U.S. Launches Wave of Airstrikes After Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz

The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on July 11, 2026, as the U.S. military launched airstrikes against roughly 140 Iranian sites. The bombardment followed an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attack on a container ship and Tehran's subsequent declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all non-approved maritime traffic. Speaking from a NATO summit in Turkey, President Donald Trump announced that a previous ceasefire Memorandum of Understanding is officially defunct, confirming that approximately 1,000 missiles are now targeted at Iran with orders finalized for deployment. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most vital oil chokepoint, has triggered immediate international concern regarding a global energy crisis. While U.S. CENTCOM had previously struck 80 targets earlier in the week, the latest development indicates that Iran is doubling down on its strategic aims, which include maintaining control of the waterway and protecting its nuclear program. Diplomatic sources suggest that Iranian negotiators are scrambling to resume talks in Oman to avoid "total annihilation," though Tehran shows no sign of yielding on its core territorial claims. The situation has rapidly expanded beyond a direct U.S.-Iran confrontation, as regional proxies including Hezbollah and the Houthis have begun striking U.S. and Israeli interests in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. The White House and the U.S. military have not yet offered a formal comment on this broad proxy activation. Security analysts warn that the next 48 hours are critical, as the risk of a wider regional war grows alongside Iran's promises of retribution for the latest U.S. strikes.