The Middle East conflict has escalated significantly as two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude oil to Asia were forced to turn around in the Red Sea on Tuesday. This came after Yemen's Houthi group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

The closure of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, adds further pressure on global trade routes. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue due to the ongoing US war on Iran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it concluded its 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iran early Wednesday. The strikes targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.

CENTCOM claimed that Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months. Iranian officials confirmed US missile attacks near the cities of Behbahan and Omidiyeh in Khuzestan province, as well as in Tabriz, Bushehr, and other locations.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that "the operation to punish the aggressor continues." Iran's military reportedly launched drone attacks on US military facilities at Camp Doha in Kuwait, Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan, and Isa Airbase in Bahrain.

The US Department of Defense reported that a third US soldier is believed to have been killed in an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan on July 17, bringing total US casualties to 18 since the war began on February 28.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is open to negotiations with Iran but will do what is necessary to protect its interests and allies. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators that the war has cost $37.5 billion so far and requested an additional $67 billion to replenish missile supplies.

Source: www.aljazeera.com