Yesterday marked the fourth day of U.S. airstrikes against targets in Iran, but this time with a naval blockade in place and the U.S. side escalating the pressure to levels beyond the military sphere.

For its part, Iran is responding with ballistic missiles and drones against targets in the wider region, demonstrating once again that it has not lost the ability to strike targets of U.S. interest.

The naval blockade went into effect at 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday (Greek time), backed by substantial CENTCOM forces (20 ships and hundreds of aircraft). The U.S. aims to ensure that Iran is no longer able to harass commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas today at 4 p.m. ET.

There are currently more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain… pic.twitter.com/ATRJHlLQNo

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— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 14, 2026

An hour earlier, U.S. forces had launched a new wave of strikes against targets in Iranian cities on or near the Strait of Hormuz. Explosions were reported, once again, in Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, and Qeshm Island, though it remains unclear what kinds of targets were being struck. The Iranians, however, were quick to claim that the U.S. had struck… a bottled water plant.

The attacks continued until the early hours of Wednesday morning. The U.S. military announced that it had “completed an additional round of strikes against Iran,” after bombing “dozens of targets” near the Strait of Hormuz and in “coastal areas” for the fourth consecutive night. They noted that they struck facilities housing “missiles and unmanned aerial systems,” “naval capabilities,” and “coastal defense systems” during the “wave” of bombings lasting “seven hours,” in order to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and merchant marine crews.”

At the same time, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against Iran, targeting individuals, entities, and vessels, and has also frozen cryptocurrency “wallets” linked to Iran. The total value of these assets amounts to $130 million.

Footage, reportedly taken during earlier Iranian drone and missile strikes against Kuwait, shows a Shahed-136 impact. The U.S. continues to exchange strikes with Iran, as targets inside Bahrain and Kuwait are now bearing the brunt of Iranian fire. pic.twitter.com/AC07mtqi96

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— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 15, 2026

Trump: Power plants and bridges are next

Donald Trump was quick to make it clear that the new normal will be one of bombings.

In an interview with FOX News, he said, in so many words, that he would bomb Iran until he himself decided it was enough. He added that starting next week, U.S. targets will include power plants and bridges, until the Iranians are forced to come to the negotiating table.

BREAKING: Trump tells Fox News in an interview that the U.S. military is going to bomb Iran's power plants and bridges next week if Iran doesn't come to the table and negotiate pic.twitter.com/ydxNt0jfxv

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 14, 2026

Iran’s response was a series of overnight announcements regarding attacks on a major U.S. air base in Jordan housing F-18 aircraft, as well as against a U.S. base in Kuwait containing a large amount of military equipment that, according to Tehran, was “set ablaze.” At the same time, it once again targeted Kuwait and Bahrain.

Public radio and television even broadcast the claim that the sounds heard in Bandar Abbas and in the coastal cities and islands of the Gulf were the result of “clashes and exchanges of fire” in the Strait of Hormuz, apparently between the U.S. and Iran. Another Iranian source spoke of clashes involving the Revolutionary Guards Navy in the area. It is difficult to verify the truth of Iran’s claims.

The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the attacks end, says Tehran

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced early this morning that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until U.S. “aggressive actions” cease, while threatening to close other strategically important routes for energy exports in the region, according to a statement broadcast by state television IRIB.

“Retaliatory operations (…) will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. puts an end to its aggressive actions,” the statement said. “The enemy (…) must also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the U.S. and its allies,” the statement noted. “Oil and gas exports from the region will either be accessible to everyone or to no one,” the text emphasizes.

Source: Proto Thema