Iran war briefing: Trump threatens to strike Iranian nuclear site - Donald Trump threatened to renew strikes on Iran's heavily fortified "Pickaxe Mountain" nuclear site, which experts believe is likely too deep for current US bunker-buster missiles. - The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, estimated the war's financial toll at $37.5bn and is seeking an additional $67bn from Congress, while at least 18 US troops have died and over 400 have been injured, according to US officials. - Iran claimed to have struck US military targets in Kuwait and Amazon’s central data infrastructure in Bahrain, in response to the US’s alleged attack on the "civilian facilities of Darkhovey". - US military concluded its eleventh consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, targeting operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and logistics infrastructure to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran's demand to control and levy tolls on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz would endanger the global economy.
Iran war briefing: Trump threatens to strike Iranian nuclear site - Donald Trump threatened to renew strikes on Iran's heavily fortified "Pickaxe Mountain" nuclear site, which experts believe is likely too deep for current US bunker-buster missiles. - The US Defence Secretary, Pe…
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US President Donald Trump stated on July 13 and July 22 that the United States was considering strikes on an Iranian underground facility referred to as Pickaxe Mountain. These remarks were made during an ongoing US-Iran conflict that began February 28, involving reported US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Some details, including specific targets and outcomes, remain unverified.
Oil prices rose to a near six-week high on Wednesday, with Brent crude surpassing $95 a barrel, on mounting concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern supply routes because of escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran and threats to shipping by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.
Brent crude futures were up $3.82, or 4.2%, at $94.83 a barrel at 0938 GMT after hitting a session high of $95.24. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.65, or 4.33%, to $87.99. Both benchmarks touched their highest levels since June 11. The U.
S. military said it carried out an 11th consecutive night of attacks on Iran. The U.S. attacks came a short while after the Kuwaiti army said its air defences were intercepting Iranian drones. As well as the renewed conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran-aligned Houthis have opened a new front in the war by threatening to target vessels carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.
"The energy market now has the dual-strait worry, with the Bab el-Mandeb Strait looking like it could join the Strait of Hormuz as a hot spot, as traders closely watch shipping numbers in the Red Sea," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
Bab el-Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea has become an increasingly important route for Saudi Arabian crude exports as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply again since a ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed earlier this month.
Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast. "The (Houthi) threat has led tankers to divert which could further pressure the physical market and Saudi exports, contributing to push prices to the upside," said Frank Walbaum, market analyst at trading platform Naga.
com. In response to the Houthi warnings, Asian refiners are seeking to ship crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu through the Suez Canal and around Africa. While global oil stockpiles have drawn amid the conflict, the latest U.S. data is showing some building of inventories.
Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed that U.S. crude and distillate inventories rose last week, while gasoline stockpiles fell, market sources said. The inventory data comes ahead of official figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.
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Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that any US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be treated as an escalation, resulting in attacks on US and allied interests across the region. The statement references a June 18 memorandum of understanding that ended an earlier conflict and notes subsequent US strikes beginning July 8, which the US Central Command attributed to Iranian interference with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz while Iran described them as violations prompting its own responses.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised air operators to avoid Gulf airspace until at least July 29, 2026. Travelers were directed to consult insurance providers on policy conditions, including potential exclusions tied to government advisories or conflict, and to confirm flight status with operators.
Reports cited US strikes in multiple Iranian locations including Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Konarak, Kurdistan, Sirik, Tabriz, and Hamadan, while an advisory stated that Iran had targeted US interests and issued warnings regarding civilian infrastructure such as airports and desalination facilities.