CENTCOM completes its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military sites, while the IRGC declares the Strait of Hormuz closed and warns uncoordinated ships against transit.
Published: Jul 23, 2026, 1:15 AM (GMT+3)
Updated: 6:31
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Thursday morning that US forces began launching more strikes against Iranian military targets, marking the twelfth night in a row of such strikes.
“The mission will continue to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” it said.
Prior to the official announcement, explosions were reported in several areas across Iran, including in Bandar Mahshahr and Sirik.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a direct threat to the United States, declaring that the Strait of Hormuz is under its full control and “completely closed” as long as American military operations in the region continue. In their statement, the IRGC clarified that no oil tankers will be permitted to pass, enter, or exit through the strait without prior coordination with Iranian authorities.
Additionally, the IRGC reported that an oil tanker caught fire following an explosion when it attempted to navigate a “mined channel” south of the Strait of Hormuz, and that two other oil tankers turned back and aborted their routes. The Iranian statement did not specify the names of the vessels involved or the exact timing of the incidents.
Later, Iran’s Fars news agency reported a new wave of US strikes targeting a military site in the city of Bushehr, located in southwestern Iran.
Iranian media also reported, citing a security source, that two people were killed in a strike conducted by US forces in the area of the Shalamcheh border crossing.
The crossing is located in southwestern Iran, on the border with Iraq, and serves as a strategic point in the region.
The US strikes came shortly after US President Donald Trump said that Iran wants to make a deal with Washington, but is not yet ready for one.
“They’re getting hit so hard, and they want to make a deal – but I say they’re not ready to make a deal because every time they make a deal they want to change it and everything. They’re not ready,” Trump told a rally in Marietta, Georgia, on Wednesday afternoon.
The President stated that the US is “winning in the Islamic Republic of Iran and we are ensuring that they will never ever be able to do to us what they have done to so many.”
“They’ve killed 52,000 plus protesters. People that were protesting have been killed over the last four months. Nobody wants to talk about it,” he added.
The President stated that the US is “winning in the Islamic Republic of Iran and we are ensuring that they will never ever be able to do to us what they have done to so many.”
Prior to the Georgia rally, Trump threatened a further escalation against Iran, warning that the US would begin blowing up Iranian bridges and power plants if Iran does not cease its attacks on international shipping.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Explosions reported in several Iranian cities as IRGC claims it hit oil tankers trying to cross Hormuz, struck assets in Kuwait; Iran said to suspect US planning ground operation
Video footage shared by US Central Command on July 19, 2026, shows forces launching a ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran. (US Central Command video, screenshot via X)
US forces struck Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Monday as the number of confirmed American military deaths in the renewed fighting rose to three, and concerns grew over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which the Trump administration accused the Islamic Republic of seeking to control “as leverage against the world.”
In a statement, US Central Command said the strikes were aimed at “degrading” Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels in the strait’s vital shipping lanes, targeting military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.
“The US military is holding Iran accountable at the commander in chief’s direction,” said Central Command. “CENTCOM forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing its own reporters, said US missiles struck several Iranian cities early Monday, with explosions heard in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. State media reported that strikes also hit several locations in Iran’s southern port city of Bushehr, home to the country’s only civilian nuclear plant.
Announcing the latest casualties in the war, the US military said on Sunday that a servicemember was killed on Saturday in northern Iraq, where the US has military bases, “during a controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian attack drone.
Earlier in the weekend, the US military said two of its service personnel died in Jordan and that a third was missing in action. On Sunday, Central Command said in a statement that “unidentified remains” had been found at the site of Friday’s attack and that “an examination process to verify the remains is ongoing.”
The casualty announcements brought the total number of US military personnel killed since the war began to 17, with more than 420 others wounded.
“We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the, probably three, it’s probably three great patriots,” Trump told reporters amid the latest strikes as he returned to Washington following the World Cup final.
Trump said “we feel very badly,” when asked about the military fatalities, adding that those who died were fighting so that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he exits Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after attending the World Cup final soccer match, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, meanwhile, claimed early Monday that it had hit and disabled two oil tankers trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“Late last night, two non-compliant oil tankers… attempted to enter and exit through what was described as the unsafe and hazardous southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, exploded and were brought to a halt,” the Guards says in a statement, according to the Tasnim news agency.
The statement gave no details on the vessels’ names, flags, crews or any casualties.
The Guards said the waterway would remain unsafe as long as what it called US “aggression” in the region continued, warning that “this passage will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, nor even a single drop of oil and gas.”
Four vessels made the transit through Hormuz on Sunday, down from eight the previous day, LSEG data showed. At least three oil products tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier have entered the strait since Friday to load oil, according to the data.
This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026, shows a cargo ship anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan. (AFPTV/AFP)
The IRGC also announced an overnight surprise attack on “the enemy’s special operations headquarters in Syria’s Al-Tanf area,” as well as against Bahrain and Kuwait, the latter of which said it was “engaging hostile drone attacks following Iranian aggression.”
The Guards said that in Kuwait, a US early-warning radar system was “completely destroyed,” and that Iranian forces “struck an equipment and aircraft parts warehouse and an MQ-9 drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base, setting several drones on fire.”
Additionally, the IRGC said it targeted US military aircraft stationed at Aqaba Airport in southern Jordan.
American heavy transport aircraft and command and control aircraft “were targeted with ballistic missiles, causing severe damage to a number of them,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster.
Iran had also targeted Aqaba the day before in an attack that risked widening the conflict into Israel, which launched interceptors to down fragments from Iranian missiles.
Israel readying ‘immediate and strategic operational options’
During the recent exchanges of fire, now in their second week, Iran has focused attacks on US-allied Arab states rather than Israel, which launched the war with the United States on February 28.
“We are prepared to immediately resume combat,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (center) is seen with his office manager, Lt. Col. Tomer Sayag (left) and Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth at the Judea and Samaria Division headquarters near Beit El in the West Bank, July 19, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Step by step, the US and Iran have returned closer to all-out war as last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled.
A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 news on Sunday that Israel was preparing for the possibility of joining an expanded US military campaign against Iran, after the security establishment assessed at high-level government discussions that the likelihood of a significant escalation in the near future had greatly risen.
“We are in continuous dialogue with the Americans, but one thing is a fact: Trump is unpredictable,” the official told the network. “At the moment, it appears that [the US seeks] to step up the intensity of American strikes in Iran.”
However, the official noted that senior Trump envoys, primarily Steve Witkoff, as well as mediator Qatar, were continuing to try to bring the sides back to negotiations.
In light of that, Israel was “preparing for every possibility and building immediate and strategic operational options,” the official added, saying, “If the Americans decide to escalate or involve Israel, or if the Iranians carry out an unexpected and unwise move against us, we will be ready.”
The Haaretz daily also reported that Middle East diplomats were preparing for a possible escalation, with a regional source joking to the newspaper on Saturday: “Tomorrow is the World Cup final; the day after tomorrow is the Middle East final.”
Vehicles drive past a monument depicting the clenched fist of the late Iranian supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, in Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
According to Haaretz, Iran is concerned that American strikes are a preparation for a ground operation to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz — though a Western source that spoke to the newspaper was skeptical that this would happen.
The report said mediators are still trying to de-escalate, with US Vice President JD Vance sending a message to Tehran via Pakistan that failed to quell the exchanges of fire.
Diplomats told Haaretz that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, fresh off a trip to Washington, is expected to deliver another message to Iran from the US, with a visit expected on July 23.
Diplomatic sources also assessed to the Hebrew daily that the United Arab Emirates, which was targeted more than any other country in the early weeks of the war, has now reached understandings with Iran, though it’s largely stopped its mediation efforts, and that Bahrain is now the Arab state taking the most hardline position against the Islamic Republic.
‘Other countries need to step up’
Concerns about the flow of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz have persisted since a fragile truce between Iran and the United States broke down over a week ago following attacks by Iran on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical international waterway through which a fifth of the global oil and gas supply transited prior to the war.
The Royal Navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Operations Centre said late Sunday that it received a report that a vessel was on fire not far from the Omani coast, although it had not verified a cause.
Oil prices jumped 3% on Monday, with Brent crude futures surpassing $90 a barrel, the highest level since June 11.
“It’s clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters ahead of traveling to the Philippines for a meeting of foreign ministers with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it’s hardware or finances, to help carry that burden,” he continued.
When asked if there was still a diplomatic off-ramp to the escalating conflict, Rubio said: “I think we’re always open to diplomacy. It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they’re willing to live by.”
“They can’t have an MOU that’s alive if they’re violating the terms of it,” Rubio said.
“What I will say is that the United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution. We’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try.”
Jerusalem is maintaining maximum readiness and has identified three scenarios that could draw Israel into the campaign against Iran. Officials are also concerned that civilian flights could be canceled as US refueling aircraft crowd regional airspace, while security arrangements for senior officials are being reassessed amid assassination threats.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the backdrop of Iran. Photo: AP, AFP, EPA
Amid the escalating confrontation between Iran and the United States, Israeli officials say Jerusalem and Washington are maintaining close coordination and direct contact.
“The Israel Defense Forces are on very high alert for every scenario. There will be no surprises,” the officials said.
Israeli assessments indicate that as US strikes in Iran expand, and Iranian retaliation intensifies accordingly, the likelihood is growing that Israel will find itself drawn into the renewed campaign.
The United States struck Bushehr in southern Iran. Photo: AFP
Three scenarios
According to the officials, Israel could find itself in the line of fire under three possible scenarios:
A direct Iranian attack on Israel.
Signs that Iran is preparing to attack Israel.
A formal US request for the IDF to join the campaign.
None of the three scenarios has materialized so far, and Israel is continuing to strengthen its preparations while remaining outside the fighting.
Senior officials in Jerusalem said continuous contact with Washington was taking place at every level and at all times, reflecting the “majority” of interests shared by the two countries.
However, when the countries’ interests do not fully align, discussions are held in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on Israel’s security requirements. One example, the officials said, was the continuation of IDF operations in Lebanon despite demands from the White House.
Now, however, with fighting in Iran resuming and appearing to be heading toward further escalation, Jerusalem has not yet received a signal from Washington to enter the campaign. As of publication, Iran also appears uninterested in deliberately drawing Israel into the conflict.
Disruption at Ben-Gurion Airport?
A further area of close coordination involves aviation. Israel and the United States are conducting daily assessments based on the operational needs of the US military following the renewed outbreak of fighting with Iran.
For now, under instructions issued by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the large number of US aerial refueling aircraft that have returned to the region have been directed to Israeli Air Force bases around the country.
American refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport are taking the place of Israeli planes being diverted abroad. Photo: Yehoshua Yosef
However, officials familiar with the matter said there was a tangible risk that numerous commercial flights could be canceled if the offensive expanded and the US military needed to increase its aircraft presence at Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Netanyahu’s planned trip to the United States next week to attend the funeral of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is also at risk of cancellation because of the regional security tensions.
Netanyahu hinted at that possibility during a meeting Sunday with Likud mayors, saying that if the security situation escalated, the party would not hold primaries ahead of the elections. Instead, a selection committee would be established to determine the makeup of the Likud candidate list.
The drone threat
Another Iranian threat troubling Israel’s defense establishment is the possible use of drones launched from inside the country.
As reported over the weekend, Israel is considering a complete suspension of civilian drone flights and making the operation of a drone without authorization a criminal offense.
Although the use of drones against Israeli forces in Lebanon appears to have been largely curtailed, the primary concern is that all elements of the Iranian axis possess similar capabilities in areas very close to Israel’s borders.
An explosive drone. Photo: EPA
Dr. Yossi Mansharof, an Iran and Shiite militias researcher at the Misgav Institute for National Security and a lecturer in the University of Haifa’s Middle East Politics master’s program at the School of Political Sciences, told Hayom that “the level of the threat from Iran is extremely high.”
He warned that the regime’s capabilities should not be underestimated, as the Houthis’ capabilities initially were. “Their technological capabilities improve as the years pass. They are not standing still, and that has to be taken into account,” Mansharof said.
“If this device, the ‘fiber drone,’ is in Hezbollah’s possession, it is probably held by the entire axis, particularly along the Jordanian border. The defense establishment therefore needs to maintain heightened vigilance.
“Given the nature of the threats, I would expect the Israeli Air Force to shorten its response time, unlike what we saw on Oct. 7.”
‘Revenge through assassination’
Mansharof identified an additional threat from Tehran that is troubling Israel: threats against senior Israeli officials, alongside threats to the life of US President Donald Trump.
“The focus at Khamenei’s funeral was on assassinating Trump,” he said. “There is a consensus throughout the regime that revenge must be carried out through an assassination, and most are calling for Trump to be killed.
“At the same time,” he continued, “the regime’s reformists warned in their newspaper that the calls for revenge would rebound against Iran, because Trump would feel threatened and choose to attack Iran. The reformists tried to dissuade the regime from seeking revenge, but they are highly marginalized within the centers of decision-making.”
Calls to kill US President Donald Trump during Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Iran
Regarding threats against Israel’s leadership, Mansharof said, “The main focus is Trump, followed at a slightly lower, though still significant, level of intensity by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
He referred to posters displayed in Tehran’s main squares, designed to resemble the front pages of newspapers affiliated with the regime and featuring assassination lists.
‘Who is next?’
One of the posters mentioned Graham’s death alongside the question, “Who is next?”
According to Mansharof, one of the actors driving the threats is Mojtaba Khamenei, the designated supreme leader, who “wants to prove that he is no less radical than his father.” The working assumption is that they are waiting for an operational opportunity to take revenge,” Mansharof said. “When that opportunity arises, they will lead the retaliation.”
Israeli officials confirmed that there was concern Iran could target senior Israeli figures, foremost among them Netanyahu. “The entire system for protecting public officials is being reassessed because of the threats against senior figures in Israel,” the officials said.
“Netanyahu is not the only person in Iran’s sights. Other senior military officials and government ministers are also being targeted.” They described it as “an enormous number of people who are under threat.”
Finally, should Israel enter the renewed campaign against Iran in the coming days, Mansharof said its central objective should be to help create the conditions for the regime’s downfall.
“Israel must be prepared to advance the conditions for bringing down the regime by inflicting massive damage on its instruments of repression, so that an Iranian citizen can open the window and not see Basij forces waiting outside,” he said. “As long as that does not happen, it is difficult to envision far-reaching changes in Iran that would make the regime’s overthrow possible.”
