The US is stepping up military pressure on Iran as American troop deaths mount and Israel prepares for the possibility of a wider operation. Follow along for the latest on West Asia war.
The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz continued to intensify on Monday as the US reinforced its naval blockade of Iran and launched a ninth consecutive night of strikes, while Tehran continued to challenge Washington’s authority over the strategic waterway.US Central Command said it had redirected six commercial vessels and disabled another as of July 19 to enforce the blockade. The latest strikes were aimed at further degrading Iran’s ability to attack commercial ships and civilian mariners in the strait, it said.
President Donald Trump said the US was hitting Iran “very hard” in honour of American service members killed in recent attacks. “We hit them very hard again tonight,” Trump told reporters after returning to Washington from the FIFA World Cup final.
Meanwhile, Israel is preparing to receive additional US refuelling aircraft amid the escalation and the possibility of an expansion of American military operations against Iran, Reuters reported, citing Israeli officials.
Follow our US-Iran War Live Updates for the latest developments.
