President Donald Trump has reportedly adopted a “tanker for tanker” policy against Iran following the latest round of missile strikes exchanged between the two countries in the region as tensions escalate. US Attacks Two Iranian Government Tankers According to a report by Axios on Tuesday, the U.S. military carried out strikes against two Iranian government tankers parked on the Iranian coast north of the U.S. naval blockade line, citing an unnamed U.S. official. Another official told Axios that Trump had approved the “tanker for tanker” policy as a means to deter Iran from striking ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the report said. U.S. officials cited in the report say that the U.S. struck around 100 targets on Tuesday and said that roughly 40 ships transited in and out of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, guided by the U.S. military. The report outlined that the U.S. intercepted strikes on ships. U.S. officials also said Iran’s strikes on U.S. assets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain failed. The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Slams Attacks Following the strikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the U.S., saying that the strikes in the city of Kuhestak on a home that was celebrating a wedding resulted in the deaths/injuries of more than 50 people, including women and children, calling it the U.S.’s “catalogue of atrocities against the nation of Iran.” According to a report by the New York Times on Tuesday, citing comments by local officials, as well as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least four people were killed in the strike on the wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, including one child and 53 people were injured. Baqaei then pointed to earlier strikes by the U.S., including a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, which resulted in the deaths of more than 150 civilians, a majority of whom were schoolgirls. “More dangerous than the bomb itself is the normalization of bombing; and more dangerous than silence is the conversion of silence into legitimacy,” Baqaei said. The spokesperson then said that Tehran will have a firm response to the attacks. “Those governments and international institutions that remain silent in the face of such barbarism, or seek to justify such acts, must understand that their silence is not neutrality,” he said. Baqaei accused countries of normalizing and whitewashing “unlawful” attacks. “Turning a blind eye to injustice does not contain it; it only emboldens the perpetrators,” he said. Trump Touts Venezuela Oil Amid the Iran oil shocks, Trump has touted oil from Venezuela to grapple with high energy costs and bring gas prices down at the pump. However, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said that U.S. refineries were operating at 95% capacity throughout the summer and warned that there may not be enough room for Venezuelan oil. Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Photo courtesy: Below the Sky / Shutterstock © 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
President Donald Trump has reportedly adopted a “tanker for tanker” policy against Iran following the latest round of missile strikes exchanged between the two countries in the region as tensions escalate. US Attacks Two Iranian Government Tankers According to a report by Axios o…
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U.S. Central Command stated that it conducted strikes on over 80 military sites along Iran's southern coast on July 7, 2026, in response to reported multi-vessel maritime attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. While the United States claims the operations targeted anti-ship missile and radar systems, independent verification of the specific scale, nature, and casualties of the campaign remains unavailable.
LAEM CHABANG, Thailand — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived Wednesday at a port in eastern Thailand, where thousands of U.S. sailors and Marines are disembarking for the first time in more than 280 days after a record-setting deployment in the Middle East.
The toll of the more than nine-month deployment, most of it spent supporting military operations in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, was visible on the carrier as it pulled into Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province. Paint has worn off and the metal underneath is rusted on the 1,092-foot warship, which is one of the largest in the world.
The Lincoln is in Thailand for a four-day “rest and relaxation” stop on its way home to San Diego after having spent weeks in the headlines as the lengthy deployment raised concerns about supply shortages and the effect on sailors’ mental health. The U.
S. Navy confirmed the ship’s arrival in a statement, saying the Lincoln strike group arrived in Laem Chabang while the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sriracha and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls went to Map Ta Phut in neighboring Rayong province.
The Navy said it was the Lincoln’s first full port stop after 286 days at sea since the deployment began in November. Thai police crackdown on sex workers “Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” said Rear Adm.
Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3. “It also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand.” Service members could be seen working aboard the deck of the Lincoln as loudspeakers played announcements about the process for disembarkation.
“I’m excited, as excited as you are,” a commanding officer could be heard saying over loudspeaker. About 5,000 sailors and Marines are expected to hit the streets of Pattaya, a nearby coastal resort city that is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.
Each service member will get three “liberty days” and one day of duty aboard the ship, a U.S. military official said. Locals in tourism-dependent Pattaya have eagerly awaited the arrival of the Lincoln, which pulled into sight from the shore after sunrise before it made a wide turn and harbored itself at a major cargo terminal.
Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy.
Authorities have stepped up security, with heightened police patrols and checks along the roads. Businesses here are also trying to woo the sailors, with some putting up banners to welcome them. Wichai Yuankham, 35, a factory worker who came to watch the ships arrive, said the naval visit was a welcome boost to the local economy.
“I am just excited to see the destroyer docking,” he said. “This is my first time seeing the destroyer, and I feel good seeing it, and we can boast to our neighboring countries about this.
US military officials stated that strikes on Iranian targets were conducted in response to reported attempts by Tehran to attack commercial shipping and US personnel in the Strait of Hormuz. While Iranian semi-official media reported retaliatory missile and drone launches, local officials cited claims that one US strike hit a residence, causing casualties, though these specific details remain under verification.
Reports from July 2026 indicate ongoing discussions between the United States and Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and US sanctions cited as key areas of contention. These topics were identified within the context of the reported negotiations, though specific outcomes or formal agreements were not detailed in the summary.