US military strikes targets in Iran and reimposes naval blockade

Justification for the strikes

According to Centcom, the strikes were intended to further weaken Iranian capabilities used for attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Late in the evening, the US military was also to reimpose a naval blockade preventing Iranian ports from being accessed.

No reaction from Tehran was initially available. The Revolutionary Guards responded each time with counterattacks on American bases in other countries in the region. Targets included positions in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Iranian counterattacks

Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz that were traveling on routes not approved by Tehran, and in turn attacked Gulf states allied with the US. These counterattacks were directed against Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

The Kuwaiti army held Iran responsible for an attack on one of its warships. Four soldiers were injured in the attack. Kuwaiti forces intercepted a ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, and 33 drones.

Threat of an energy blockade

In response to the US strikes, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards threatened to block energy exports from the entire region. As long as the "malicious actions" of the US continued, not a single drop of oil and gas would be exported from the region, Iranian state media reported.

The US had initially imposed the blockade in mid-April, then lifted it again in mid-June after the signing of a preliminary framework agreement between the US and Iran. The agreement was also intended to lead to a permanent end of the war and provided for a deadline of 60 days to negotiate the details.

From the framework agreement to escalation

This also included an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. It was intended to allow ship traffic through the strait, which is so important for oil trade, to resume. But the talks have stalled and the conflict over the strait has escalated increasingly in recent times.

US President Donald Trump then announced the resumption of the blockade on Monday. Prior to that, Trump had also announced a fee for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The US wanted to charge a fee in the future for the protection of ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz: 20 percent of the value of the cargo.

Trump's reversal on fees

On Tuesday, however, Trump backtracked and wrote on his platform Truth Social that, instead of fees, there would be trade and investment agreements with the Gulf states. Trump described the originally planned fee as necessary to cover all costs required to ensure security and protection. These investments would be massive, Trump promised.

Currently, more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft are deployed throughout the Middle East. These forces form the framework for the renewed naval blockade as well as the ongoing airstrikes on Iranian territory.

Background on the repeated US strikes was provided, among other things, in a report by ZDF correspondent David Sauer dated 14.07.2026. It classified the escalation in the region as a consequence of the stalled negotiation process between Washington and Tehran.

Impact on world trade

The news of the new strikes and the reimposed blockade was broadcast on 15.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The developments in the Strait of Hormuz have immediate effects on international oil trade and energy prices.

The US military strike against Iranian territory is taking place in an already tense regional environment. Several Gulf states have been drawn into the conflict because Iranian counterattacks hit positions on their soil. The geographic scope of the dispute has thus expanded beyond the strait.

For international shipping, the reimposed blockade means a significant impediment to the movement of goods. The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most important routes for global oil trade; a disruption would have immediate consequences for energy supply and the economy worldwide.

The conflict between Washington and Tehran has been simmering for years and has flared up again after the failure of negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program and the resumption of trade routes. Both sides accuse each other of not having honored the agreements from June.