US Strikes on Iran Continue as Hormuz Ships Are Attacked
US strikes on Iran continued on November 7, 2026, after more ships in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked, Al Jazeera reported. The strait is a narrow waterway that connects the Gulf to the open sea, and it has been at the centre of the conflict since hostilities resumed in early July.
Two projectiles hit Iran's Qeshm island on Friday night, November 6. Recent US air strikes on the island targeted Iranian air defences and launchers. President Donald Trump described the strikes as "minor strikes."
Iran's army said in the early hours of Saturday that it had destroyed a US-made MQ-9 drone using an unnamed new system. Earlier, on Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military force, claimed its air defences had intercepted an MQ-1 drone. The IRGC said it was reportedly the 16th aircraft of that model destroyed since the start of the war.
Shipping has been hit hard. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), which tracks maritime security incidents, reported that at least 11 ships were attacked in and around the strait in the week ending November 6, and that three of them sank. Since early July, UKMTO has recorded 88 projectile strikes. Its weekly report counted 170 outbound and 155 inbound transits, roughly 65 percent below pre-conflict levels.
Iran's naval force said on Saturday that a tanker with its transponder, a device that broadcasts a vessel's position, turned off had caught fire in the eastern strait after hitting a mine.
Iran's military posture also shifted over the weekend. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said on Saturday that the IRGC's 2,000-kilometre limit on ballistic missile range had been lifted. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered an unrestrained military response to any future threats from Israel and the United States. The IRGC also plans to unveil another underground "missile city" soon.
Diplomacy continues alongside the fighting. On November 3, Iran said it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States, provided Washington meets its demands. An Iranian official named Rezaei said the US must fully and explicitly address Iran's conditions before the strait can be fully reopened.
The maritime pressure predates the latest exchanges. By May 20, US forces had redirected 91 commercial ships to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command.
