US, Iran locked in power struggle over Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN

Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)

The United States launched on July 14 a fresh wave of strikes on Iran and President Donald Trump vowed to reimpose a naval blockade, prompting Tehran to respond with attacks on countries in the region.

Trump said a deal with the Islamic Republic was still possible even as fighting surged to a scale unseen since an April ceasefire, with Iran striking two ships in the strategic waterway and killing one crew member, according to the United Arab Emirates.

U.K. maritime security agency UKMTO on July 14 reported yet another tanker struck by a missile while transiting Hormuz near Oman’s coast.

The U.S. military earlier said its five-hour mission hit targets across Iran including coastal Bushehr and Bandar Abbas to “degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.” Renewed U.S. attacks since last week have killed at least 28 people in Iran.

After the strikes, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced they had in turn fired missiles and drones on Bahrain, targeting a residential building for U.S forces and other facilities.

Bahrain subsequently said it had intercepted “several treacherous aerial attacks launched by Iran” and accused Tehran of targeting civilians, after explosions and sirens were heard in Manama.

Trump’s declaration on the Hormuz blockade and the scale of the renewed fighting have called into question efforts to bring a permanent end to the war.

Trump said on July 13 that the United States was “taking over” the strait and would slap a levy of 20 percent on all cargo shipped through it, in an announcement that drew mockery from Iran and accusations of “piracy.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran’s ports on the waterway would be blockaded from 20:00 GMT on July 14.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded mockingly on X that Trump was “absolutely right” that whoever guarantees safe passage should be compensated, but that Tehran would charge less, noting that “20 percent is of course too much.”

Oil prices shot up more than nine percent on July 13 over fears of renewed conflict and rose again on July 14, piling on more than one percent.

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament has begun work on a bill on “the management of the Strait of Hormuz,” the head of the security committee said on July 14.

Washington has vehemently opposed Tehran’s desire to charge tolls in the strait, which international law generally forbids.

In the meantime, Iran slammed a British plan to ban support for the IRGC, alongside an Iran-linked group accused of a series of attacks against the Jewish community.

The Foreign Ministry “condemns the hostile act of the British government... as unjustified, irresponsible and contrary to the fundamental principles and rules of international law,” it said in a statement.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on July 13 that “anyone found supporting or assisting these groups will now face up to 14 years in prison.”

The proposed law is to be presented to parliament this week.