As a second wave of U.S. air strikes is now underway against Iranian military targets, the publicly visible air picture over the Strait of Hormuz region shows:
• 3 U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus
• 2 U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers
• 1 U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft

The visible aircraft represent only a small portion of the force supporting the operation. Additional fighters, ISR platforms and other support assets are almost certainly airborne but not broadcasting on publicly accessible flight-tracking networks.

Purported video showing a Patriot air defense missile launching from a U.S. base near Erbil, Iraq, amid reports over the past few hours of an attack targeting Erbil International Airport.

The footage has not been independently verified, but follows a series of escalating Iranian and proxy attacks against U.S. forces and partner nations across the Gulf region. Additional details on the incident are still emerging.

The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reports that President Donald J. Trump is increasingly leaning toward expanding U.S. military operations against Iran, though no final decision has been made.

According to the report, options discussed in recent Situation Room meetings include broadening airstrikes, targeting Iran's underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, striking additional energy infrastructure, and potentially seizing Kharg Island or other strategic islands in and around the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. forces.

The Journal reports the discussions follow Iran's renewed attacks on commercial shipping and the collapse of the interim ceasefire, after which the U.S. reimposed its naval blockade of Iranian ports and resumed military strikes. Officials told the Journal that Trump continues to say he prefers a diplomatic resolution, but is seeking options that would increase pressure on Tehran to end attacks on shipping and return to negotiations.

Vice President JD Vance also reiterated that the military campaign is intended to bring Iran back to the negotiating table, saying, "We're not just going to bomb and bomb and bomb. We're going to try to use our military force as one of the many tools that we have to solve the problem."

Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-leans-toward-expanding-u-s-military-operations-in-iran-6c230462?mod=hp_lead_pos1

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces have disabled the Curaçao-flagged tanker M/T Belma after the vessel ignored repeated warnings and continued toward Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal, in violation of the reimposed U.S. naval blockade.

According to CENTCOM, a U.S. aircraft rendered the vessel inoperable by firing AGM-114 "Hellfire" missiles into its smokestack, preventing it from reaching Iran.

The incident marks the first commercial vessel struck near Kharg Island, the first vessel disabled since the second U.S. blockade took effect on July 14, and the 10th non-compliant vessel disabled across both blockade operations. During the first 24 hours of the renewed blockade, U.S. forces also redirected two commercial vessels away from Iranian ports.

The Kuwaiti Army has announced that over the past day, air defenses have engaged 4 cruise missiles and 21 one way attack drones (UAVs).

While speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, earlier today, President Donald J. Trump claimed that Iran fired 111 missiles at USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) "in a short period of time," adding that all 111 were intercepted and "knocked into the sea."

Beyond stating the incident occurred "a few weeks ago," the President did not specify when the attack took place, how long the engagement lasted, or provide additional operational details. As a result, it remains unclear whether he was describing a single mass missile salvo or multiple launches over a longer period.

President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social that Iran has released an American citizen who had been wrongfully detained since December 2024. While the President did not identify the individual by name, he said she is now "safely outside of Iran, and in good condition." No additional details regarding the circumstances of her release or the negotiations leading to it were immediately provided.

Reports are emerging of air defense activity around Tehran, with explosions also reported near Borujerd, Iran. The cause of the activity has not yet been determined.

Visible military air traffic over the region currently includes three U.S. Air Force KC-135 "Stratotankers", two KC-46A "Pegasus", and one E-3 "Sentry" airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft.

As always, this represents only the aircraft visible on public flight-tracking services such as @flightradar24
, and likely reflects only a portion of the overall air activity supporting operations in the region.

In a notable development, seen by many as a significant mistake, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to resign. The move, marks yet another major removal amidst President Zelensky’s ongoing cabinet reshuffle and has been decried by many as an inane decision. Fedorov, who oversaw a significant streamlining and optimization of Ukraine’s then burgeoning defense industry, has been hailed by many an analyst as the reason Ukraine’s defense industry has realized the successes it enjoys today. To add more worry to an already serious problem, the Financial Times has reported that Fedorov’s removal may be linked to his unwillingness to award lucrative contracts to key players within Ukraine’s defense and security space, giving more ammunition to those who hail Zelensky as a corrupt leader, regardless of the truth of the matter.

According to a release from U.S, Central Command, at 9 pm eastern time, the latest wave of U.S. strikes against Iran, that included strikes on command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities, ended. Strikes are ongoing while simultaneously, the U.S. blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iran is in effect.

The Telegraph, citing sources in Yemen, reports that the Houthis are preparing contingency plans to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in coordination with Iran if Tehran decides to escalate the conflict further.

According to the report, the Houthis are expanding ties with Somalia's al-Shabaab, including the alleged transfer of Iranian drone technology, with the goal of exerting influence over both sides of the strategic waterway. The Telegraph says the move would mirror Iran's strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially allowing Tehran to threaten two of the world's most important maritime chokepoints simultaneously.

The report notes that Bab al-Mandeb carries roughly 10–12% of global maritime trade and has never been closed at the same time as the Strait of Hormuz. If both waterways were disrupted simultaneously, shipping would face major delays and significantly higher costs.

The reporting comes as regional tensions continue to rise, with U.S. strikes against Iranian targets, renewed attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and Saudi-Houthi hostilities intensifying following recent strikes on Sana'a Airport.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/15/houthis-plot-to-open-new-front-in-iran-war/

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz an inviolable "red line" on Thursday, warning that any U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including the power plants and bridges President Donald J. Trump has threatened to target, would trigger retaliatory strikes against critical infrastructure across the Gulf region.

The warning comes after four consecutive days of strikes against Iranian military targets and has reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with Washington stating the objective is to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following repeated Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

Iranian officials maintained that control of the Strait is not dependent on coastal bases or islands, insisting Tehran retains the ability to control the waterway from across its territory. They also reiterated that reopening the Strait requires U.S. compliance with the previously signed memorandum of understanding and acceptance of Iranian regulations governing vessel transits.

The rhetoric comes amid a rapidly widening regional conflict, with Iran launching missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces and partners in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, while analysts continue to warn that Tehran could also seek to pressure global trade by expanding the confrontation to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait through its Houthi allies in Yemen.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-warns-strait-hormuz-is-red-line-will-resist-until-end-2026-07-16/

Kuwaiti Air Defenses are actively responding to incoming Iranian drone threats.

Iraq has suspended its crude oil loading at all terminals, following a drone strike, which has been nominally attributed to Iranian-backed non-state actors in country, on a tanker at the Basra Oil Terminal. Additional drone attacks in the south of the country have also happened, prompting the move.