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United States expands airstrikes on Iran amid rising Middle East tensions
U.S. Central Command announced a major wave of airstrikes against Iran on the night of 29 July 2026. Dozens of sites linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – including command centres, missile and drone installations, coastal‑surveillance positions and maritime capabilities – were hit. The attacks were framed as a “powerful response” to an attempted Iranian missile launch at U.S. forces in Jordan on 28 July, which U.S. forces said they intercepted.
The United States and Saudi Arabia also conducted joint precision strikes on Iran‑backed militia positions in eastern Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. President Donald Trump publicly warned that the United States would “hit Iran very hard” and vowed retaliation after the Jordan missile incident. In the wake of the escalation, global oil markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude futures climbing roughly 8 % and West Texas Intermediate up about 7 %.
Washington also imposed new sanctions on entities tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that it says extort commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by threatening to bar any ship that receives compensation from frozen Iranian assets from using the strait. The conflict, which began in February 2026, has now stretched across the United States, Iran, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, raising the risk of a broader regional war.
Entities
Donald Trump · Ebrahim Zolfagari · Iran · Iran · Iraq · Iraq (Popular Mobilization Forces) · Islamic Republic of Iran · Islamic Republic of Iran · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) · Jordan · Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Cargo‑ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz fell to their lowest level since early May, according to vessel‑tracking firm Kpler
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United States considered using frozen Iranian assets to compensate damage to ships harmed by Iran in the Gulf.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20 % of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfagari said any state or company that receives frozen Iranian assets as compensation will be barred from transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to target Iran’s Bikex Mountain site and other civilian infrastructure if a settlement on frozen assets is not reached.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Oman proposed a regional voluntary‑contribution mechanism to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz
- [● 8 SOURCES] The warning about barring vessels was issued on July 28, 2026
- [● 10 SOURCES] U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iranian frozen assets under U.S. control would be used to compensate damages to ships in the Strait of Hormuz www.bedigest.com · crypto.news
- [● 4 SOURCES] The spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters is Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Zolfaghari
- [● 10 SOURCES] Iran’s Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that vessels belonging to any country or company accepting compensation from Iran’s frozen assets will be barred from transiting the Strait of Hormz
- [● 5 SOURCES] The United States did not specify how much money is under its control or which companies would qualify for compensation
- [● 4 SOURCES] Billions of dollars in Iranian assets remain frozen under U.S. sanctions