The United States carried out another round of strikes against Iran late Tuesday, July 21, 2026, with the offensive continuing into Wednesday as President Donald Trump warned that the campaign was far from over.
The operation marked the 11th consecutive night of US attacks and heightened fears that the conflict could widen across the region, threatening commercial shipping and global energy supplies.
US Central Command said the strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including command centres, aircraft hangars, drone-storage facilities, maritime capabilities and logistics sites, in an effort to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported air-defence activity over Tehran and strikes in several areas, including near Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant.
Trump has also threatened to attack Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground facility near Natanz that US officials believe is linked to Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran has warned that any strike on the site would expand the war and trigger retaliation against US interests and allies.
The latest attacks came as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put the cost of the conflict to the United States at $37.5 billion on Tuesday.
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Trump said Iran could need 20 to 25 years to rebuild if Washington ended its campaign, insisting: “We’re not finished at all.”
Despite the continued offensive, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to negotiations, while Iranian officials said indirect diplomatic contacts with the United States were continuing through intermediaries.
The conflict has already spread across the Gulf, with Iran retaliating against US-linked targets and Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan reporting interceptions of Iranian drones and missiles.
The crisis has also reached the Red Sea after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement threatened to disrupt Saudi-linked shipping. Two tankers reportedly changed course after loading Saudi crude at Yanbu.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz were hit by explosions and forced to stop after catching fire. Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that an unidentified projectile struck a tanker off Oman.
With US strikes continuing and Iranian retaliation widening, the conflict is increasingly threatening vital shipping routes and regional stability.