Houthis expand Red Sea blockade amid diplomatic negotiations pause
Houthis announce Red Sea blockade of Saudi ports, escalating maritime disruptions amid diplomatic talks.
Event / Conflict
Diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran covering military tensions, nuclear matters, and regional maritime access including the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-08-14 to 2026-11-11 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 19 Jul, 02:29 UTC
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The US military announced it completed a heavy series of airstrikes on Iran on July 30, striking dozens of targets belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, surveillance sites, coastal defense installations, and maritime capabilities.
The Iraqi presidency condemned the US-Saudi joint airstrikes on Iraqi territory as a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
Yemen-based Houthi rebels claimed on July 29 to have targeted a Saudi oil tanker with missiles in the Red Sea, accusing the vessel of violating a naval blockade they are imposing on Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles on July 29 in an attempted surprise attack against US forces based in the Middle East. The US military stated that all missiles were intercepted.
Tehran condemned the US-Saudi airstrikes conducted on Iraqi territory.
The Yemeni government accused the Houthi rebels on July 30 of seeking to impose passage fees on ships transiting the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The US and Saudi Arabia announced joint airstrikes against pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq on the night of July 28-29, resulting in at least 20 deaths, including five Iranians, and 32 wounded among the Hashed al-Shaabi militia network that is integrated into Iraqi armed forces.
An American airstrike on a residential house in the Chah Tangu neighborhood on Qeshm Island in Hormozgan Province killed three family members—a father, mother, and 2-year-old child—and wounded two other children aged 7 and 9 according to Iranian state media.
Iran fired multiple ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a key US military hub in the region, on July 29, 2026. Jordan's air defenses intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran. The attack followed a period of relative calm in US-Iran military operations.
US Central Command conducted military strikes against Iranian targets beginning at 8 PM ET on July 30, 2026, in response to Iran's attempted ballistic missile attack on US forces stationed in Jordan on July 29.
As of July 29, 2026, US Central Command enforced a blockade of Iranian ports, redirecting 20 commercial vessels, disabling 2, and boarding 2 vessels during the enforcement operations.
President Donald Trump stated to Fox News that the US would retaliate heavily against Iran following the missile attack on US forces in Jordan, stating the country would receive severe military response.
The United States and Saudi Arabia jointly conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed paramilitary forces in Iraq in response to Iran's missile attack on Jordan. The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an Iraqi paramilitary group backed by Iran, reported at least 20 fighters killed. Multiple PMF locations were hit including headquarters and military positions in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala.
More than 30 drone strikes directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard were launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia's petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh region over 72 hours. Saudi Arabia's air defense systems intercepted and destroyed several of the drones targeting petroleum infrastructure, though it remained unclear if any drones reached their intended targets.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed groups, denied responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, calling Saudi claims "fabrications." The group implied that the attacks were carried out by Houthi rebels in Yemen instead, though Iranian proxies are believed to have launched attacks from Iraqi territory.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal, forcing it to turn back. This action was part of the Houthis' announced blockade of Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait leading to the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported a tanker heard explosions while traveling in the southern Red Sea, with crew and vessel reported safe.
U.S. Central Command and Saudi Arabia conducted joint military strikes targeting logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq on July 28. The strikes were described as a "strong response" to more than 30 drone attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia's petroleum facilities over the preceding 72 hours. The operation marked the first U.S. military action during a five-day diplomatic pause intended to allow negotiations to resume.
A five-day pause in direct U.S. military operations against Iran, intended to allow diplomacy to resume, was broken when military strikes resumed on July 28. The pause followed 13 consecutive nights of U.S. Central Command strikes on Iran. A fragile ceasefire reached in April had already collapsed earlier in the month, followed by nearly two weeks of nightly U.S. attacks against Iran.
According to U.S. Central Command, more than 600 "attempted attacks" targeting U.S. assets in the region were launched by Iranian proxies in Iraq between late February and April. CENTCOM stated that the unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful.
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a resolution to halt military action in Iran, signaling Congressional opposition to the ongoing conflict. The vote reflected broader unpopularity of the war among Americans and was described as sending a warning to President Trump regarding the conflict.
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