Executive Summary
Escalation in the Middle East has sharply intensified as the US reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz following continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. CENTCOM launched widespread strikes across Iran, deploying one-way attack sea drones for the first time, while Iran retaliated with ballistic missile salvos targeting US forces in Bahrain and Jordan. In Yemen, the Houthis declared an end to their ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, attacking Abha Airport after Saudi strikes on Sanaa over Iranian flight disputes. Meanwhile, reports emerged that Israel's Mossad attempted to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to topple the regime from within.
Key Events
- US President Trump announces the reinstatement of the naval blockade on Iran, declaring the US the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz" and imposing a 20% toll on all commercial transit. → link
- Iran fires short-range ballistic missiles at US Navy Fifth Fleet HQ in Bahrain and Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan; US carries out widespread retaliatory strikes on Iranian coastal cities and military infrastructure. → link
- CENTCOM deploys "Corsair" one-way attack sea drones for the first time to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas, Iran. → link
- Houthis declare an end to their ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, attacking Abha International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones after Saudi strikes on Sanaa Airport over Iranian flight disputes. → link
- The New York Times reports Israel's Mossad attempted to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a post-regime Iran; the extraction failed, and he is now reportedly under house arrest by the IRGC. → link
Analysis
The collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum ceasefire marks a severe regional escalation, transitioning from proxy skirmishes to direct US-Iran military exchanges. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively paralyzed, with commercial transits dropping to multi-week lows as Iran threatens global oil markets. Iran's simultaneous use of proxies—arming Houthis and landing support flights in Yemen while launching direct ballistic missile strikes against Gulf states—indicates a multi-front strategy aimed at fracturing the US-led coalition. Watch for potential mining of the Strait, further US naval interdictions, and whether the IRGC intensifies internal purges following the Ahmadinejad intelligence revelation.
Tweet Feed
US-Iran Conflict & Strait of Hormuz
@lookner · 2026-07-13T18:57
RT @araghchi: POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should… → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T18:11
President Trump formally notified Congress that fighting had resumed in Iran. In a letter sent to congressional leaders on Friday and obtained by The New York Times on Monday, the president wrote that American forces engaged in “defensive strikes against targets within Iran” on July 7. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T18:01
The US has officially announced a new naval blockade of all Iranian ports and oil terminals, including ship-to-ship transfers.
The blockade will begin tomorrow at 2000Z. Neutral shipping has been warned to depart the blockade area. Blockade violators may be fired upon. → tweet link
@TankerTrackers · 2026-07-13T16:06
It has only been twenty-six days since the United States and Iran electronically signed the sixty-day Islamabad Memorandum.
During that time (and even in the days leading up to it), more than 80 million barrels of Iranian crude oil and refined products (currently worth >$6 billion) have been shipped out of the region.
Now that the US Navy blockade is being reinstated more than a month ahead of schedule, it appears that around 30 million barrels of Iranian crude oil have yet to depart.
However, there are also more than 60 million barrels of floating storage capacity available within the blockade perimeter should Iran be forced to scale back its oil production.
OOTT #IranWar #Tankers
@mercoglianos · 2026-07-13T15:31
Strait of Hormuz Week 19 Update: Why "All is Well" is Far from the Truth
⚓The "All is Well" Myth: Analyzing why official statements regarding the safety of the strait may be premature or misleading. ⚓Shipping Traffic Trends: A breakdown of current vessel movements and how "dark fleet" activity continues to bypass traditional monitoring. ⚓Escalating Risks: Why the threat of sea mines and targeted attacks remains a primary concern for seafarers in the region. ⚓Global Economic Impact: How the sustained blockade is influencing fuel costs and port logistics heading into the next quarter. ⚓The Strategic Standoff: An update on the naval presence in the Persian Gulf and the shifting dynamics between regional powers. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T15:07
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released video of what it describes as the first operational use of the Corsair one-way attack surface drone, employed during yesterday's strikes against a ship and submarine maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas, Iran.
According to CENTCOM, the strike was intended to further degrade Iran's naval capabilities and its ability to threaten commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
While the Corsair's capabilities have been known within defense circles for some time, they did not become widely publicized until last month's rescue of the crew of a downed U.S. Army AH-64 Apache near the Strait of Hormuz. In that operation, a Corsair autonomously reached the survivors after they had spent approximately two hours in the water, recovered them, and ferried them to a rendezvous point where U.S. forces completed the rescue.
The latest operation demonstrates the platform's versatility, showing that the same unmanned surface vessel can be configured for both precision strike missions and personnel recovery, depending on operational requirements. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T14:55
For the first time, US forces have used Ukrainian-style sea drones to attack an Iranian coastal installation.
Seen here, a trio of American Corsair USVs drive up to a sub repair dock at Bandar Abbas and detonate. → tweet link
@WarMonitors · 2026-07-13T14:54
⚡️Donald Trump announces that he is reinstating the blockade on Iranian ships in the strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s closure of the strait. → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T14:48
NEW: CENTCOM used sea drones to target a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T14:35
President Donald J. Trump announced that the United States is reinstating its naval blockade of Iran, declaring in a Fox News interview and a subsequent Truth Social post that the U.S. will now be known as "the Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz."
The announcement follows days of Iranian attacks on commercial shipping, repeated U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iranian military targets, and Tehran's declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The renewed blockade signals an expansion of U.S. efforts to restrict Iranian maritime activity while maintaining freedom of navigation through one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
During the interview, President Trump warned Iran, stating "we're just going to hit them very hard." → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T14:31
President Trump announces that the blockade of Iran has resumed.
The US will also now charge a major 20% toll to any vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T14:26
BREAKING: Trump says the U.S. is reinstating the blockade on Iran. He says America will become the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and charge 20% on all cargo shipped through it. → tweet link
@Faytuks · 2026-07-13T14:22
BREAKING: US reinstates blockade of Iran → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T13:55
DP World is set to develop a new multipurpose port and container terminal in Fujairah, a move to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reduce reliance on Dubai's Jebel Ali hub. The project signals a major shift in UAE trade logistics amid rising regional security concerns - FT → tweet link
@vcdgf555 · 2026-07-13T14:03
Rather interesting timing.
🇷🇺 RSD420 Tu-214PU RA-64531 #14FC13, from Moscow to Tehran. → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T10:58
Iran state media now reports two dead and three injured in US strikes they claim happened within the past hour in Abadan, Khuzestan province → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T10:49
Half an hour ago in Iran: → tweet link
@mercoglianos · 2026-07-13T10:16
RT @JHannisdahl: #Hormuz transits are now down to only 3 over the past 24hrs as hostilities escalate. Over the past month, 57% of Hormuz tr… → tweet link
@mercoglianos · 2026-07-13T10:16
RT @Kpler: Hormuz traffic turns defensive
Confirmed Strait of Hormuz crossings declined by around 52% week on week over 10 to 12 July, wit… → tweet link
@HananyaNaftali · 2026-07-13T10:00
Leaked audio from Iran's police: orders to shoot protesters with military-grade weapons.
This is the regime that the world keeps trying to negotiate with.
This is who funds Hamas. The Iranian people deserve freedom, and the world needs to hear this. → tweet link
@HananyaNaftali · 2026-07-13T09:00
The U.S. military is wiping out Iranian terror infrastructure in a massive wave of strikes.
You cannot negotiate with a regime that chants "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." You can only defeat them. Peace comes through strength. → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T05:42
"The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to multi-week lows on Sunday, shipping data showed...Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks." → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T05:29
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims it destroyed U.S. military targets in Bahrain and two radars in Oman. Also says, "The continuation of these [U.S.] interventions will lead to even greater events in the global oil and gas sector" → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T05:23
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims that in the fourth phase of their retaliation operation after the new US strikes, IRGC ground force soldiers(!) set fire to and completely destroyed two HIMARS missile platforms and missile depots in Kuwait. (Not sure if this is supposed to imply the ground forces made it into Kuwait, either way this claim is unverified.) → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T04:29
Jordan state news: no injuries or damage from interception of missiles fired from Iran → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T04:27
Jordan state news: "[Jordanian] Armed Forces: Interception and Downing of Four Missiles That Entered Jordanian Airspace Coming from Iranian Territories" → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T04:11
Commercial shipping visible via https://t.co/Y4QTdcQsH7 indicates traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains extremely limited. Over the past 24 hours, fewer than five merchant vessels have completed the transit, all via the Iranian (northern) traffic separation scheme, following yesterday's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) declaration that the Strait is closed.
It is likely the actual number of transits is somewhat higher, as some vessels are operating with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders disabled and therefore do not appear in publicly available tracking data. → tweet link
@vcdgf555 · 2026-07-13T03:57
RT @NotWoofers: More LUCAS drones used against Iran by the U.S. tonight. Haven’t seen those in a bit! → tweet link
@vcdgf555 · 2026-07-13T03:56
AD active, Kuwait → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T03:47
RT @KuwaitArmyGHQ: تتصدى حالياً القوات المسلحة لأهداف جوية معادية داخل المجال الجوي الكويتي
تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش بأن أصوات الان… → tweet link
@AuroraIntel · 2026-07-13T03:25
RT @NotWoofers: First ever combat use of suicide drone boats in combat by the U.S. 👀 I wonder if it’s one of the systems we know they’re p… → tweet link
@WarMonitors · 2026-07-13T02:58
⚡️Recent US strikes have reportedly eliminated the IRGC chief Ahmed Vahidi → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T02:45
In addition to the strikes U.S. Central Command has said that for the first time one-way attack sea drones were used to target Iranian assets as well. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T02:40
U.S. Central Command has said that they have completed the most recent wave on strikes against Iran, as dozens of strikes were carried out against Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats. → tweet link
@TheIntelFrog · 2026-07-13T02:19
Attacks on both sides are growing in frequency and intensity. Iran has resumed firing at US interests in neighboring Gulf states.
Traffic transiting the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to a trickle, and every vessel visible completing passage has utilized the Iranian traffic separation scheme, including some ships that were lined up for the US covered route.
The ceasefire is over, yet only limited combat operations are in progress and some air power has cycled back to their home bases. The sanctions waiver has been canceled but the blockade has been completely lifted. → tweet link
@DefenceGeek · 2026-07-13T02:13
RT @Osinttechnical: Salvo of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles fired from Jam towards US forces in Bahrain just a few moments ago. htt… → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T02:01
At least six short-range ballistic missiles were launched in the last few minutes from the Bushehr Province of Southern Iran towards Bahrain. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T01:58
Multiple ballistic missile launches now from the Jam Missile Field in the Bushehr Province of Southern Iran. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T01:57
Salvo of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles fired from Jam towards US forces in Bahrain just a few moments ago. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T01:55
Explosions heard near the Headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T01:43
Air raid sirens sounding now in Bahrain. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T01:38
Ballistic missile launches are continuing at this hour from Iran, with indications that targets include Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T01:21
Iranian forces have begun firing ballistic missiles this morning. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-13T00:05
US forces carried out widespread strikes on coastal and western Iran tonight, with explosions still reported as of roughly 10 minutes ago. → tweet link
@vcdgf555 · 2026-07-12T23:10
RT @no_itsmyturn: Explosions reported in Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Hoveyzeh, Hoveyzeh, Hoveyzeh, Susangerd, Behbahan, Bandar Abbas, Khondab, Sirik… → tweet link
@ELINTNews · 2026-07-12T23:09
RT @FaytuksNetwork: A U.S. official says to expect a ‘bigger’ wave of American strikes against Iranian military targets Sunday night than t… → tweet link
@vcdgf555 · 2026-07-12T23:05
RT @MT_Anderson: Notable Activity at 🇴🇲Duqm: FIRMS Signatures & High-Value Naval Transits
Following reports of Iranian strikes targeting p… → tweet link
@mercoglianos · 2026-07-12T22:14
RT @disclosetv: JUST IN - CENTCOM says U.S. forces began launching more strikes against Iran at 5pm ET today. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-12T22:08
Iranian forces attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz tonight, with US forces shooting down at least one drone and cruise missile so far -CENTCOM → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-12T21:54
Large explosion reported after a US airstrike in the coastal Iranian city of Sirik tonight. → tweet link
@TreyYingst · 2026-07-12T21:47
NEW: U.S. forces have started another round of strikes against Iran.
CENTCOM: “At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.”
Overnight, Iran launched additional missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf countries and Jordan. → tweet link
@Osinttechnical · 2026-07-12T21:22
US forces have begun carrying out airstrikes on Iran again tonight, with explosions reported in multiple Iranian coastal cities. → tweet link
@TheIntelFrog · 2026-07-12T20:21
Available indicators suggest the official U.S. assessment that no personnel were injured during yesterday's Iranian attacks may not be accurate.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 medical evacuation mission transported multiple patients from Jordan to Ramstein Air Base, Germany this morning. Available flight activity indicates the patients did not originate from the same location where the aircraft landed to pick them up, suggesting an earlier movement from another site before strategic evacuation.
While this does not confirm casualties from yesterday's attacks, it is noteworthy given that the Department of Defense and CENTCOM initially reported no casualties following the opening Iranian attacks of Operation EPIC FURY, only to later acknowledge multiple injuries and fatalities nearly 24 hours afterward. → tweet link
Yemen/Houthi-Saudi Clashes
@WarMonitors · 2026-07-13T18:57
⚡️Houthis attack Abha international airport in Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T18:55
RT @Charles_Lister: The #Houthis confirm a missile attack targeting Abha International Airport in #SaudiArabia earlier today -- claiming it… → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T18:50
Yemen’s Houthi armed forces say they launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport in response to Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport, claiming the attack “successfully achieved its objectives.” → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T18:47
The Houthis have released a statement taking credit for the targeting of Saudi airports and have vowed to expand their targeting of such sites as long as the air traffic dispute between them, the Saudis, and the government in Aden persists. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T18:28
Following a second wave of Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia (image 1), the Houthi military spokesperson has said that at 2:40 pm eastern time a statement will be made. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T17:28
According to Saudi Arabia’s Joint Forces Yemen spokesperson, Saudi Arabian air defenses dealt with Houthi ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas into Southern Saudi Arabia. This follows this morning’s strikes on Sanaa Airport. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T17:18
Explosions have now been reported at Saudi Arabia’s Abha Airport in the south of the country closer to the border with Houthi-controlled Yemen. This follows alleged Saudi strikes against Sanaa Airport in the Houthi seat of power of Sanaa after an extended dispute between the Saudis, the Houthis, and the Internationally Recognized Government in Aden over flights from Iran to Houthi-controlled territories. → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T16:50
Initial reports of a Houthi attack targeting Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. → tweet link
@WarMonitors · 2026-07-13T14:16
⚡️Closeup footage of the Saudi Air Force striking the Sanaa airport in Yemen today. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T13:18
Following the strikes on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa Airport, Yemen’s internationally recognized government took credit, despite the Houthis blaming the Saudis for the strike. The Houthis have now promised retaliatory measures, without specifically stating who, Saudi Arabia or the government in Aden, Yemen, will be against. → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T13:16
Tensions, centered on Iranian flights to Sanaa, Yemen, between Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and the Houthis boiled over earlier today, when an Iranian flight was grounded due to strikes hitting the Houthi-controlled Sanaa Airport. The flights, which the internationally recognized government says violates their airspace, have been a point of contention for months. → tweet link
@WarMonitors · 2026-07-13T12:24
⚡️Iran lands a plane in Hodeidah, Yemen in support of the Houthis as the Houthis declare an end to their longstanding ceasefire with Saudi Arabia following Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa international airport → tweet link
@sentdefender · 2026-07-13T12:11
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center has issued an advisory for ships transiting in the vicinity of Yemen after receiving a report from a vessel traveling eastbound approximately 50NM south of Aden, Yemen that was approached by 6 small boats resulting in the security team firing warning shots. The advisory states that the boats are following now 1NM behind. → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T11:11
Houthi media reports Saudi Arabia has hit Sanaa International Airport with a number of airstrikes (Sanaa is the Houthi capital in Yemen) (h/t: @hey_itsmyturn) → tweet link
@lookner · 2026-07-13T05:43
RT @moi_bahrain: The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place . → tweet link
Israel & Regional Intelligence
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T18:22
The Trump administration is investigating at least 1,500 current or former UNRWA employees over alleged ties to terrorist groups in Gaza, Fox News reports. 108 have already been referred for U.S. sanctions or exclusion, with possible criminal referrals to the DOJ. → tweet link
@HananyaNaftali · 2026-07-13T15:00
BREAKING NEWS: The Mossad tried to turn one of Israel's greatest enemies into its biggest asset.
According to the New York Times, Israel spent years trying to recruit former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an intelligence asset, with a plan to help bring down the Islamic regime from within. The operation reportedly ended in a high-risk extraction attempt during the war, but ultimately failed. He is now in house arrest.
If accurate, this would be one of the boldest intelligence operations ever reported. → tweet link
@FaytuksNetwork · 2026-07-13T12:28
The New York Times reports Israel spent years cultivating former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential leader of a post-regime Iran, despite his past calls for Israel’s destruction, Holocaust denial and role in accelerating Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the report, Ahmadinejad was lured to Budapest under the cover of an academic conference and secretly met Israeli intelligence officials in 2024 and 2025. Then-Mossad chief Dadi Barnea personally traveled to Hungary for one of the meetings, while the CIA was reportedly informed of the contacts. Israel also allegedly paid Ahmadinejad secretly. The effort culminated on Feb. 28, the opening day of the war, when an Israeli strike hit his residential compound, targeting the building housing his guards and armored vehicle. A black Peugeot then arrived, reportedly driven by Mossad operatives, who extracted Ahmadinejad and moved him to a secret safe house inside Iran. But the operation ultimately failed: a shaken Ahmadinejad left the safe house under unclear circumstances. Iranian sources now say he is under house arrest by the IRGC Intelligence Organization after Tehran uncovered his alleged ties to Israel. The Mossad declined to comment to the NYT. → tweet link
@ELINTNews · 2026-07-13T11:24
RT @PolitlcsUK: 🚨 BREAKING: The UK Government has proscribed the IRGC as a terrorist organisation under the new National Security Act → tweet link
@ArmchairAdml · 2026-07-13T05:31
RT @FaytuksNetwork: The intelligence that uncovered Iranian preparations to assassinate President Trump during his visit to Turkey came fro… → tweet link
@ArmchairAdml · 2026-07-13T03:15
RT @FaytuksNetwork: Iran planned to eliminate Trump during his visit to Turkey. Foreign intelligence uncovered the plot and warned U.S. off… → tweet link