Trump says US still investigating Iran school strike

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on July 22 that Iran was not ready to negotiate an agreement, while indicating that the United States would target Iranian infrastructure if vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian military authorities, according to state media, warned that any such strikes would prompt retaliation against regional energy and economic facilities.

Reports linked ongoing tensions, including restrictions on shipping, to elevated global oil prices.

According to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal, the United States has increased military forces in the Middle East, including positioning fighter jets and placing bomber aircraft on alert, as options for potential escalation against Iran.

US President Donald Trump stated that the US would strike Iranian bridges or power plants in response to any attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli officials assessed that expanded US strikes on Iranian infrastructure could prompt direct Iranian retaliation against Israel.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated on Wednesday that US attacks on Iranian infrastructure would lead Iran to block oil exports from West Asia and target regional energy and economic sites, according to media reports citing the statement.

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that any Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would prompt US strikes on Iranian bridges or power plants. US Central Command said it conducted a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran to degrade threats to shipping, as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait has declined.

The U.S. military stated it conducted strikes on Iran on Wednesday under presidential direction, extending a reported series of attacks. Yemen's Houthi authorities announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and claimed missile and drone strikes on two oil tankers, Encelia and Layla, in the Red Sea; a maritime source reported one vessel issued a distress signal near Jizan.

Multiple tankers changed course in the area, according to tracking data, while analysts have linked related shipping risks to oil price movements.