US, Iran expand strikes for 10th consecutive night
- Last updated: July 21, 2026 | 11:33
Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship even as the United States conducted yet-another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic over control of the key waterway.
The 10 consecutive nights of US airstrikes haven't compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait, through which about a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime.
Even as the US and Iran inch closer to all-out war again, Iran’s interior minister travelled to Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, for talks. However, it remains unclear just what new deal could be reached to end the fighting.
The interim deal signed last month that was meant to end the fighting has crumbled.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. And as fighting intensifies, both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.
"Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world,” the US State Department said in a new warning to Americans.
Meanwhile, the US military identified two soldiers who were killed in Jordan in attacks that left a third person missing. Separately, the military confirmed another death in Iraq on Saturday during the "controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone.
On Monday morning, the Pentagon said in a news release that 19-year-old Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton was killed in action on Friday, during an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Another Army soldier, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed in action on Saturday.
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to warn that "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!"
Trump was planning to attend a ceremony on Tuesday evening at Dover Air Force Base, where at least one service member's remains were due to arrive.
The US military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted "Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems.”
It released more footage of bombings that targeted sites in Iran.
"American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait," the command said.
Associated Press