Overview
- U.S. forces fired on and disabled a merchant tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the ship tried repeatedly to breach a U.S.-enforced blockade of Iranian ports, marking the second commercial vessel put out of service since the blockade was reimposed.
- The United States has carried out at least 13 consecutive nights of missile strikes inside Iran to degrade maritime, missile and drone capabilities aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran and the IRGC have answered with missile and drone strikes that targeted U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan and have claimed damage to regional U.S. facilities.
- Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have opened a new Red Sea front by striking Saudi-linked tankers and oil sites and declaring a maritime blockade that threatens traffic through the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait.
- Diplomatic talks continue through Oman, China and Pakistan even as President Trump says he is prepared to intensify strikes, energy markets stay volatile and humanitarian and commercial risks rise from the stalled ceasefire.