The United States and Iran traded heavy missile and drone strikes over the weekend of July 13, 2026, after Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz to all ships. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea—essentially a choke point where much of the world's oil passes through. The US military said it hit Iranian air defenses, radar sites, and weapons storage. Iran, through its military wing called the Revolutionary Guards, said it attacked American military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radars in Oman, and hit fuel and ammunition storage at a base in Jordan The Guardian. Kuwait also reported explosions at border posts and an oil platform. For the first time in months, Qatar came under attack as well.

This latest burst of fighting is not new—it is the fourth major round of US strikes in just three weeks. It all started back on June 25 when Iran attacked a commercial cargo ship. The US responded by striking Iranian weapons storage. Then on July 7, Iran attacked three more cargo ships, and the US hit back with roughly 80 targets. The strikes kept escalating. On July 11, after Iran hit another container ship, the US struck about 140 Iranian military sites CENTCOM. Each time Iran acted, the US responded with more force AP.

To understand why this is happening, you need to know what came before. Earlier this year, both sides had agreed to a ceasefire. As part of that deal, Iran promised to clear mines from the strait and let ships pass safely for free for 60 days Al Jazeera. That agreement is now broken. Iran's lead negotiator posted on social media that "the era of one-sided deals is OVER," signaling that Iran now sees the strait closure as a tool to gain power, not something temporary The Guardian.

President Trump said on Fox News that the US would probably take control of the strait and should be paid for doing so. This is significant because it suggests the US now wants to permanently govern the waterway—a new and more ambitious goal that America's local allies have not publicly supported.

The broader conflict dates to February 2026, when Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, was killed in airstrikes carried out by the US and Israel. But the root of the tension goes back even further. In June 2025, the US dropped specially designed bunker-busting bombs on Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment plant in an operation called MIDNIGHT HAMMER Defense.gov. That strike was meant to show that the Trump administration would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Since Khamenei's death, thousands have been killed, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.

This crisis affects the entire world, not just the Middle East. About one-fifth of all the oil consumed globally passes through the Strait of Hormuz each day. When Iran announced the closure, oil prices jumped 3%. Oil traders are nervous because if the strait really does close, it would disrupt supply chains and energy prices worldwide. The United Nations Secretary-General warned that full-scale war in the region would be catastrophic.

What is striking about the last few days is not just the power of the weapons used, but how many countries were hit at the same time. In just 48 hours, Iran or its weapons reached bases and facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and Qatar—essentially attacking the entire network of American military bases across the Gulf all at once. This suggests Iran is now willing to take on the whole US military presence in the region, not just one base or one location.