Here's the latest
• Strikes continue: Explosions in an Iranian port city have been reported by Iranian state media, after Iran targeted two UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and US regional allies, as the conflict between the US and Iran escalates following a night of strikes by the US military.
• Ceasefire in tatters: US Central Command says it will restart its naval blockade from 4 p.m. ET today, and President Donald Trump says the US will impose a 20% fee on cargo moving through the Strait. An Iranian security source also says Tehran will deliver a “devastating response” if the US attacks suspected underground nuclear site Pickaxe Mountain.
• Oil price rise: Global oil prices are up sharply following the collapse of the ceasefire and the threat to resume the blockade. The benchmark Brent crude rose by its highest level since June 12.
The US blockade of Iranian ports is set to resume later today. Here's how they work
The US blockade of Iranian ports is set to resume later today, after President Donald Trump announced yesterday that his country’s military will be “stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving” the Strait of Hormuz.
The blockade order is expected to apply to all Iranian ports, both inside and outside the waterway — but what does a blockade entail?
A blockade is a tool of economic warfare as much as it is kinetic warfare.
The Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare defines a blockade as “the capture of contraband, and the capture or destruction of enemy property found at sea.”
“These methods deny an enemy the chance of economic revenue from its exports and the benefits of imports that support its war effort,” the manual says.
To be legal, the imposition of a blockade must follow certain rules, including:
- It must be declared and notified, meaning warnings must go out to ships that it might affect.
- It must be effective, meaning the US must have the ships and aircraft to enforce it.
- It must be impartial, affecting the vessels of any nation.
- It cannot be targeted solely at civilian populations, but harm to civilians is acceptable.
- It must not block access to neutral ports and may not block a strait, like Hormuz, which Trump has said is open to international shipping unrelated to Iran.
Two tankers report missile attacks off Omani coast, maritime agency says
Two tankers have reported being hit by missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz via the waterway’s southern route, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center confirmed today.
UKMTO told CNN the two ships – which first reported the separate incidents yesterday – were in close proximity to each other at the time of the attacks.
The maritime agency did not name the vessels nor did it say who targeted them. But the confirmation comes after the United Arab Emirates said overnight that two UAE tankers were hit by Iranian missiles in the southern part of the strait.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) meanwhile said it “struck” what it called two “rogue supertankers” in the waterway.
Tehran says ships must use its designated northern routes to pass through the strait, but a growing number of vessels have started to traverse it closer to the Omani coastline, threatening Iran’s leverage over the waterway.
Pickaxe Mountain — the Iranian site Trump has threatened to attack
US President Donald Trump said that Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain is “on the list” of the assets Washington is considering targeting in this stage of the conflict.
Speaking to CNN earlier today, a senior security source in Tehran said that Iran would deliver a “devastating response” if Trump goes through with the threat.
Pickaxe Mountain, known in Farsi as Kuh-e Kolang, is located about a mile south of Natanz in central Iran. It was declared to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency in 2020 as a future facility to assemble the centrifuges that make nuclear fuel.
In February this year, before the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, CNN reported that Tehran was fortifying its nuclear sites and rebuilding missile production facilities.
High-resolution satellite imagery from February 10, 2026, analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), showed Iran continuing to harden tunnel entrances at the underground complex carved into Pickaxe Mountain.
In June, months into the conflict, ISIS said that Pickaxe Mountain was “largely accessible and open and under ongoing construction,” adding that it was not believed to hold any enriched uranium stocks or “facilities ready to operate.”
Satellite images from April and May this year showed “a constant presence of vehicles moving around the construction site,” which the institution said indicated that work on the site was progressing.
“Overall, this tunnel complex does not appear to be operational or of paramount importance to the Iranians yet. That may help explain why neither the United States nor Israel has attacked the site so far,” it suggested last month.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Farida Elsebai and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this reporting.
Iran condemns UK for designating Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as security threat
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the British government for designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat and criminalizing support for the powerful military group in the United Kingdom.
“The IRGC is an integral part of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official armed forces and, alongside the Iranian army, is responsible for defending Iran’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and national security,” the ministry said on its Telegram channel today.
A spokesperson from the ministry described the UK’s decision as a “petty, provocative act that violates international law.”
The designation, which remains subject to parliamentary approval, would make supporting or assisting the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the British government said in a statement. Those who carry out espionage, sabotage or arson on its behalf could face life imprisonment.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement yesterday that authorities have already taken action against people linked to Iranian and Russian networks operating in the UK.
“We have already taken tough action against the Iranian regime and those linked to it, and against Russian operatives and networks targeting our country. These new powers will make it easier to prosecute and lock up anyone carrying out their dirty work here in Britain.”
EU aviation agency advises airlines to avoid Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Gulf of Oman
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday directed airlines to avoid flying over Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and a section of airspace over the waters of the Gulf of Oman.
The advice applies to “all altitudes and flight levels” and is valid until July 29, “unless reviewed earlier,” EASA said.
The implementation of the US-Iran temporary ceasefire has been subject to “recurrent and significant violations, creating again, a high level of risk across the Gulf region,” the agency said.
What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, as conflict escalates
Over recent days, as fighting between the US and Iran has renewed, several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have been attacked, killing at least two people.
President Donald Trump said yesterday the US will act as the “guardian” of the waterway, charging commercial shippers 20% of the value of their cargo to reimburse the US for “providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world.”
A narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
The strait has remained a major flashpoint since the start of the conflict, after it was effectively closed by Tehran following airstrikes by the US and Israel on February 28.
Ships began to travel through the strait again after the US and Iran agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding last month, but over the weekend, Tehran declared the waterway closed once more. Washington has insisted otherwise.
Iran controls the strait’s northern side. About 20 million barrels of oil, or about one-fifth of daily global production, used to flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.”
While some producers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have found alternative routes for their exports, around 10-12 million barrels of crude remain choked off from global markets. The strait also carries about one-fifth of global trade in liquefied natural gas, largely from Qatar.
Global oil prices rise sharply
Global oil prices were up sharply on Tuesday following the collapse of the US-Iran ceasefire and threats by the US military to resume its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 4.8% to $87 a barrel before US markets opened, its highest level since June 12. Meanwhile, WTI, the US benchmark, was up 3.6% to nearly $81 a barrel.
The status of the all-important Strait of Hormuz – through which one fifth of the world’s oil travelled pre-war – is once again in doubt. Tehran declared the waterway “closed” over the weekend and President Donald Trump has said the US would become the “guardian” of the strait – charging commercial shippers 20% of the value of their cargo in return for Washington DC’s protection.
The US Central Command announced on Monday that it planned to resume the naval blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports from 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The US originally imposed a blockade for about two months from mid-April, helping push oil prices skyward.
US stock futures pointed to a mixed open, with the Dow and S&P 500 down 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively, and tech-heavy Nasdaq up 0.4%.
European stock markets were trading down early afternoon local time. The region’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index had fallen 0.5% while Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC were down 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively. Asian markets largely ended Tuesday day higher.
US risks munitions shortage as Iran war drains key stockpiles, expert warns
The US could risk running out of critical munitions after using between a third and half of its stockpile in the Iran war, a retired military colonel has estimated.
“The US has used between a third and a half of its key munitions,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
The US military used thousands of missiles for long-range precision strikes and to defend against enemy attacks during the early phase of the Iran conflict, according to analysts and previous CNN reporting.
“We have used over a thousand (Patriot missiles) in this current war. Our allies in the Gulf have also used a lot. Ukraine wants more so there is a tremendous demand for production,” Cancian told Lynda Kinkade on CNN’s “Newsroom.”
The Patriot is a key US Army missile defense system – equipped with launchers, radars and interceptor missiles. The system costs over $1 billion and only 600 are produced every year, according to the US Department of Defense.
Cancian said the level of demand for Patriots meant new orders would face lengthy waits. “If you went and ordered another Patriot today, you probably wouldn’t get it for four or five years because of the backlog.”
US strikes Iran for a third night, as Tehran attacks Gulf countries
The US yesterday launched a new wave of strikes across a huge swath of the country, with video showing fire and smoke as a result of one attack on an Iranian port.
Explosions have continued to be heard in the country today.
Here’s the latest:
- In its overnight attacks, the US military said it struck targets across Iran, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas. Bushehr and Chabahar are around 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) apart.
- Iran then launched waves of strikes towards Bahrain. Jordan’s state news agency Petra said the country’s air defense systems also shot down four missiles fired from Iran, citing a military source.
- Meanwhile in the Strait of Hormuz, a tanker has reported being hit by a missile while transiting the southern route of the waterway which hugs Oman’s coastline, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said.
- Two United Arab Emirates tankers were hit by Iranian missiles in the southern part of the waterway, killing one crew member, the UAE’s Defense Ministry said. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it “struck and disabled” what it called two “rogue supertankers.”
- India has summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador to the country following the killing of an Indian seafarer in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, an official from New Delhi’s foreign affairs ministry told CNN.
- The US military will officially resume its naval blockade of ships going to and from Iranian ports at 4 p.m. ET today (11:30 p.m. local time in Iran), US Central Command said yesterday.
- Despite the renewal of fighting and the US reimposing sanctions, Iran’s oil minister has said the country’s oil exports will “continue as usual.”
- A senior security source in Tehran has told CNN that Iran will deliver a “devastating response” if US President Donald Trump goes through with his recent threat to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain.
CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Zachary Cohen, June Jeong, Clay Voytek, Kathleen Magramo, Billy Stockwell, Hira Humayun, Eyad Kourdi, Ayushi Shah, Haley Britzky, Aida Karimi, Helen Regan and Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this reporting.
Iranian state media are reporting explosions in a key port city
Five explosions were heard today in the western part of Bandar Abbas, a key port city on the southern coast of Iran, the country’s state broadcaster IRIB reported.
The port city has been targeted before, most recently yesterday when the semi-official Fars News Agency reported the provincial government saying a projectile hit the western part of Bandar Abbas.
Separately, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported explosions being heard today in Bushehr, another port city that sits deeper west into the Gulf, as well as the city of Choghadak further inland in the same province.
Bushehr’s deputy governor for political and security affairs, Ehsan Jahaniyan, said four locations in the city had been struck by “enemy projectiles” around midday local time today, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Iranian source warns of “devastating response” if US strikes Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain
Iran will deliver a “devastating response” if US President Donald Trump goes through with his recent threat to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a senior security source in Tehran told CNN.
“If Trump acts on his threats, we will deliver a devastating response, and the price will be paid by American soldiers and his regional partners,” the source said.
On Monday, Trump warned in an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” that Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, known in Farsi as Kuh-e Kolang, was “on the list” and the US would “probably” target it soon.
The source said US claims that nuclear activities are taking place at Pickaxe Mountain are false.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran declared “closed” over the weekend, the source said Iran would “not back down from defending the rights of the Iranian people.”
Whether Trump pushes ahead with strikes on Pickaxe Mountain or not, the source said it will make “no difference to Iran’s implementation of its arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Bahrain says Iran "continues missile and drone attacks"
Bahrain said Iran continued launching attacks on its territory today, saying its military successfully “intercepted and destroyed” several drones and missiles during the morning.
The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force warned people not to approach any remnants of the drones and missiles it shot down and said its “weapons and units are at the highest levels of readiness.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have destroyed several weapons-support warehouses, a satellite communications center, and a US forces building in a missile and drone attack on Bahrain’s Juffair military base today.
Mixed signals persist over Strait of Hormuz as US and Iran vie for dominant narrative
After Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “closed” over the weekend, Washington and Tehran have been at loggerheads over the status of the critical waterway, which has proved key to Iran’s leverage in negotiations.
On Sunday, following Tehran’s announcement, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is overseen by the US Navy, insisted the “southern route” through the Strait remained open for two-way traffic.
US Central Command later reinforced this message, stating the waterway was “open to all vessels,” while insisting that Iran “does not control the Strait.”
As did President Donald Trump, who told CNN the chokepoint was “open as far as we’re concerned.” He later said the United States would become “guardian” of the Strait – but only for a fee.
Iranian authorities though have also doubled down on their position, saying the passage of vessels is “not possible” due to the recent movements of US military forces.
Yesterday, Iran’s army spokesperson said the country’s military would not give up “even the slightest bit when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz,” according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Tanker reports missile attack off Omani coast, maritime agency says
A tanker has reported being hit by a missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz via the southern route which hugs Oman’s coastline, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said today.
The missile attack was first reported to authorities yesterday, the maritime authority said. UKMTO said the incident, which occurred 13 nautical miles (around 15 miles) southeast of Limah, Oman, is being investigated.
UKMTO said yesterday another tanker had reported being hit by an “unknown projectile” 40 nautical miles (around 46 miles) northeast of Qalhat, Oman. “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the authority said.
The reports come as tensions escalate in the critical waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically flow. Tehran said overnight it struck two “rogue supertankers,” claiming the vessels had ignored warnings from Iranian authorities.
What’s going on between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen?
Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Monday, a Saudi spokesman said. That came after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of launching strikes on an airport in the Yemeni capital and warned the attacks would end a years-long de facto truce between the two sides.
The Houthis, which control northern Yemen, are one of Iran’s principal allies in the region and on several occasions since the start of the war between the US and Iran have warned they could take action to block the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint at the southern end of the Red Sea.
That waterway has taken on new significance since the start of the war, as Saudi Arabia now diverts millions of barrels of crude there to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Previously, the Houthis launched missiles against Israel and targeted shipping vessels in the Red Sea after Israel began its war with Hamas in Gaza in October 2023.
CNN’s Sarah Tamimi, Aida Karimi, Tim Lister, Anna Cooban and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed reporting.
A closer look at events in the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is back in the spotlight after the US announced it would reimpose its blockade of ships going to and from Iranian ports through the critical waterway, following multiple Iranian attacks on vessels in recent weeks.
The blockade: The US military will resume the naval blockade starting 4 p.m. ET today, according to US Central Command. The original blockade had lasted from April 13 to June 18, before Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding to work towards an end of the war.
Protection fee: Trump suggested the US could charge a 20% fee for protection for ships to safely cross the strait. He offered no clarity on how the charge would work, who it would apply to, and how it would be enforced. The strait is an international waterway where ships have the right of free passage, and the fee may be high enough that no party is willing to pay it, experts told CNN.
Rubio’s comments: The Trump administration has previously said that ships should be able to transit the strait without paying any fees to any entity. Just last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly denounced the idea of charging tolls for the strait, describing it as “unworkable” and “not doable.”
Iran’s response: Iran’s top diplomat mocked Trump’s proposal, insisting that Iran instead should be the one collecting any fees. “20% is of course too much. We will be fair,” wrote Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X.
Global reaction: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said that passage through the strait “should remain free of any tolls and charges, in accordance with international law.”
Markets react: Oil prices rose sharply after Trump’s announcement. Brent crude gained 7.1% to $81.40 a barrel, and US oil rose 7.2% to $76.50 — both surging to their highest level since June 15.
India summons Iran deputy ambassador over killing of Indian sailor
India summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador to the country today following the killing of an Indian seafarer in the Strait of Hormuz, an official from New Delhi’s foreign affairs ministry told CNN.
On Sunday, US Central Command said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attacked the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy container ship as it transited the Strait of Hormuz.
India’s foreign affairs ministry later said ten of its nationals had been rescued from the vessel after it was struck off the coast of Oman but that one of its nationals was missing. At the time the ministry condemned the attack.
India is one of the largest suppliers of merchant marine labor, with more than 300,000 seafarers globally, according to the country’s Forward Seamen’s Union.
In June, US forces enforcing a blockade on Iran’s ports launched a strike on a Palau-flagged vessel, killing three Indian sailors and sparking outrage in India.
Iran's oil minister says exports will "continue as usual" despite US sanctions
Iran’s oil minister has said the country’s oil exports will “continue as usual,” despite the US reimposing sanctions on such sales.
Iran has “long established the necessary structures” to counter the impact of US sanctions, Mohsen Paknejad, Iran’s minister of oil, said on Telegram.
Paknejad said “these mechanisms” were not dismantled during the 60-day waiver and “have remained in place.”
The US Treasury Department had initially agreed to lift sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil for 60 days as part of the ceasefire agreement. They were reimposed on July 7, in tandem with the US launching strikes on Iran, in retaliation for a series of attacks on commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has long relied on a shadow fleet of oil tankers to evade US sanctions, selling most of its oil to China. Iran exported roughly 50 million barrels of crude oil in June, mostly through its shadow fleet, according to an analysis by TankerTrackers.
Read more about Iran’s shadow fleet here.
China’s export engine offsets domestic impact from the Iran war
Strong Chinese exports have helped buoy the world’s second-largest economy, which is capitalizing on a global tech boom amid economic strain from ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
June exports rose 27% compared to a year earlier, according to customs data released today, the largest percentage gain in four months.
The increase, which exceeded analyst expectations, was largely driven by demand for semiconductors, as a rush to develop advanced artificial intelligence has sparked massive investment around the world.
Meanwhile, imports increased 36% year-over-year, hitting a five-year high even as crude imports fell to near decade lows. Chinese data showed June imports of crude oil declined 41.3% year-on-year, as the country’s refiners curbed activity and relied on domestic inventories over new purchases.
In China, growing exports and energy self-sufficiency have helped offset the economic impact from the war in Iran, which has hit Middle Eastern crude production and interrupted deliveries to major buyers.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, traded up 1.4% to a one-month high of $84.49 a barrel today, a day after its biggest one-day gain in six years.
The US has used sea attack drones for the first time during an attack on Iran. Here's what we know
US Central Command (CENTCOM) yesterday gave details of the US military’s first-ever use of one-way sea drones in a strike on an Iranian port a day earlier.
An accompanying video showed the vessels hitting what CENTCOM said was a submarine – which did not appear to be operational – at a ship maintenance facility.
In a separate social media post, Texas-based Saronic Technologies confirmed the drones were its Corsair model, a 24-foot-long vessel with a top speed of 40 mph and a range of more than 1,000 miles.
Used in rescue: While this is the first American use of naval drones in an attack strike, in June a Corsair USV was used to rescue US Army aviators whose Apache helicopter was taken down by an Iranian drone over the Persian Gulf, Saronic confirmed in a social media post.
Bahrain strike: Early this morning, Iran’s revolutionary guards claimed to have “destroyed” the control center for US unmanned boats in an attack on Bahrain, the semi-official Fars News said.
Key for Ukraine: Elsewhere, USVs have become a potent part of Ukraine’s arsenal in its war with Russia, and Kyiv is viewed as a leader in the field, with around two dozen types in its inventory.
A February report from the Carnegie Mellon Policy and Law Review said Ukrainian USVs have sunk or damaged 19 Russian ships in the past three years.
