US military says it ends a wave of overnight airstrikes that rattled parts of northern Iran for the first time
U.S. military targeted Iranian command centers, air defenses and a merchant vessel to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the strategic waterway.
- Early Thursday, U.S. forces intensified strikes on Iran, hitting targets further north including areas around Tehran and Semnan province, while American aircraft disabled the Curacao-flagged tanker Belma by firing a missile into its smokestack after the ship ignored multiple warnings attempting to breach the naval blockade.
- After Washington struggled to successfully reopen the waterway, President Donald Trump reimposed the naval blockade Wednesday; the closure stems from Iran's February closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israel war launch on Feb. 28, which sent oil and fertilizer prices soaring and gave Iran major leverage in negotiations.
- Wednesday's barracks strike on Iran's 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade fired at least 13 missiles, killing seven soldiers, while Iranian officials say U.S. strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others; U.S. forces also struck Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave and targeted bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
- Iran retaliated Thursday with missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait targeting U.S. forces; the Revolutionary Guard threatened to halt all Middle East energy exports over the blockade, while parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned Iran was prepared for fuller military confrontation if the U.S. violates interim deal terms.
- The escalating strikes have shredded the interim deal and risk tipping the region into all-out war, as Brent crude traded above $85 a barrel Thursday—more than 15% above pre-war levels—creating political pressure on Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November elections, though he claims Iran remains willing to negotiate.
163 Articles
163 Articles
Oil Prices Set for Biggest Weekly Surge Since April as Iran War Escalates
Oil prices were headed early on Friday for a 12% weekly gain, the biggest jump in one week since April, as the re-escalation in the Middle East and the abrupt halt to the recovery of Strait of Hormuz flows pushed crude futures prices to the highest in over a month. In Asian trade on Friday, both benchmarks were rising by about 1%, as the U.S. military launched a new round of strikes on Iran, for the sixth night in a row. Brent Crude prices trade…
Key news items from VOA's "Today's Focus" on July 17, 2026 include: US airstrikes on Iranian command center; escalating tensions in the Middle East impacting global oil prices; White House: President Trump's national address focuses on the election, Iran, and the economy; Rubio urges international community to actively address the threat of far-left terrorism; US Department of Homeland Security to revise visa regulations for foreign students and…
Iran and the US are already fighting their next war
The latest hostilities show why military force cannot resolve the crisis. Here’s what the renewed fighting means for Hormuz and beyond Tensions are escalating again in the Persian Gulf. US President Donald Trump notified Congress of renewed airstrikes on Iran and vowed to destroy all of the Islamic Republic’s military infrastructure in the Strait of...
US expands strikes into northern Iran
The US early yesterday intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting targets further north as US forces also fired into a ship the US accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting U.S. allies in the region before dawn and warn
MichaelSavage.com – US Expands Strikes in Northern Iran, Disables Blockade-Running Ship
The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship the U.S. accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting U.S. allies in the region before dawn and warned its attacks…
US Fires On Ship Attempting To Evade Naval Blockade
The Associated Press reports: The United States intensified its strikes on Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship the U.S. accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting U.S. allies in the region before dawn and warned its attacks may escalate. Days of back-and-forth strikes by the U.S. and Iran across the Middle Ea…
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