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Latest war news. Iran: naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins. Trump: we could attack bridges and power stations
The US President has not ruled out a ground operation after backtracking on the tolls in the Strait
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Summary by points
15 July 2026
Iran, US: Trump holds meeting in the Situation Room on attacks in Tehran
US President Donald Trump held a meeting on Tuesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss large-scale attacks against Iran, on a greater scale than the current operations in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Axios, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to reports, the senior officials present at the meeting included the Vice-President of the United States, JD Vance, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth.
The meeting focused on new plans for attacks on strategic targets in Iran, beyond the current operations in the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Axios. Since 8 July, the US military has carried out several waves of attacks against Iran. US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the attacks were a response to Iranian interference with commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic responded with attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
15 July 2026
New US sanctions against Iran’s oil and cryptocurrency sectors
The US has expanded sanctions against Iran’s oil sector, targeting in particular the network of oil transport magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, according to the Treasury Department. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the department has also frozen $130 million held in digital wallets linked to the Iranian central bank, hitting a sector that has seen an intensification of activity since the start of the war. The decision came after US forces carried out attacks against Iran for the fourth consecutive day and reimposed the naval blockade, with Iran in turn striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Maritime Organisation.
15 July 2026
UK accuses Pasdaran of involvement in attacks in Europe
The United Kingdom has accused the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of being involved in a series of attacks in Europe and has summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires in London, Ali Nasimfar. This was stated by the Foreign Office in London.
“The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires in London today in response to the role played by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in directing affiliated groups (proxies) responsible for a series of attacks in Europe,” reads a statement issued by the ministry yesterday.
According to the statement, Nasimfar was summoned to the Foreign Office in connection with attacks that took place in Europe between March and May, which are alleged to have been coordinated by the Quds Force.
Una nave nello Stretto di Hormuz REUTERS/Stringer REUTERS
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15 July 2026
Trump: ‘If Tehran does not accept a deal on the Strait of Hormuz, we will attack bridges and power stations’
Donald Trump has threatened to escalate US attacks against Iran next week, targeting power stations and bridges, if Tehran does not agree to a deal on the Strait of Hormuz. “Next week, things will get really tough for them, because it will be the turn of the power stations. It will be the turn of the bridges,” the US President said in an interview with Fox News. “We will destroy all their power stations. We will destroy all their bridges, unless they sit down at the negotiating table.”
15 July 2026
Trump does not rule out a ground operation
US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, did not rule out a ground campaign in Iran. When asked by the interviewer whether he would rule out a ground campaign on Kharg Island, Trump replied: “No, I wouldn’t say no if I thought it was appropriate. Sometimes a ground campaign is necessary, but we have other people who would carry it out for us; however, we have already struck the island of Kharg twice – in fact, three times. I said, ‘Strike everything but the oil’.”
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15 July 2026
US: Dozens of targets hit in latest wave of attacks
The US Central Command (Centcom) has announced that it has struck dozens of Iranian targets during the latest wave of night-time air strikes against the Islamic Republic, whilst reimposing a naval blockade on Iran.
According to CENTCOM, the US armed forces struck “missile and drone launch sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems during the seven-hour wave of attacks, with the aim of further reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial maritime traffic and civilian crews”.
15 July 2026
Pasdaran: US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain destroyed
The Revolutionary Guards, an Iranian paramilitary force, said in a statement carried by state television that Iran had struck US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain in attacks over the past few hours. “The US Fifth Fleet’s NSI operations centre, the command and control centre, large depots containing military parts and equipment, and the fleet’s fuel depots located in Bahrain have been struck and destroyed,” the Pasdaran reported.
15 July 2026
Iran: Jordan intercepts three ballistic missiles launched from Tehran
Jordan’s air defence systems intercepted three ballistic missiles launched from Iran this morning. This was reported by the Reuters news agency, citing the Amman-based armed forces.
Earlier today, the Iranian army had stated that it had attacked the US air base at al-Azraq, in Jordan, using drones. Subsequently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that, following the attack on the base, the hangars housing F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as several MQ-9 drones, had been destroyed.
15 July 2026
US: Blockade of Iranian ships and ports has come into effect
- The US blockade of Iranian ships and ports has come into effect. This was announced by US Central Command, which emphasised that there are 20 warships and hundreds of US military aircraft operating in the Middle East. “US forces remain vigilant, lethal and ready,” US Central Command emphasised.
15 July 2026
Trump: Attacks on Iran will continue until I say ‘enough’
Attacks on Iran “will continue until I say enough is enough”. Donald Trump made this statement in an interview with Fox, emphasising that “sooner or later” the United States will strike targets in the energy sector. “I’ll leave the energy sector until last. Next week we’ll strike power stations and bridges,” Trump emphasised.
15 July 2026
Iran: the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US aggression ceases
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced today that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the end of US “acts of aggression”, according to a statement broadcast by the Iranian state television channel IRIB. Yesterday, Washington launched a new series of attacks against Iran and resumed the blockade of its ports. “The fighters’ retaliatory operations will continue and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ceases its acts of aggression,” the IRGC stated.
