Iran, Gulf hit as Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb close: What’s the latest?
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- CENTCOM concluded its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran at 00:15 GMT Wednesday, targeting military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and logistics infrastructure in cities including Tabriz, Behbahan, Chabahar, Konarak, and Bushehr.
- Iran's IRGC launched retaliatory drone strikes against US military facilities at Camp Doha in Kuwait, Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan, and Isa Airbase in Bahrain, declaring that "the operation to punish the aggressor continues."
- Yemen's Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, prompting two Saudi crude oil tankers bound for Asia to turn around in the Red Sea and effectively closing the Bab al-Mandeb strait alongside the ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruption.
- The Pentagon confirmed a third US soldier killed in the July 17 Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Airbase, raising the total US military death toll to 18 since the war began on February 28.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the war has cost $37.5 billion so far and is requesting an additional $67 billion to replenish depleted missile supplies.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from a meeting with Southeast Asian counterparts in Manila, said Washington remains "open-minded" and willing to negotiate: "If they're serious, we're serious."
Why it matters: Simultaneous disruption of both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb threatens oil flows to Asia, while the Pentagon seeks $67 billion more after already spending $37.5 billion and confirming 18 US troop deaths — even as Rubio publicly entertains negotiating with Tehran from a regional summit.
