US strikes Iran again as Hormuz blockade returns and tanker attacks flare

Dubai,UPDATED: Jul 14, 2026 06:44 IST

The US launched fresh strikes on Iran early Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and suggested that ships could be charged for safe passage. Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain and two tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates in the strait, killing one mariner and injuring eight others.

The developments have sharpened the struggle over control of the strait, through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime. Benchmark Brent crude rose 7.8 per cent to USD 81.92 a barrel, still below the nearly USD 120 seen at the height of the war, but adding to concerns over higher costs.

US Central Command said on social media that the American military had begun another round of strikes against Iran. “These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US military said. Soon after, Trump described it as “another major attack”. “We’re hitting them very hard. And it’ll continue, and we’ll see what happens,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “We’re knocking out all of their offensive capability and we’re controlling the straits. We’re putting the blockade back.”

Trump also gave fresh details on his administration’s shift on passage through the strait, after previously indicating that it would not impose charges. “We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said. “We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.” The move marks a change from longstanding US policy that the strait should remain open to all without tolls, as it was before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Any attempt by the US or Iran to charge fees would violate global norms on freedom of navigation and could deepen tensions and economic disruption.

The UAE Defence Ministry said Iran fired two cruise missiles at the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks set both vessels on fire, though the blazes were later put out. The ministry said one Indian national was killed, while six Indians and two Ukrainians were wounded. “The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents,” the ministry said.

Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday as Iran responded to the latest US airstrikes. The country sounded its missile alert siren and asked people to seek shelter, though there was no immediate word on damage or casualties. The UAE had used similar language before launching attacks on Iran during the war, and fighter jets could be heard overhead in Dubai on Tuesday morning. The latest strikes and counter-strikes have pushed up tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, with the US, Iran, Bahrain and the UAE all drawn deeper into the confrontation.

With PTI Inputs

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