This US Marine Corps handout photograph taken on July 16, 2026, by US Central Command Public Affairs reportedly shows US Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting a verification boarding aboard M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman. American forces boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman on July 16 as part of the renewed blockade of Iran’s ports that began earlier this week, the US military said. US Marines boarded the M/T Wen Yao “to ensure full compliance with the ongoing US naval blockade,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X. (Photo by US MARINE CORPS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / NAVCENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS / US MARINE CORPS” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Iran stepped up its attacks in the Middle East on Tuesday, two weeks after its war with the United States resumed, with sirens sounding in Bahrain and Jordan announcing it had intercepted two waves of missiles and drones.
Iran’s Yemeni allies, the Houthis, declared they would blockade Saudi Arabia’s ports, in what would throw the world’s energy markets into further chaos after the Islamic republic blockaded the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
