U.S. airstrikes on Iran mark 12th night amid Hormuz crisis

The United States launched its twelfth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran early on July 23, 2026, as the conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz escalated with threats against civilian infrastructure and spread to a second major global shipping route. The U.S. military said the latest operation aimed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial vessels in regional waters, while Iranian officials vowed a powerful and decisive response to any attacks on their infrastructure.

The strikes followed a public warning from U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that for every future Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by declaring an "eye for an eye" defense doctrine, asserting that aggression against Iranian infrastructure would compel retaliation. Iran's military command separately warned that such U.S. action could lead to Iranian attacks on regional oil, gas, and economic facilities.

The core dispute centers on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed...