US and Iran exchange strikes for tenth consecutive night as Houthis declare Red Sea blockade

The United States and Iran have exchanged daily military strikes for nearly two weeks following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding reached the previous month. US Central Command said its overnight strikes on July 21 targeted Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone launch sites, with explosions reported across southern Iran including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. Iran responded by targeting US assets in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Iranian missiles were intercepted by Jordanian air defenses for a third consecutive day.

The conflict has broadened geographically. A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman, forcing the crew to abandon ship; two other vessels were also struck Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations center. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted "non-compliant" tankers attempting to transit the waterway, while the US military said it has helped facilitate the passage of approximately 900 commercial vessels since early May. Daily ship traffic through the strait has dropped sharply, with just nine vessels recorded passing through on Monday, according to MarineTraffic data.

The Houthi announcement of a blockade on Saudi shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait added a second potential chokepoint to the crisis. Saudi Arabia had been exporting approximately 4 million barrels per day through its Yanbu port on the Red Sea to bypass Hormuz; consultancy Rystad Energy said roughly 2.5 million of those barrels per day currently transit Bab al-Mandeb, directly exposed to potential Houthi action. Brent crude rose 1.8% to $90.85 a barrel following the announcement, up nearly $20 a barrel for the month. The International Energy Agency warned that global energy security would deteriorate further unless the Strait of Hormuz reopened.