US strikes Iran for 10th consecutive night as Tehran strikes tanker in
the Strait of Hormuz
[July 21, 2026]
By JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait
of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, while the
United States conducted yet another round of airstrikes targeting the
Islamic Republic as they struggle over control of the key waterway.
The 10 consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes haven’t compelled Tehran to
loosen its grip on the strait, through which about a fifth of all crude
oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime.
Even as the U.S. and Iran inch closer to all-out war again, Iran’s
interior minister traveled to Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict,
for talks. However, it remains unclear just what new deal could be
reached to end the fighting.
The interim deal signed last month that was meant to end the fighting
has crumbled. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled.
And as fighting intensifies, both sides have targeted civilian
infrastructure relied on by millions of people.
“Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests
overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans
throughout the world,” the U.S. State Department said in a new warning
to Americans.
The escalation has pushed oil prices higher in recent weeks. Benchmark
Brent crude traded Tuesday above $88 a barrel and regular gasoline in
the U.S. climbed to an average of $4 a gallon, keeping pressure on
Americans’ wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military identified two soldiers who were killed in
Jordan in attacks that left a third person missing. Separately, the
military confirmed another death in Iraq on Saturday during the
“controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone. President Donald
Trump took to social media on Monday to warn that “Every time Iran kills
an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”
Trump was planning to attend a ceremony on Tuesday evening at Dover Air
Force Base, where at least one service member’s remains were due to
arrive.
US strikes come as ships attacked
The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted “Iranian
military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone
launch sites and air defense systems.” It released more footage of
bombings that targeted sites in Iran.
“American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable
for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely
and openly transit the strait,” the command said.
However, traffic through the strait has slowed to crawl with the latest
violence. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations center said a tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the
strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack, as well as
two other attacks on ships Monday in the waterway.
The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged
ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control.
Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Jordan
military's said Tuesday that Iran targeted it with five drones, all of
which were shot down.
Nearly 100 US injuries since early July
The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson said nearly 100 U.S. service members
have been injured since the U.S. restarted strikes on July 7, and 96% of
them have returned to duty.
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Fireworks burst as Houthi supporters rally against the Saudi-led
coalition in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, July 20, 2026. Placards in Arabic
read: "God is great, Death to America, Death to Israel, A curse on
the Jews and Victory to Islam" and "boycott American and Israeli
goods". (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
“The vast majority of injuries experienced were minor concussions,”
Sean Parnell posted Monday on X in response to a New York Times
report that the Pentagon has withheld information about troop
injuries from Iranian strikes. He denied that the Pentagon was
hiding data about injuries.
However, the Defense Casualty Analysis System, the military’s
clearinghouse for reporting deaths and injuries in conflict, has not
been updated as of Monday night with the latest attacks.
Yemen rebels threaten attacks on other Mideast waterway
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo against Saudi
Arabia on Monday. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, said they
would block shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by
targeting the Bab el-Mandeb, a maritime chokepoint like the Strait
of Hormuz, in response to an attack on Sanaa International Airport
last week that they blamed on Saudi Arabia.
With the Strait of Hormuz blocked, Saudi Arabia has been relying on
a pipeline to the Red Sea to get millions of barrels of oil out to
market. The Houthis earlier demonstrated their ability to disrupt
shipping there when they targeted ships for months over the
Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with over 100 vessels attacked.
Saudi Arabia’s military said it would keep the waterway open.
“All Houthi threats against transiting vessels will be dealt with
swiftly and firmly, as such threats are a blatant violation of
international law and fall under acts of maritime piracy,” said Maj.
Gen, Turki al-Malki, a Saudi military spokesman.
A glimmer of hope for diplomacy
Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to
resuscitate the interim deal.
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrived in Islamabad on
Monday for two days of talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and
others.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that
the U.S. is still open to negotiating with Iran but that “it has to
be real.”
“If the door opens to diplomacy — if the guys that want to do
something productive for Iran win and take control of that system,
or take control of the negotiations — that’ll be a very positive
development,” Rubio said. “That’s not where we are tonight,
unfortunately.”
Iranian authorities on Sunday said at least 50 people have been
killed and 517 wounded in the latest rounds of U.S. strikes. Since
the war began on Feb. 28, 17 U.S. service members have been killed.
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