US-Iran War News Highlights: US Strikes To Secure Strait Of Hormuz; Iran Links It To National Security

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Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had asked DGMA to establish a comprehensive vessel-by-vessel operational dashboard to account for every Indian on each vessel, irrespective of its flag, operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

(Source: PTI)

The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has directed ship owners, ship managers and recruitment and placement service companies to avoid deploying Indian sailors on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders amid the West Asia crisis.

In an advisory, the DGMA said masters of vessels operating in Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters shall maintain a heightened level of security vigilance.

They are directed to monitor navigational warnings, security advisories and updates issued by the competent authorities, and implement all applicable ship security measures, in accordance with International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code.

Iran's Armed Forces announces that Entire Regional Infrastructure will be Destroyed if US strikes Iran's Infrastructure

⚡️BREAKING: Iran's Armed Forces announces that Entire Regional Infrastructure will be Destroyed if US strikes Iran's Infrastructure pic.twitter.com/Cv6qK4Nk1N

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) July 16, 2026

The United States intensified its strikes targeting Iran early Thursday, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait before dawn.

(Source: AP)

President Donald Trump described the conflict as a “military operation,” saying action was taken because “they didn’t obey when they were supposed to obey.” His remarks have renewed debate over presidential war powers, congressional authorization and the language used to describe US military action.

Jordan's military said Thursday it shot down eight missiles launched by Iran targeting the kingdom. The military made the announcement via the kingdom's state-run Petra news agency.

The United States has intensified its strikes targeting Iran, hitting targets further north. American forces also fired into a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic.

Tehran retaliated early Thursday with missile and drone fire also targeting Bahrain and Kuwait before dawn.

(Source: AP)

The latest round of fighting is focused on the Strait of Hormuz. How to reopen the strait has bedeviled the US since Iran choked it off in the early days of the war.

During the interim deal, some ships began moving through the passage using a route near Oman overseen by the US military that is outside Tehran's control.

In recent days, Iran attacked ships using that route — and back-and-forth attacks ensued. The US has threatened to reopen the strait by force — but experts say that would require a much bigger armada if not tens of thousands of ground troops. Imposing the blockade is another way to put pressure on Iran.

(Source: AP)

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Tehran has never welcomed war, but it must always be ready to fight and stand until the end to safeguard its national security and interests

We must also use the tools of diplomacy and negotiations to realise and secure our national interests, Ghalibaf says

If Iran is not going to benefit from the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the US, it has no reason to adhere to it, he added

Negotiations at this stage are not equivalent to compromise, but, along with war, are part of the strategy of resistance and protection of our national interests, Ghalibaf says

Separating and choosing either negotiations or war as the only solution is a strategic error, he added.

(Source: Al Arabiya)

US Central Command (CENTCOM) ended an evening wave of strikes against Iran at 9 p.m. ET on July 15.

US forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM used precision munitions to hit targets in multiple locations including Bandar Abbas.

Earlier this morning, American forces struck coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave.

The US military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief's direction.

The US reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and intensified its airstrike campaign Wednesday in retaliation for Tehran's attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barracks, killed at least seven troops and wounded hundreds of people across the country, Iranian officials said.

Days of back-and-forth strikes by the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East — and renewed threats to the waterway crucial to global energy supplies — have shredded the interim deal to end the conflict and the region could tip back into all-out war.