US launches strikes on Iran after tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz
A ship sails off the coast of Ajman on July 10, 2026. AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP via Getty Images The U.S. military announced it will begin its blockade of Iranian ships over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, as Iran vowed to assert its own control over the critical international waterway. CENTCOM said the blockade would begin on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. The U.S. military last worked to block maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18. The announcement came after an intensified exchange of strikes over the weekend, testing a shaky ceasefire and threatening a return to all-out war in the region. On Monday, the U.S. launched another wave of strikes on Iran. The U.S. military said it struck Iranian defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities to "degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping." The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday that it had struck "two non-compliant" supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement in Iranian state media. Iran also said it launched missiles and drones against U.S. military infrastructure in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, and U.S. military outposts in Jordan. The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry said two of its tankers were targeted by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani waters, killing one person. Bahrain authorities reported that sirens were sounded and urged citizens to head to safe places. Jordanian state media said the country's air defenses intercepted four Iranian missiles early Tuesday as they entered its airspace. The escalation comes as the U.S. and Iran reach a half point in the 60-day ceasefire agreed in June, when the two sides signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding to work out the terms of a final deal and open the Strait of Hormuz. During a NATO summit in Turkey last week, President Trump declared the ceasefire "over," but didn't rule out further talks. The truce all but collapsed over the weekend as Iran attacked a commercial vessel moving through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and the U.S. retaliated with strikes in response. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a news conference Monday that Iran was in touch with mediators including Oman, Qatar and Pakistan, saying their role was to de-escalate the situation. But the status of negotiations with the U.S. was not clear. Control over the Strait of Hormuz Control over the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for oil, gas and other goods — has emerged as the key point of contention between the U.S. and Iran. The passage through which roughly 20% of the world's energy supplies move, has disrupted global trade and increased fuel prices across the world. Mourners wave the Iranian flag on top of a building during the funeral procession for Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family, before he is buried at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran's most revered place of worship, in Mashhad on July 9, 2026. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images This latest wave of strikes from both sides is already having an impact in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with Kpler, a data and analytics company that tracks global commodity and shipping markets, saying on Monday that crossings dropped to 22 ships last week — an almost 85% decrease from the pre-war traffic. The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway, but since the start of the war in Feb. 28, Tehran has claimed it's in control and has insisted ships get permission and follow approved routes. Iran has been attacking ships if they did not comply with its orders. Trump pushed back on Monday and said the United States would not allow Iranian ships to move through the strait. "We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from enteri
