U.S. strikes Iran as tanker hit in Hormuz; 10-day ceasefire in focus
A shipyard damaged by the US attack is seen in Iran’s Hormozgan province, where Iranian officials say that the US has attacked 95 points in 12 cities in the last 10 days on July 19, 2026.
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The United States completed a new round of attacks on Iran on Monday evening, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis threatened to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, potentially opening a new front in the Middle East conflict.
The last cycle of tit-for-tat strikes comes in this period reports It was stated that regional mediators proposed a 10-day ceasefire to Washington and Tehran, and that this was a step that could put last month’s Memorandum of Understanding back on track.
US Central Command in question He said he launched another round of attacks on Iran at 21:00 ET on Monday.
“US forces struck Iran’s military command centers, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems to reduce Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcom said in a statement. he said.
It was stated that commercial ship passage through the strategically important waterway continues. In the statement, it was stated that Centcom forces have facilitated the passage of approximately 900 commercial ships and 450 million barrels of crude oil through the Bosphorus since the beginning of May.
Meanwhile Iran was attacked A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz forced its crew to abandon ship early Tuesday as it sought to tighten its grip on the waterway, which usually handles about 20% of the world’s oil traffic.
Kuwait in question Iran attacked several electricity generation and water desalination facilities on Monday, causing fires in many facilities. The fires have since been extinguished and repair work is ongoing, according to Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy. Kuwait is heavily dependent on desalination plants for drinking water.
Houthi militants in Yemen announced on Monday that a naval embargo on Saudi Arabia would come into effect immediately; this was a move that could significantly threaten the Middle East’s oil supply.
The Houthis had repeatedly threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait during the US-Iran war. The Bosphorus is a transit point for commercial ship traffic connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and global markets.
Statement made by militants state newsHe accused the Saudis of waging an “aggressive siege” against them. Tensions escalated last week after they claimed that Riyadh bombed Sanaa International Airport.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has announced that it will respond with force to the Houthis’ naval blockade. reportedly describes such threats as “a clear violation of international law”.
10-day ceasefire ‘will not be an easy task’
Oil prices rose briefly after the Houthi statement, but fell sharply as energy market participants closely watched the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough.
International comparison Brent crude oil Futures for September delivery were last traded at $90.20 per barrel, up 1.1%, erasing previous losses. WE West Texas Intermediate Futures contracts for August delivery increased by 1.1% to $84.13.
Strategists at ING in question There is hope of reducing tensions between the US and Iran, as mediators are reportedly proposing a 10-day ceasefire.
A commuter walks past a mural along a street in Tehran on July 21, 2026.
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“This will not be an easy task,” ING’s Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note published Tuesday. “Major divisions remain between the United States and Iran. President Trump has said the United States will retaliate following the deaths of many American soldiers,” they added.
One to post On Truth Social on Monday, President Donald Trump said: “Every time Iran kills an American soldier, it will pay for that murder, over and over again!” He added that this directive was conveyed to every leader in the army.
Saudi Arabia oil risk
Jorge León, Rystad Energy’s senior vice president and head of geopolitical analysis, said the Houthis’ threat puts about 2.5 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil at risk at a time when traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is halted.
“With the Gulf’s main maritime outlet largely closed, the market is becoming increasingly dependent on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and Red Sea terminals to keep exports flowing,” Leon said in a research note on Monday. he said.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline network, or Petroline, is a system roughly 750 miles long. It carries crude oil through Saudi Arabia, connecting Abqaiq on the oil-rich kingdom’s eastern Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
“Therefore, any disruption at Bab al-Mandeb would threaten not only Saudi shipments but also one of the few remaining routes that could compensate for the serious reduction in Hormuz traffic,” Leon said.
“If a ceasefire does not materialize and Hormuz remains largely closed while the Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping intensifies, the risk of a significant rebound in oil prices will be significant.”
— CNBC’s Chloe Taylor And Spencer Kimball both contributed to this report.
