There is no end in sight to the conflicts in the Middle East. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had bombed Iran for the 11th consecutive night, while Secretary of War Pete Hegesez stated that the cost of the war so far has reached 37.5 billion dollars (32.8 billion dollars).
“CENTCOM forces began striking military targets in Iran at 7 p.m. ET today for the 11th consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
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CENTCOM forces began striking military targets in Iran at 7 p.m. ET today for the 11th consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 21, 2026
For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that allowing Iran to control the strait would set a “dangerous precedent,” with broader consequences far beyond the Middle East, where the war between the armed forces of Washington and Tehran has flared up once again.
“If we were to set a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state could decide to control an international shipping lane, impose transit fees, and blow up ships that don’t pay them, we would be setting a very dangerous precedent that would be replicated in other parts of the world, including this region,”, warned Marco Rubio during the meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, Philippines.
It should be noted that U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier on Tuesday signaled a new escalation in the war with Iran, stating that U.S. forces would strike Mount Qixing “very soon” and warning Tehran that “it hasn’t seen anything yet.”
It should be noted that the U.S. president met on Tuesday with his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun. Donald Trump would like to see an agreement in Lebanon because he believes it will help in discussions with the Iranians.
“The enemy must prepare for waves of drone and missile attacks that will be even more decisive and powerful,” the Revolutionary Guards stated in turn. Kuwaiti authorities accused Iran of attacking power plants and desalination facilities, infrastructure that is absolutely essential for supplying drinking water to the emirate’s millions of residents in one of the driest regions on the planet.
Iran, despite the resilience it demonstrated during the war and its resistance to U.S. demands, now faces critical dilemmas that will determine both the outcome of the conflict and the regime’s future. After ten days of attacks on both sides centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran is faced with three options, none of which offers a clear path to victory. As the BBC points out in its analysis, the first option is to accept U.S. demands, the second option is escalation, and the third option is to maintain the current state of instability.
Source: Skai.gr
