Middle East situation roundup: Iran expands retaliatory actions, and uncertainty remains over whether the Strait of Hormuz will stay open

BlockBeats report, July 15: Overnight into this morning, the situation in the Middle East has further escalated. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it has launched the “Nasr 2” Operation and said the United States has entered a “formal state of war.”

Iran said it has attacked U.S. military targets in Bahrain and Jordan, destroying systems including the “Patriot” radar, the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet air-control radars, and the C-RAM early-warning radar system. It also said it attacked the command headquarters of the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet. In addition, Iran said a U.S. military base in Kuwait had explosions and stated it attacked and destroyed two non-compliant vessels.

The U.S. side said it has completed a new round of military strikes against Iran, and that about 50k U.S. troops are currently deployed in the Middle East. U.S. officials said that on Tuesday, U.S. forces conducted several additional strikes against Iran’s military targets to eliminate newly emerging threats.

The situation remains tense in multiple locations inside Iran, with reports of explosions or attacks coming from areas including the west of Abbas Port, Bushehr, Bonpur, Chabahar, and Hengam Island. Air-defense systems near the Bushehr nuclear power plant have been activated. Jordan said it has intercepted and shot down 4 missiles that entered its airspace from Iranian territory.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s military said that under the United States’ ongoing military actions, the strait will not reopen, and the Revolutionary Guard Corps also said that as long as the U.S. continues its actions, the reopening of the strait will be further delayed. At the same time, France said it is prepared to participate, if necessary, in clearing the strait of sea mines, and Oman reiterated that it will continue to mediate to push for the restoration of navigation freedom through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. policy on tolls for the Strait of Hormuz has also changed. Earlier, a White House official said Trump is seriously considering imposing a 20% toll, but Trump later said no one should charge fees for the strait. U.S. Energy Secretary Wright also confirmed that the U.S. is no longer considering imposing the 20% toll.

Separately, Lebanon and Israel are holding negotiations in Rome, Italy, to discuss implementing an end-of-conflict agreement, including the delineation of test zones and Israel’s troop withdrawal timeline. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the United Kingdom for listing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a national security threat, and Iran’s deputy foreign minister said that under the framework of the “Islamic Republic of Iran–U.A.E. Understanding Memorandum,” there are currently no commitments by Iran.