The U.S. military carried out a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Monday, following President Donald Trump's declaration that the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the strategic waterway remained open. The strikes began just after Trump stated on "The Hugh Hewitt Show" that Iran would be hit "very hard."
Concurrent with the U.S. strikes, two oil tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, came under fire in the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz while transiting in Omani territorial waters, according to the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense. The attacks resulted in one crew member killed and eight others injured.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Qalhat, Oman. All crew members aboard that vessel were reported safe. Reuters could not immediately confirm if this incident was related to the one reported by the UAE.
Trump announced on social media platform Truth Social that the "Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran." He stated that the U.S. would be "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT" and would seek reimbursement at a rate of 20% on all cargo shipped.
Iran's top joint military command asserted that the U.S. had no authority over the waterway and would not be permitted to intervene. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on X that Tehran was and would remain the permanent guardian of the strait, humorously responding to Trump's fee proposal by saying, "20% is of course too much. We will be fair."
Iranian media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s Kish and Qeshm islands, and on Abu Musa Island following the U.S. military's announcement of renewed strikes. Residents in Jam, Bushehr province, also reported hearing explosions. No casualties were reported from these incidents. Iran's Fars news agency later reported that the country's southwestern Khuzestan province was hit by U.S. projectiles early Tuesday, with four people wounded and rescue operations underway.
Iran's state TV cited the Iranian army stating it targeted a "hostile" U.S. vessel with cruise missiles and U.S. facilities in Kuwait with drones. Iranian media also claimed the Revolutionary Guards shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone over the Hormuz. Sirens were heard early Tuesday in Bahrain, home to a U.S. military base.
The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center announced the blockade would take effect Tuesday at 2000 GMT, applying to all vessel traffic regardless of flag and covering the entire Iranian coastline. The U.S. stated the measure would not impede neutral transit passage to or from non-Iranian destinations and would permit humanitarian shipments subject to inspection.
Before the recent conflict, approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and gas traffic passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, representing over 15 million barrels of fuel worth at least $1.2 billion. A 20% U.S. fee could potentially generate around $250 million per day.
Iran's official news agency IRNA cited a local official confirming two deaths in U.S. attacks on military sites in Abadan. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and hit fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan in retaliation.
Bahrain reported that its air defense systems intercepted multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks early Monday. The ongoing conflict, which began in February, has destabilized the Gulf region, with Iran launching attacks on U.S. bases in several countries.
Oil prices saw a significant increase on Monday, with Brent futures experiencing their largest single-day dollar gain since April 2 and U.S. crude futures marking their largest daily gain since April 29. These higher energy prices are politically significant for Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.
Ship-tracking data indicated a decline in vessel activity through the Strait of Hormuz, with MarineTraffic reporting a roughly 52% decrease between July 10-12 compared to the previous week, though U.S. officials stated around 20 vessels had been escorted through in the preceding 24 hours.