US and Iran Trade Strikes for Third Day, Trump Plans New Hormuz Blockade
The United States launched a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets on Monday (July 13, 2026), as President Donald Trump announced plans to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports and impose a 20% fee on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes, described by the U.S. military as a five-hour mission, hit targets across Iran including the coastal cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas. The Pentagon said the operation aimed to 'degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping.' In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired missiles and drones at Bahrain, targeting a residential building used by U.S. forces, and also attacked other Gulf nations including Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman. Jordan reported shooting down four Iranian missiles.
President Trump, speaking at the White House, said, 'We're going to hit them very hard tonight, and we're going to hit them hard tomorrow.' He also declared that the United States would 'take over' the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20% levy on all cargo shipped through the waterway, a move Iran derided as 'piracy.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on social media, mocking the fee as too high and suggesting Tehran could offer a lower rate.
The escalation follows a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April, after the U.S.-led conflict in West Asia. Iran began blocking the strait in February following U.S.-Israel attacks, prompting a previous U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. Those restrictions were eased in June after a preliminary deal. The renewed hostilities have raised doubts about efforts to achieve a permanent end to the war.
Oil prices surged more than 9% on Monday and rose further on Tuesday amid fears of disruptions to global supply. Trump formally notified Congress last week that the United States had resumed military conflict against Iran, granting the Pentagon an additional 60 days to operate in the region without congressional approval.
In a further threat, Trump warned of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz, known as Pickaxe Mountain, where Western intelligence suspects undeclared enrichment activities. He told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, 'Tell the Iranians to be ready. Let them know we're coming (and) there's not a damn thing they can do about it.'
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their strikes targeted U.S. forces at an air base in Bahrain and urged Jordanians to demand the removal of American bases from the region. Iran's military command spokesman stated that any collaboration by Gulf countries with the United States would be considered an act of war.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Iranian ports on the waterway would be blockaded from 2000 GMT on Tuesday (July 14, 2026). Trump asserted on social media that the United States would be known as 'The Guardians of the Hormuz Strait' and that while Iran's ports would be blockaded, 'all other countries will have fair and open use of the strait.'
The conflict has drawn international concern. India's Ministry of External Affairs summoned Iranian diplomats over the killing of an Indian sailor in one of the ship attacks. The situation remains volatile, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
