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.

According to the Ukrainian military, the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have expanded their maritime drone campaign beyond the Sea of Azov and into the Black Sea, claiming 136 Russian vessels have been struck since July 6.

The maritime campaign is part of a broader Ukrainian effort to systematically isolate Crimea by targeting the logistics network that sustains Russian forces. In recent weeks, Ukraine has struck bridges, rail lines, ferries, fuel depots, fuel trucks, and now maritime shipping, aiming to disrupt the flow of personnel, equipment, ammunition, and fuel to the peninsula.

The campaign is having an effect, with fuel shortages reportedly forcing authorities in Crimea to restrict fuel sales to prioritize military and government operations, increasing pressure on Russian logistics supporting the occupation.

The video released by the USF today appears to be from the night of the 14th.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the completion of the latest round of strikes, which began at 6:00 a.m. ET and concluded around 7:30 a.m. ET.

The operation targeted Iranian coastal defense systems, along with cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island, further degrading capabilities used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strikes are the latest in an escalating campaign that follows repeated Iranian attacks on merchant vessels, including ships transiting without authorization from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), as well as missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces and Gulf partners in recent days.

Axios' Barak Ravid, citing sources familiar with the discussions, reports that President Donald J. Trump convened a Situation Room meeting yesterday to review plans for a broader military campaign against Iran, extending beyond the ongoing strikes around the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting took place after three consecutive days of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) strikes targeting Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping and before the fourth round of strikes began today, as the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports was set to take effect.

In an interview with Fox News ahead of the meeting, Trump said the U.S. would hit Iran "hard" over the coming days, warning that if Tehran does not negotiate, "next week comes the power plants... next week comes the bridges." He also confirmed the U.S. is monitoring activity at Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site suspected of supporting Iran's nuclear program, and warned it could be targeted if necessary.