U.S. launches new strikes on Iran after Strait of Hormuz attack
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- U.S. military conducted overnight strikes on Iranian missile systems, air defenses, and Revolutionary Guard boats on July 13, 2026, to degrade its capacity to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran responded to U.S. strikes by attacking Gulf Arab states, including launching missiles at Jordan and drones near Oman, while asserting sole control over the Strait of Hormuz
- Oman summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest drone strikes on its territory, marking its first formal diplomatic rebuke since the conflict began
- Qatar intercepted incoming Iranian fire, with shrapnel from the defense operation wounding three people, including a child, in the UAE
- Kuwait reported damage to three border posts and an offshore oil platform, with one worker injured, after Iranian attacks hit its territory
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that a return to full-scale hostilities between Iran and the U.S. would have catastrophic consequences
Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are now exchanging direct and regional attacks beyond the Strait, drawing in Gulf states and raising the risk of a broader conflict. With the 60-day interim deal nearing its midpoint and diplomatic channels fraying, the material escalation threatens global energy flows and regional stability, as seen in the physical damage to oil infrastructure and civilian injuries.
