Overview
- U.S. Central Command says American forces have carried out nightly strikes for six straight nights and reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports to stop attacks on commercial shipping.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until U.S. 'acts of aggression' end and has launched drone and missile strikes on U.S. installations and Gulf states in retaliation.
- Fighting has spread across the Gulf with reported strikes on bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar and repeated alerts and interceptions by regional air defenses.
- Maritime traffic through the Strait has plunged, several tankers and merchant vessels have been attacked with at least two deaths reported by the International Maritime Organization, and oil prices remain sensitive to further disruption.
- Diplomatic channels have stalled after the June ceasefire protocol was effectively dismantled, leaving mediators like Pakistan and Qatar urging talks while populations in the region face rising humanitarian and economic strain.