US launches third consecutive night of attacks on Iran, reopens Strait of Hormuz blockade

The United States Central Command announced a third consecutive night of air and missile strikes against Iranian targets on 13 July, aiming to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump reiterated that the United States would “hit them with a lot of force tonight and tomorrow,” and warned that the U.S. will act as “guardian of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump also declared a 20 % surcharge on commercial vessels transiting the strait and ordered the reinstatement of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, a measure the International Maritime Organization criticised. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and on the islands of Kish and Qeshm, while Iran claimed to have struck a U.S. vessel with a cruise missile and attacked U.S. bases in Kuwait with drones.

The renewed hostilities follow the collapse of the June cease‑fire agreement and have pushed global oil prices higher, underscoring the strategic importance of the Hormuz corridor for world energy supplies.