Operation Epic Fury

Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy exposes the limits of destruction - opinion

Airpower temporarily shattered Iran’s arsenal, but the Hormuz Strait proved a harsher truth: the real fight is over the narrow corridor where even a weaker force can bend global power to its will

STRAIT OF HORMUZ, OMAN/IRAN -- JUNE 16, 2026: 01 -- Maps4media-processed Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows a broad overview of the Strait of Hormuz, including the Musandam Peninsula, nearby islands, coastal shallows, and the narrow maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
A drone view shows vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 15, 2026.

Strait of Hormuz traffic plunges as Iran, US blockades restrict energy shipments

IDF soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, published July 15, 2026.

Iran warns non-compliant ships away from Hormuz, reportedly offers reward for killing Trump's son

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on May 16. Negotiations between the US and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled.

Iran made billions of dollars, bypassed sanctions amid US blockade, top official Rezaee claims


CENTCOM begins eleventh consecutive day of strikes, Iran warns of retaliation if nuclear sites hit

US war in Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far • IDF confirms building massive sand barrier dividing Gaza after satellite imagery emerges • Trump eyes expanded Iran campaign

US President Trump shakes hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 21, 2026.

US planning to send additional F-16, F-35 fighter jets to Middle East - report

According to a CNN report citing a US official, the fighter jets and more aerial refueling aircraft will be relocated from bases in Europe.

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet refuels during a patrol over the Middle East, pictured in an image shared by US Central Command on July 12, 2026.

Explosions heard near Eilat as Iranian missiles launched towards Jordan

IDF unit shares process of dismantling Hezbollah's 'crazy, Iranian' terror tunnels • Sirens sound in Kuwait, Bahrain • IRGC claims two vessels in Hormuz had 'accident' amid US strikes

Explosions seen over Eilat t as sirens sound in Jordan's Aqaba following Iranian missile launch on July 19, 2026.

US completes ninth consecutive night of strikes, sirens sound in Kuwait, Bahrain

IDF unit shares process of dismantling Hezbollah's 'crazy, Iranian' terror tunnels • Report: US warplanes strike in southern Iran • IRGC claims two vessels in Hormuz had 'accident' amid US strikes

Explosions seen over Eilat t as sirens sound in Jordan's Aqaba following Iranian missile launch on July 19, 2026.

Khamenei says Trump's signature on MoU is 'worthless' as US, Iran continue strikes

Khamenei threatened that "the noble Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have unforgettable lessons in store" for the US Army.

A MAN holds a flag with a picture of late leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, during a rally in Tehran, in April 2026.

Iran attacks US bases in Gulf as CENTCOM completes seventh consecutive round of strikes

IDF strikes Hezbollah drone • Khamenei reportedly warns of additional full-scale retaliation if US strikes continue • Iran attacks US bases in Saudi Arabia

A US Air Force fighter pilot performs pre-flight checks on an F-16 fighter jet.

US concludes seventh round of Iran strikes as Tehran attacks Gulf states

US denies Iranian claim that oil tankers exploded in Hormuz • Tehran reportedly warns of full-scale retaliation if US strikes continue • CENTCOM: US forces keeping Strait of Hormuz ‘free and open’

A US Air Force fighter pilot performs pre-flight checks on an F-16 fighter jet.

Iran no longer a 'very strong, powerful terrorist state' after Operation Epic Fury, Leavitt says

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that Iran's leadership is still in contact with the US and is interested in making a deal.

Reporters raise hands as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 16, 2026.

Dubai denies reports of explosions as Iran claims US struck in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island

Witnesses told Reuters that they heard blasts in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, however, Dubai's official media office called these reports "false."

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Dubai skyline, with Burj Khalifa visible in the center, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 6, 2026.

US military delayed intelligence review tied to Iran's Minab school strike, CNN reports

An independent investigation was launched in March, with interviews conducted with service members involved in the strike, but the results have yet to be released.

The Minab school damaged by a strike on February 28, in Minab, Iran, May 21, 2026.