TLDR
US Central Command launched its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran at 4:45 p.m. ET on 13 July 2026, targeting air-defence systems, radar, and missile sites. Iran struck UAE-flagged tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah with cruise missiles in Omani waters, killing one Indian crew member and injuring eight others. Trump reimposed a naval blockade and advanced a Hormuz transit fee as war-risk premiums and oil prices spiked. The attacks mark the sharpest escalation since a June ceasefire collapsed.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Third night of strikes: what CENTCOM hit and new weapons used
At 4:45 p.m. ET on 13 July 2026, US Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, acting at the direction of the Commander in Chief.verifiedVerified Source: x.com[1] Targets included Iranian military air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats along Iran's southern coast.[1]
CENTCOM deployed fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time in the campaign.verifiedVerified Source: x.com[1] Sea drones mark a deliberate expansion of the weapons used against Iranian coastal infrastructure.
US Central Command said the strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrading their ability to attack civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.verifiedVerified Source: x.com[1]
At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-07-13 · View on XIran's cruise-missile attack on UAE tankers: casualties and vessel damage
Iran struck back hours before the US strikes began. The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed on 13 July that tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were hit by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters, causing material damage and fires.[2] Both fires were brought under control, the ministry said.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said one Indian crew member was killed and eight others injured.[2] Both vessels are UAE-flagged, and the strikes occurred inside Omani territorial waters, drawing a third Gulf state into the widening conflict zone.
The Ministry of Defence announces that the national tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Omani territorial waters. The attack resulted in the death of one Indian crew member and injured eight others.
2026-07-13 · View on XTrump's blockade order and Hormuz transit fee proposal
President Donald Trump reimposed a naval blockade of the strait after the tanker strikes and separately advanced a proposal to charge vessels a transit fee for using the Hormuz corridor under US naval protection. Trump has issued a series of escalatory directives since Operation Epic Fury launched on 28 February 2026.[1]
Iran has declared the strait closed on multiple occasions since the ceasefire collapsed, firing warning shots at vessels and launching drone attacks. Each Iranian move has drawn a US counter-strike, producing three consecutive nights of bombardment.
Shipping, insurance and oil market fallout
War-risk insurance premiums for Gulf shipping spiked after the tanker attacks, with underwriters reassessing exposure across the southern Hormuz lane. Oil prices moved higher on news of the strikes, reflecting market concern about supply flows through a chokepoint that carried roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas in peacetime.[1]
US Maritime Advisory 2026-004 directs US-flagged vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman to maintain a minimum standoff of 30 nautical miles from US military vessels and to disregard unauthorised communications from Iranian forces.[3] Shipping operators have been told to file detailed voyage plans with coalition maritime authorities before entering the zone.
Background: Operation Epic Fury, the broken ceasefire and what comes next
Operation Epic Fury was ordered by President Trump on 28 February 2026 with a said aim of dismantling Iran's security apparatus. US Central Command has since struck Iranian coastal defence batteries, missile and drone launch sites, command and control centres, and naval assets along Iran's southern coast in sustained waves.[1]
A shaky interim ceasefire reached on 17 June 2026 collapsed under repeated violations, with Iran declaring the strait closed and attacking commercial vessels. Three consecutive nights of US strikes have followed, each targeting a broader set of Iranian military assets than the last.[1]
The UAE Ministry of Defence said crew casualties from the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah attacks totalled nine, with the single fatality confirmed as an Indian national on 13 July 2026.[2]
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What did US Central Command strike on the third night of attacks against Iran?
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Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport for Bushletter. Fast and verb-led, he writes with a news-wire cadence and no patience for PR spin.
