This frame capture taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026, shows a cargo ship anchored in Khor Fakkan, near the Strait of Hormuz, off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates.
– | AFP | Getty Images
The United States completed its third consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets, while Iran attacked two Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and issued an air raid warning across the Gulf.
U.S. Central Command announced it had completed its latest series of attacks against Iran. Centcom said in a statement that the five-hour mission hit military targets across Iran and further reduced Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.
The US military attacked Iran’s coastal defense systems, missile and drone bases, and maritime capabilities.
The military action came hours after President Trump ordered the closure of the Iranian Strait reopened at 4pm ET on Tuesday and directed a 20% toll on ships transiting the vital energy waterway.
Iran retaliated Tuesday morning with attacks targeting Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The UAE Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday morning that the state tankers Mombasa and AI Bahiya were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles in the southern lane of the Strait in Oman’s territorial waters. The attack killed one Indian crew member of the Mombasa, injured eight others, and caused “material damage” to both tankers due to a fire that broke out on board.
The ministry said it would maintain “the highest level of readiness and preparedness to deal with any threats” and take all necessary measures to respond to any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability.
Bahrain, home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, also suffered a new attack and sounded missile warning sirens early Tuesday, as Iran retaliated to the U.S. attack, according to the Associated Press.
Kupler said traffic through Hormuz is slowing again, with confirmed crossings down about 52% from the previous week from July 10 to 12, and traffic is increasingly using “more defensive route patterns,” i.e. Iranian routes and dark routes while avoiding Oman and International Maritime Organization-approved corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz war risk premium is expected to rise sharply as markets react to rising tensions, as shipowners and charterers suspend decisions to transit the Strait, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The attack broke the ceasefire that followed an interim agreement between the United States and Iran signed last month that aimed to reopen the strait and suspend hostilities for 60 days of negotiations.
The regional escalation pushed Brent crude up 2% to $85 a barrel on Tuesday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 2.3% to $80 a barrel amid renewed uncertainty over commercial shipping through the Hormuz Channel, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil and gas before the conflict.
