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US reimposes blockade on Iran’s ports after Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
Edited By
LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA, CARA ANNA, NELL CLARK and DAVID BRYAN
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
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Here’s what we’re following:
- The U.S. militaryresumed its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesdayafter U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to reinstate it. The president, however, reversed his planto charge a 20% toll on cargo traveling through the strait. Instead, Middle Eastern countries will make investment and trade deals with the U.S., Trump said on social media.
- TheU.S. launched more strikes on Iranearlier Tuesday, building on days of mutual attacksover control of the strait, through which a fifth of all traded crude oil and natural gas passed in peacetime. Iran retaliated with attacks on Middle East allies of the U.S.
- The actions leave the deal to pause the conflict and reopen the key waterway in tatters, asfighting once again engulfs the regionunder the threat of a return to full-scale war. Regional mediators are still trying to get the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table, according to two regional officials.
- In Washington,Trump met withnew Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidiat the White Houseafter strongly backing the political novice’s bid for office.
Civilian crew members killed on commercial ships by Iranian attacks, US military says
By BEN FINLEY
Nearly a dozen civilians have been killed, injured or are missing following Iranian attacks on seven commercial ships over the last week, the U.S. military said Tuesday, as fighting escalated between the U.S. and Iran
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, said in a statement that Iran also launched dozens of missiles and drones at neighboring Gulf countries
“U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,” Cooper said
The U.S. has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor in the Middle East, as an interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war
The U.S. had carried out another wave of strikes ahead of reimposing the blockade, the U.S. military’s Central Command said
Trump doesn’t rule out using ground forces in Iran
By WILL WEISSERT
The president suggested later in the interview that he wasn’t interested in continuing negotiations immediately with Iran because “they lie.”
But Trump also said the last contact he had with negotiators was an hour ago
Trump said that U.S. forces had been careful not to harm Iran’s civilian population with strikes up until now, but warned Iran: “You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left.”
And he didn’t rule out using U.S. ground forces to ensure that his key objectives are met, especially when it comes to removing Iran’s enriched uranium
Trump dials up the bravado against Iran
By WILL WEISSERT
In an interview with Fox News Channel, the president said the U.S. plans to launch at least two more days of strikes against Iran and that such attacks will continue “until I say it’s enough.”
He likened Iran to “like a great boxer.” “You think you have them beat, then they’ll come back and give you a shot,” Trump said
The president said U.S. forces would “hit them very hard tonight, very hard tomorrow night” and begin targeting power plants and bridges as soon as next week unless Iran comes to the table and negotiate – a threat for escalated bombing that the president has made for months but not yet followed through on
US military will be out of Iraq by Sept. 30, Iraqi prime minister says
By BEN FINLEY
The U.S. military will leave Iraq by the end of September following a 23-year presence that started with the 2003 invasion against Saddam Hussein and ended with much smaller operations against the Islamic State group
President Donald Trump said Tuesday alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Washington that “we don’t think we need the military there anymore” while noting Iraq’s growing relationships with oil companies. Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said “U.S. forces will be out of Iraq” by Sept. 30, “while U.S companies will be inside Iraq.”
The Pentagon said in a statement that it was reaffirming a 2024 agreement with Iraq to end its mission against IS. About 2,500 U.S. troops were still serving in Iraq at the time of the agreement
US imposes new sanctions on people, firms and ships connected to the alleged sanctions evasion network of an Iranian oil magnate
By FATIMA HUSSEIN
The U.S. has imposed a new round of sanctions on a group of people, shipping firms and ships connected to the alleged sanctions evasion network of Iranian oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani
More than 50 people, companies and ships were included in Tuesday’s sanctions
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that his agency “is shutting down the financial infrastructure that allows the regime to continue its threats to U.S. national security and global shipping.”
Additionally, the Treasury Department issued a license that allows companies a temporary window to disentangle business involving the group of sanctioned shipping companies and vessels tied to Iran
The US military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
The U.S. military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships on the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war
There are at least 19 warships in the northern Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers, and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines aboard, to enforce the blockade
U.S. Central Command also said that there are “hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East,” in a social media post Tuesday
JUST IN: US military says it’s reimposed blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. strikes hitting Iran ahead of the naval blockade are aimed at limiting the country’s ability to strike merchant shipping
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, SALLY ABOU ALJOUD
The U.S. military strikes that are hitting Iran just an hour ahead of the start of the naval blockade are aimed at limiting the country’s ability to strike merchant shipping, the U.S. military said
According to a social media post by U.S. Central Command, the military is trying to “continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping.”
The blockade goes into effect at 4 p.m. eastern time and the strikes began at 3 p.m
Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported the sound of explosions in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. The reports did not immediately provide further details
Strikes and counterstrikes resume across the Mideast
By JON GAMBRELL, COLLIN BINKLEY, JOSH BOAK
The U.S. military’s Central Command said it struck several areas in Iran, targeting “coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities.” Iran acknowledged the strikes but provided no immediate casualty or damage assessments
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. military said
Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and three tankers that traveled through the strait
A woman stands at the water’s edge along the Strait of Hormuz as a plume of smoke rises in the background following an explosion, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA
Two of the targeted ships, which were associated with the United Arab Emirates, were set ablaze for a time. The International Maritime Organization said the attack on the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah killed two mariners and wounded 14 others. The UAE threatened to retaliate
Dutch shipping firm Stolt Tankers said one of its ships came under attack. The attack on the Stolt Magnesium off Oman sparked a fire in the engine room, but the company said all the mariners were safe
Qatar condemns Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait
By SALLY ABOU ALJOUD
Qatar on Tuesday condemned what it described as repeated Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, calling them an “egregious violation” of the three countries’ sovereignty and the international rules-based order
In a statement on X, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry urged efforts to shield the region from the fallout of what it called unprovoked attacks and renewed its call for “dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation.”
The U.S. wants to weaken Iran’s ability to attack
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
The U.S. official said the goal behind this latest round of strikes is to eliminate emerging threats in Iran
They spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak about a sensitive military operation
The strikes are the latest in an exchange of fire that began last week over Iranian attacks on merchant ships
JUST IN: The US is launching additional strikes on Iran ahead of threatened blockade in Strait of Hormuz, US official says
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
And now, Kuwait
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kuwait says it is intercepting more “hostile attacks” by Iran
More on latest alert in Bahrain
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
This is the fourth such alert sounding in Bahrain in less than 24 hours. Authorities are telling people to seek shelter
Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet
JUST IN: Bahrain warns people to seek shelter as air raid sirens sound
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ship crews remain at deadly risk
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two more crew members were killed today in attacks on ships traveling through the strait, the International Maritime Organization says. The two were on the Al Bahiyah tanker associated with the United Arab Emirates
The United Nations agency has been tracking incidents during the war and says 17 seafarers have now been killed, with many others injured
Trump says Gulf allies asked for ‘a different way’
By COLLIN BINKLEY
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The president is speaking to journalists in the Oval Office. He says “kings and emirs” and other leaders called him after his proposal on Monday for a 20% toll on cargo passing through the strait
“They said, ‘We’d love to do it a different way. We’d love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars,’” Trump said
He said he prefers his new arrangement: “I like that actually, because I don’t think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait.”
UN rights chief warns of a ‘huge setback’
By GEIR MOULSON
Volker Türk says the return to wider hostilities between the U.S. and Iran is a “huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond.”
He says “diplomacy, restraint, and de-escalation must be prioritized.”
Iraq’s new leader arrives for a White House meeting
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
President Donald Trump welcomed Iraq’s new prime minister to the White House. Ali al-Zaidi’s visit Tuesday aims to strengthen economic ties and attract investment. However, discussions will likely include pressure on Iraq to disarm Iran-backed militias
Trump and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi exchanged small talk before entering. Trump had backed the political newcomer as a candidate
“Love Iraq,” Trump replied to a reporter’s question about his message to that country’s people
Neighboring Iran is likely to loom large in the discussions
JUST IN: Kuwait’s military says it is intercepting an incoming attack
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oil prices are already going down
By JOSH BOAK
The price dipped to $78 after Trump’s announcement that he had changed course
He did not say which Middle Eastern leaders he spoke with
He claimed after his 2025 trip to the region that the United Arab Emirates would invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over 10 years, with Saudi Arabia committing to $600 billion and Qatar looking to make a longterm investment of $1.2 trillion
Trump likes to cite these investments as evidence that his economic policies are working, but they have yet to meaningfully materialize in U.S. economic data
The toll idea faced political and economic risks
By JOSH BOAK
Trump’s announcement on trying to levy a toll pushed up oil prices. That created a political risk for him in the U.S. as voters are worried about inflation going into the midterm elections
Trump reverses himself on charging a 20% toll for transiting cargo
By JOSH BOAK
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Washington. /Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Trump’s decision comes a day after announcing the U.S. would charge ships for safe passage on the strait
He now says on social media that his reversal was “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership.”
He says Gulf states will make “Trade and Investment Deals” into the U.S. and investments “will be MASSIVE,” though it’s unclear if these would be new commitments relative to what he announced after a visit last year to the Middle East
JUST IN: Trump backs away from tolling ships in the Strait of Hormuz and instead calls for trade deals with Gulf countries
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shipping traffic on the strait has dropped
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boys play in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz as smoke rises from an explosion, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 13, 2026
(Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
A multinational body overseen by the U.S. Navy earlier today reported 19 U.S.-assisted transits of the strait over the past 48 hours. It says just under 140 transits overall were made daily before the war
It also says the threat level remains severe, with “persistent” harassment by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. That includes attacks, drone overflights and “targeted surveillance” of commercial ships
A flight warning has been issued
By JON GAMBRELL
The European Union Athe airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as over the Gulf of Oman
It said in a bulletin that “unpredictable military developments, combined with the possible use of missiles, drones, combat aircraft and air-defense systems, create a high risk to civil flights.”
Oil prices are rising
By STAN CHOE
The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose another 2.6% to $85.43. That follows its leap of nearly 10% on Monday
The price is back to where it was before the U.S. and Iran signed their interim deal a month ago to halt their fighting
It’s still well below the nearly $120 reached at the height of the war
The war complicates efforts to protect Iran’s endangered wildlife
By AMIR-HUSSEIN RADJY
FILE – In this photo provided by Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA, Iran’s only Asiatic cheetah cub in captivity, Pirouz, is held by his caretaker Alireza Shahrdari at the Pardisan Park in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 21, 2022. Pirouz, 10 months old, which had been the only survivor of his litter of three died Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA
An example: In peacetime, military zones were one of the few areas where falcons could breed safely. That’s according to a veterinarian who’s been scaling cliffs to check on them
At least 86 animal species in Iran are at risk of extinction, including the Asiatic cheetah, Persian fallow deer, brown bear, leopard, black bear, Persian onager, the great bustard and various birds of prey, according to a 2024 report by the country’s Environment Department
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A look at US and Iranian claims of control over the strait
By MAE ANDERSON
The world has long considered the strait between Iran and Oman a free-to-use, international waterway. But soon after the U.S. and Israel attacked on Feb. 28, Iran claimed sovereignty over it
Now Trump says the U.S. controls the strait and would charge fees to ships for safe passage, essentially borrowing from Iran’s playbook
▶ Read more
Why it’s so difficult for the US to fully reopen the strait
By BEN FINLEY, FARNOUSH AMIRI, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
Experts say restoring oil tanker traffic to prewar flows likely will require a much bigger armada of U.S. warships, if not tens of thousands of American troops on Iranian soil
Iran can target vessels with drones and missiles that have been hidden in a country a third of the size of the continental United States
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