officials allege that on January 9 he threw Molotov cocktails at the governor’s office in Dehaghan and at the central police station and incited others to attack officers.
Official accounts cite surveillance footage and the accused’s confessions, and state that Amini Dehaghani attempted to use a rifle taken from police during the protests.
Oil rises again amid the military escalation in the Middle East
U.S. benchmark crude (WTI) gained $0.86 to trade at $80.20 per barrel, while Brent, the international benchmark, rose $1.15 to $85.88 per barrel.
On Tuesday, oil closed up about 2%, hitting a one-month high as strikes worsened supply concerns in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Brent and WTI have corrected upward in line with the escalation of strikes, but the magnitude of the move is likely to moderate now as the market waits to see any change in posture from the U.S. and Iran,” June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities, told Reuters.
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U.S. strikes killed seven soldiers in southeastern Iran
The Iranian Army said it would respond to the attack on the Bambour barracks in Iranshahr, calling it “a cowardly aggression.” “A decisive response will be given to this crime at the appropriate time,” the military statement quoted by Tasnim agency said.
The military reported that 13 U.S. missiles struck facilities at the Bambour barracks, killing seven members of the 388th Brigade and wounding several others. The Army said “passive defense measures” limited the number of casualties.
The statement claimed the U.S. strikes were aimed at causing maximum casualties and targeted a guesthouse, guard posts and accommodation areas within the base.
Death of an Indian sailor missing after an attack off Oman confirmed
An Indian citizen who had been missing after the attack on the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman has died, his father-in-law told Reuters on Wednesday. Of the 11 Indian crew aboard, 10 were rescued, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.
Former Iranian foreign minister urged a ground attack on a U.S. base and taking hostages
Former Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki proposed carrying out a ground assault on a U.S. military base in the Middle East and seizing hostages to bring back to Iran.
“My proposal is to launch a ground attack on one of the U.S. bases in the region, capture 100 Americans and bring them to Iran,” said Mottaki, now a member of Iran’s parliament.
Marco Rubio and Jordan’s foreign minister discussed Iranian attacks on ships in the Middle East
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss regional security, including “Iran’s ongoing attacks against vessels and countries in the region.”
UN Security Council votes to extend monitoring of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
The U.N. Security Council approved a resolution extending for six months U.N. monitoring of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The measure was adopted with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from China and Russia, and requires the U.N. secretary-general to provide monthly reports to the Council on the situation.
The Houthi rebel group in Yemen began attacking vessels in the Red Sea in late 2023, saying it was targeting ships linked to Israel in response to the Gaza conflict.
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Vessels linked to Iran left the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the U.S. blockade
On Tuesday, there was an increase in vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with the majority of ships linked to Iran transiting before a U.S. blockade scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, shipping data showed. Kpler’s records indicate that nine of the eleven vessels that crossed that day used the Iranian route.
Among the ships entering the strait were three empty tankers — one Aframax and two larger tankers. On departures, Kpler recorded a VLCC carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, a medium-sized tanker transporting refined products and two additional vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas.
Commercial traffic that day also included a methanol tanker and a bulk carrier carrying iron ore, both departing the Gulf on Tuesday.
Jordanian army says it shot down three missiles launched from Iran
The Jordanian Armed Forces said their air defense systems intercepted and shot down three ballistic missiles that entered Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory. In an official statement, authorities said Royal Engineer Corps teams handled debris recovery in various locations, followed technical and safety protocols, and secured the areas to protect civilians and property.
“The Jordanian Armed Forces reject any violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty or the use of its airspace to threaten its security and stability,” the military said, adding that it maintains the highest level of aerial vigilance.
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck Gulf countries after the CENTCOM operation
Iran’s military announced dawn strikes on U.S. military installations in the Middle East amid the latest escalation with Washington. According to a statement by Tasnim, affiliated with the IRGC, Al Azraq airbase in Jordan — where F-18 aircraft, accommodations and U.S. equipment were located — was attacked with drones.
The IRGC described the operation, called “Lightning,” and declared that “the era of face-to-face slaps is over,” warning that any action against Iranian land, waters or airspace will be met with response and proportional cost.
The IRGC also reported simultaneous naval and aerospace attacks on a U.S. depot at Sheij Isa base in Bahrain and on U.S. drones at Ali al Salem base in Kuwait. The statement said the IRGC Navy and Aerospace Force destroyed several depots of weapons and spare parts for enemy ships and aircraft at Sheij Isa.
It also claimed to have attacked the ramps used for deploying MQ-9 drones at Ali al Salem, destroying or damaging several of them.
Iran: the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until “U.S. harms end”
The IRGC said the strategically important waterway would remain closed until U.S. actions cease, in a statement released Tuesday. The statement accused the U.S. military of striking Iranian bases “under the pretext of attacking violating ships” to mask “their defeat and incapacity.”
The IRGC added that “no ship dared to violate [the Iranian blockade] or to accompany the United States,” and that, as a result, “naturally there were no impacts” during the operation.
White House: “Divisions in Iran demonstrate the success of Trump’s policy”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said internal divisions among Iran’s leaders reflect the success of President Donald Trump’s policy toward Tehran. Miller made the remarks in an interview with Fox News.
The U.S. official argued that Iran’s leadership now faces “huge fissures” after decades of unity, and reiterated that the United States urges Iran to embrace a peace program and abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Pezeshkian vowed to defend “every inch” of Iran amid renewed tensions with the U.S.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will defend “every inch” of its territory amid rising tensions with the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump said most of Iran’s military capabilities had been eliminated. “We will defend every inch of our homeland with our actions,” Pezeshkian said in a state television interview.
His remarks came amid growing hostilities after the United States conducted strikes in southern Iran following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched missiles and drones at U.S. targets in the region.
“Their rhetoric continues, but the question is: have they achieved their objectives on the battlefield?” Pezeshkian asked, referring to Trump’s statements and U.S. military actions.
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