US Bombs Iran for 11th Night; War Cost Pegged at $37.5bn
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- US Central Command announced strikes on Iranian military targets for the 11th consecutive night at 7pm Eastern Time, aimed at degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
- US missile attacks hit areas near Behbahan and Omidiyeh in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province, according to the province's deputy governor speaking to Fars news agency.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress the war's cost has reached $37.5bn, with the Pentagon requesting an additional $90bn in funding.
- President Trump announced plans to attack a suspected Iranian nuclear site called "Pickaxe Mountain" "pretty soon, and very heavily," drawing a warning from Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters that strikes on nuclear sites would expand the war across the region.
- Tehran has responded to the daily US campaign since July 8 by attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz and attacking US military bases across the Middle East, according to conflict-tracking data current to July 20, 2026.
- Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held talks with Pakistani officials, including Army Chief Asim Munir, in Islamabad as mediators step up efforts to end the hostilities.
Why it matters: The disclosed $37.5bn price tag and $90bn Pentagon funding request put a concrete cost on an 11-night bombing campaign with no stated end, putting Congress on the hook for an open-ended war. Trump's threat to hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site risks the regional expansion Iran's military command has already promised, while Pakistani-hosted mediation tracks diplomatic urgency running parallel to the escalation.
