Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have reportedly struck 116 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov over the past nine days, using one-way attack drones in an effort to disrupt the maritime logistics sustaining Russia's war effort and operations supporting the occupation of Crimea.

The campaign follows a sustained series of Ukrainian strikes targeting fuel depots, storage facilities, and logistics infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula that reportedly forced authorities to restrict civilian fuel sales to prioritize military and government needs.

Kuwait’s armed forces have said that their air defenses are dealing with another wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks on the Gulf country.

President Donald J. Trump has issued a lengthy statement on Truth Social declaring that the Strait of Hormuz is now open to all commercial shipping except vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo, crediting recent U.S. military operations with restoring freedom of navigation.

Trump said the U.S. will maintain a full blockade of Iran, warning that the country's leadership is leading Iran down "the path of TOTAL DESTRUCTION." He also announced he is abandoning the proposed 20% "United States reimbursement fee" floated yesterday, saying it will instead be replaced by trade and investment agreements with Gulf states.

The statement comes after three consecutive nights of CENTCOM strikes against Iranian military targets, ahead of the formal resumption of the U.S. naval blockade, and amid continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and heightened military activity across the Gulf.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets U.S. President Donald J. Trump for a much anticipated visit, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and continued corruption crackdowns in Iraq.

Air raid sirens are sounding across Bahrain amid indications of another Iranian missile and/or drone attack targeting the Gulf kingdom.

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and has been repeatedly targeted during the current escalation, making it one of the primary locations for Iranian retaliatory strikes against U.S. and coalition interests in the region.

The self-destruct circuit appears to have been engaged on a Patriot interceptor missile today over Bahrain during Iran’s most recent wave of missile and drone attacks against the Gulf country.

Kuwait's Ministry of Defense says its air defenses have intercepted 1 ballistic missile, 5 cruise missiles, and 33 drones launched by Iran during the latest wave of attacks.

According to the Ministry of Defense, several civilian and critical infrastructure sites sustained damage from falling debris. A Kuwaiti Navy vessel was also struck, leaving four service members injured. All are reported to be in stable condition after receiving medical treatment.

Kuwaiti officials say the Armed Forces remain on high alert and continue to respond to ongoing threats.

It’s now 4:09 pm Eastern Time and U.S. Central Command has announced the resumption of the blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. More than 20 U.S. naval vessels are operating in the Middle East, per the release.

Another round of U.S. strikes on Iran is likely now underway, as explosions have been heard in Sirik and other areas of Southern Iran adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a release that “U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives.”

Another wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks against Bahrain, as the Bahraini Interior Ministry has announced the activation of alarm sirens.

The Ministry of Defense of Kuwait has announced that their air defenses are currently responding to incoming hostile drone threats.

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

Visible commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below the normal average of 130+ ship transits per day. Fewer than a dozen vessels completed the transit over the past 24 hours, all utilizing the Iranian traffic separation scheme, with no visible traffic using the U.S.-established southern route through Omani waters.

This follows Iran's attacks on three commercial vessels yesterday, continued U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets, and the latest escalation in which Iran also targeted a Kuwaiti Navy vessel during a broader missile and drone attack on the Gulf state adding uncertainty and risk to vessels who wish to transit outside of the Iranian approved manner.

While some ships may be transiting with automatic identification system (AIS) transponders disabled and therefore are not visible on MarineTraffic.com, the observable data indicates commercial shipping through one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints remains severely disrupted amid the escalating conflict.

During his visit to the U.S. today, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi was hosted at the Pentagon by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. In a subsequent statement, Secretary Hegseth also noted the U.S.’s wish for Iraq’s government to deal with Iranian-backed non-state actors (detailed in our previous SITREP today), as per the secretary, Iranian-backed groups have been responsible for 600+ attacks on U.S. forces this spring.

According to a release from U.S. Central Command, in a 7-hour long tranche of strikes, dozens of Iranian targets were hit, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems.

As tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the United States appear to be escalating, with Iran’s IRGC launching near daily drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases across the Middle East, including those in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. Traders on Polymarket predict that Iran will once again carry out military action against a Gulf State on Friday, July 17, with chances currently sitting at around 65%.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that a fourth round of strikes against Iranian military targets began at 6:00 a.m. ET today.

According to CENTCOM, the operation is intended to further degrade Iran's military capability to attack commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz, following several days of Iranian attacks on merchant vessels and the subsequent U.S. military response.

The military air picture, visible via FlightRadar24.com, over the Strait of Hormuz region appears relatively light despite CENTCOM's fourth consecutive round of strikes against Iranian military targets.

Currently visible are 2 U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers, 1 KC-135 Stratotanker, and 1 U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

Also visible are several aircraft belonging to Gulf partner nations, though their missions cannot be determined from open-source flight data alone. They may be supporting coalition operations, providing defensive coverage in anticipation of further Iranian attacks, or simply conducting routine operations.

As always, the publicly visible air picture represents only a fraction of the force. Additional tankers, fighters, ISR platforms, and other support aircraft are almost certainly airborne but not broadcasting on publicly accessible flight-tracking networks while supporting ongoing operations.