US and Iranian Forces Exchange Fire in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy reportedly engaged in fierce exchanges of fire with United States military forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (15/7/2026). The information was first broadcast by Iranian state television. Citing authorities in Hormozgan Province, the Tasnim news agency reported that a series of loud explosions were clearly heard in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas and on small Iranian islands near the strait due to the raging battle. Meanwhile, the Mehr News Agency reported similar blasts echoing east of Sirik, originating from firefights in the nearby Gulf waters. This series of incidents comes amid a new wave of explosions hitting several points in southern Iran, coinciding with the escalating direct military confrontation between Tehran and Washington. On the other side, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the intense military strikes were deliberately launched with the primary objective of degrading Iran’s tactical ability to threaten the safety of commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In addition to launching air and naval strikes, CENTCOM stated that allied US forces have continued a total naval blockade against all ships transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. To reinforce the pressure, the Pentagon has reportedly deployed more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military fighter jets to operate fully across the Middle East region. Washington stressed that all American forces are currently in a state of ‘alert, lethal, and combat ready’. Tensions between the US and Iran over the strategic shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz have escalated again in recent days. Both sides have chosen to continue attacking each other, despite a previous memorandum of understanding mediated by Pakistan to end the conflict and seek a long-term peace deal.