U.S. forces conducted strikes against Iran for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday and reinstated a naval blockade to block vessels from entering or leaving the country’s ports.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his threat to impose heavy taxes on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, he warned that he would broaden U.S. strikes on Iran next week to hit power plants and bridges if Tehran fails to reach a deal.
Speaking on Fox News, Trump warned that the coming week would be ‘really bad’ for Iran, as he pledged to destroy all of its power plants and bridges unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
CENTCOM stated that the recent strikes target Iranian capabilities used to assault commercial shipping in the strait, the vital Gulf waterway through which Tehran has repeatedly attacked civilian vessels.
Iranian state media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas and the Gulf island of Qeshm, close to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as at other locations.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian forces launched a drone attack on a Jordanian military base that houses U.S. warplanes.
Residents check their cellphones as they sit at a cafe overlooking commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, July 12, 2026. AP Photo/Razieh Poudat – Razieh Poudat 
The renewed naval blockade took effect at 20:00 GMT, an hour after the strikes began, with a senior Iranian official declaring that the measure undermined a prior agreement with Washington to pause hostilities for peace talks.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that the U.S. decision to renew the blockade effectively dismantles the Islamabad memorandum.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said on Tuesday that over the past week Iran deliberately targeted civilians by striking seven commercial vessels, causing nearly a dozen crew members to be killed, missing, or injured.
“US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that endangers innocent lives,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran claimed that previous U.S. strikes hit Qeshm, while local authorities reported that U.S. forces struck four locations in Bushehr — which houses Iran’s sole civilian nuclear power plant — as well as a border area near Iraq and Kuwait.
Trump scraps levy
Iran subsequently struck two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of two crew members, according to the International Maritime Organization.
A Norwegian tanker was struck by an explosion from an unidentified device off the Omani coast early Tuesday, according to crisis response firm MTI Network.
Kuwait reported that an Iranian missile and drone barrage hit one of its naval vessels, wounding four crew members.
Trump said he was scrapping the planned levy on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, introduced on Monday, and substituting it with trade agreements with Gulf allies.
People walk near an anti-U.S. mural in Tehran, Iran, July 13, 2026. via REUTERS – Majid Asgaripour 
“I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with trade and investment deals that the various Gulf states will bring into the United States,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
Since last week, renewed U.S. attacks have killed at least 28 people in Iran, according to a tally by French news agency AFP based on Iranian media and official statements.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Tuesday that they fired missiles and drones at Bahrain, striking a residential building used by U.S. forces and other facilities.
‘Act of war’
Bahrain said it intercepted several ‘treacherous’ aerial attacks launched by Iran and accused Tehran of targeting civilians, following multiple explosions and sirens in Manama.
Tehran also attacked other U.S. allies in the region, including Jordan, which reported on Tuesday that it had shot down four Iranian missiles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions, warned Iranian leaders on Tuesday that Israel would respond with a heavy blow should they launch an attack on his country.
“The era of unanswered strikes is over; we will now respond with a decisive blow.”