The United States military initiated a fresh round of strikes against Iran on July 13, marking the third consecutive day of operations in the region. These actions come as the U.S. government moves to secure the Strait of Hormuz following President Donald Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire between the two nations is officially over.
U.S. Central Command stated in a post on X that the strikes, which commenced at 4:45 p.m. ET, are intended to continue imposing significant costs on Iranian forces. The military aims to degrade their capacity to conduct attacks against commercial shipping and civilians within the vital waterway.
Earlier on July 13, President Trump announced that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade on Iran, positioning the U.S. as the primary guardian of the passage. Trump stated in a phone interview with Fox News that the U.S. intends to charge countries a 20% fee on the value of all cargo transported through the strait. He argued that this revenue would cover the costs necessary to maintain safety and security in this volatile region, asserting that the U.S. would be reimbursed by other Middle Eastern nations for these operations.
This renewed conflict follows the collapse of a preliminary peace agreement signed by U.S. and Iranian officials last month. That memorandum, which sought to end the war that began on February 28, had previously facilitated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of a blockade on Iranian ports in June.
During a separate appearance on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, President Trump signaled that the U.S. is preparing for potential strikes against the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Warning the Iranians to be ready, Trump noted that the U.S. is monitoring the site closely, stating that they would likely give the location a shot relatively soon.
"We're going to take out Pickaxe Mountain. Tell the Iranians to be ready," Trump said during the interview."We're watching it closely. We see no activity there. They're not doing well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up,” said Trump. “So they don't like talking about it. But we'll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon.”
Contributing: Joey Garrison, Zac Anderson
