U.S. launches new wave of airstrikes on Iran, heightening Strait of Hormuz tensions

On July 15, 2026, U.S. Central Command began a 90‑minute daylight wave of precision strikes targeting Iran’s coastal defence systems, cruise‑missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island and other locations. The operation was described by CENTCOM as designed “to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed and warned it could shut other regional oil‑export routes. It also reported retaliatory missile and drone strikes on U.S. positions in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Iranian authorities said seven military personnel were killed and more than 260 people injured in the U.S. attacks, while the United States reported no immediate casualties.

The United States re‑imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, prompting a rise of about 1 % in oil prices and mixed reactions in global markets. President Donald Trump warned that if negotiations do not resume the U.S. will target Iranian power plants and bridges. The escalating exchange raises the risk of broader conflict and threatens the flow of a fifth of global oil and gas that transits the Strait of Hormuz.