US Strikes IRGC Targets in Iran; Houthis Back Tehran

U.S. Central Command confirmed on Tuesday that American forces finished a wave of strikes hitting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets scattered across Iran. The blows struck air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications locations. CENTCOM posted this update on X. These actions come after what the command called recent attempts by the IRGC to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and to target U.S. service members. More than 50,000 American troops remain deployed throughout the Middle East. They are vigilant, lethal, and ready to carry out operations directed by the Commander in Chief.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis voiced support for Tehran on Tuesday. They stated Iran holds the right to respond to the recent U.S. strikes, according to a report from Iran International citing the Houthi-run SABA news agency. The Foreign Ministry run by the Houthis accused Washington of raising tensions across the region. They warned that the United States and its allies would face responsibility for whatever consequences follow. One statement read, "The regimes that have turned their territories into American platforms for aggression against Iran must pay the price for their complete subservience to the Americans."

In another development, Jordan's military said Tuesday it intercepted ten of thirteen Iranian ballistic missiles that entered the kingdom's airspace during an attack launched from Iranian territory. A statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces noted three additional missiles landed in remote areas away from population centers. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Defense systems fired back following established operational procedures. Specialized teams have moved to secure impact sites and clear debris. Officials urged residents not to approach or handle unidentified objects, advising them to report anything suspicious to authorities. The public was asked to rely on official sources for updates.

Tensions continue as a spokesperson for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said Tuesday that no Notice to Airmen ordering the closure of national airspace has been issued. This claim comes from Iran International citing Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. The statement arrives as military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran renew and escalate.

Sirens sounded in Jordan on Tuesday, warning of incoming Iranian missiles. Sources told Fox News these alerts activated in the Mafraq and Aqaba governorates as Iran launched retaliatory attacks against the United States.

American strikes hit Iranian targets in the region, sparking retaliatory attacks against American interests and military bases nearby. Jordanian state TV reported this development via Reuters sources. The recent barrage follows Sunday's event where Jordanian air defenses successfully intercepted eight Iranian ballistic missiles, according to officials there. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and Reuters contributed to covering these unfolding events.

A major problem remains ignored during high-stakes talks between the UN chief and Iran's president. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday while Iranians detained since January's nationwide protests face prison sentences, alleged torture, and a rising number of death sentences and executions. The U.N. readout of their meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek noted that Guterres discussed humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict involving Iran and stressed the need for diplomacy and respect for international law. Nowhere did the readout mention Iran's treatment of protesters, executions, or allegations of torture.

When Fox News Digital asked Stéphane Dujarric at Tuesday's U.N. briefing whether Guterres raised those issues directly with Pezeshkian and why they were left out of the record, the spokesperson said he had nothing to add to the readout. But Dujarric clarified that Guterres did raise these matters with senior Iranian officials in other meetings elsewhere. "I can tell you that in other meetings with senior Iranian leaders, in New York and other places, the secretary-general has raised those issues directly," Dujarric stated. This section comes from an article by Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for unity to manage what he termed the decline of an ailing Empire on Tuesday. He said he accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit where he met with Eurasian, Chinese and South Asian officials. In a post on X, Araghchi defended Iran's sovereignty and urged greater unity amid this described decline. "More than ever, the future is multipolar and multilateral," Araghchi wrote. The summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan brought together leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran and other heads of state to discuss security, trade and political cooperation.

Iran has begun launching missiles and drones in response to U.S. strikes, according to its semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies late Tuesday. Both outlets are considered close to Iran's security forces based on reports from The Associated Press. That agency contributed to this report.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., praised U.S. action against Iran on Tuesday morning, calling the country's leadership nutty as a fruitcake. You can't take their word for anything, he wrote on X. That is why we took action. He added that they have degraded their country to the point where it is being held together by duct tape and spit.

Oil prices jumped about 4% to a one-week high Tuesday as renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran fueled concerns about Middle East supply disruptions. Brent crude futures rose $3.44, or 3.8%, to $93.93 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.72, or 4.3%, to $89.48 as of 1:10 p.m. ET according to Reuters. Brent was on track for its highest close since Aug. 20 while WTI headed for its highest close since July 23. The price surge came after the U.S.

New airstrikes targeting Iranian military positions launched Tuesday by U.S. forces. Reuters contributed to this report. Tensions between Washington and Tehran are rising fast after renewed exchanges of fire hit both sides. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a warning on Tuesday, stating the United States "will regret its new attacks," according to state news agency Fars.

"If they do respond, they'll be hit much harder," Donald Trump told Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst during a call. He added that this current strike is very big. If Iran retaliates again, he said, "they're going to be totally wiped out as a country." This threat arrives while the U.S. administration maintains sanctions and a blockade aimed at restricting Tehran's economic and military activity.

Two oil tankers were reportedly struck near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. That incident raised alarms about further disruptions to global energy shipments. Iran has also threatened military response if what Iranian officials call a siege against their country intensifies. Reuters contributed to this report.

Trump warned during his conversation with Fox News that Iran "would be no longer" if it retaliates. He sounded tired of the back-and-forth delays and talk. "I think an agreement with them isn't worth the paper it's written on," Trump said. "We gave them a lot of chances." He claimed U.S. forces destroyed radar systems in Iran, including those Tehran tried to rebuild.

"They tried to rebuild their radar because they can't see anything," Trump continued. "We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it." The [USS] George Washington is loaded to the gills, he added. We're loaded up. He said Gulf allies were notified ahead of these strikes and described Iran's leadership as dangerously mistaken about his resolve. They don't stop: they're crazy and they're stupid.

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report. Trump warns a major attack waits in the wings, urging Iran not to retaliate for what he calls a very justified strike. The president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon that U.S. forces are striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz as we speak. Communities in the region could face further risk if this conflict spirals.

Powerful strikes hit back at Tehran after Iran tried to mine the Strait of Hormuz but failed, having already removed or detonated those devices. Eight missiles fired by Iranian forces were knocked down before they reached our military base in Jordan. If the failing nation of Iran retaliates against this justified action, they will face a much harder and higher level of response next time. That retaliation is not even the biggest attack waiting in the wings. When that final blow falls, very little of the Islamic Republic of Iran will remain standing.

Russian media reports suggest Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Donald Trump might hold trilateral talks at the upcoming APEC summit according to Vesti news. This potential meeting arrives while the United States and Iran stay locked in a conflict that has disrupted energy markets and raised serious doubts about future regional security partnerships. Russia and China have pushed for closer ties with Tehran while the Trump administration imposed sweeping sanctions and maintained a blockade aimed at pressuring Iran into compliance. The three leaders could discuss the ongoing war in Iran, global energy security, and the Strait of Hormuz which serves as a critical waterway for international oil shipments. Reuters contributed to this report on these developing diplomatic efforts.

U.S. forces launched new air strikes Tuesday against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets inside Iran following President Trump's vow to hit back hard after attacks on bases in Jordan. At 12 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began striking IRGC targets as promised by CENTCOM officials who stated these actions follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping and American service members deployed to the region. Iran has attacked eight commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade on vessels sailing to or from Iranian ports restarted July 14. Four of these attacks have taken place since last Monday according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization which tracks reports of such incidents in the Middle East.

Tehran remained defiant and warned it would prevent oil exports from the Gulf regardless of the pressure applied by international forces. Iran's state broadcaster reported explosions on Qeshm Island on the northern side of the strait while Nour News claimed there had been reports of blasts in Bandar Abbas and Chabahar port on the southern coast. These explosions raise immediate concerns for local populations living near these strategic coastal areas who now face uncertain safety conditions. The situation remains volatile with communities bracing for further escalation as tensions continue to mount across the region.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that its estimate of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile through June 13, 2025 remains unchanged from previous findings based on documents reviewed by Reuters. President Trump has long maintained that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon despite ongoing concerns about their enrichment programs. In a separate report the IAEA said former Syrian authorities failed to declare nuclear material facilities and activities including a reactor under construction at Deir al-Zor and a fuel fabrication plant elsewhere in the country. The agency confirmed the presence at one Syrian site of roughly 73 tons of natural uranium metal including about 55 tons in 8,808 fuel rods and 18 tons of uranium scrap and waste from the Assad era. The IAEA said it was unable to verify the safeguards status of these facilities and associated nuclear material which poses risks for global nonproliferation efforts.

Syria's current government claims it has moved with transparency and cooperation to clear up lingering questions regarding its nuclear past. These reports went out to IAEA member states right now as scrutiny on Iran's program tightens and regional security worries grow. Reuters helped write that piece.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a warning Tuesday for Americans throughout the Middle East to keep their eyes open. They told travelers to get ready for flight cancellations, airspace closures, and other messes caused by rising tensions. Check directly with airlines if you plan to fly. Monitor airport operations closely. Iran and groups backed by it might target U.S. interests overseas. That includes diplomatic facilities, businesses, and any spots linked to Americans. The embassy in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv branch stay open for routine work and emergencies. Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this story.

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Egypt on Tuesday. This marks his first trip to the Arab world's most populous nation in ten years. Nations across the region are looking at their security and economic partnerships again after the Iran war shook things up. The fighting has disrupted global energy markets and made people wonder if regional states can still count on the U.S. for long-term protection. Cairo spent days getting ready with Chinese and Egyptian flags lining main roads and traffic shifts near key sites. Egyptian state media pointed to growing ties between the two countries. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt and China are partners working to strengthen the role of the Global South in the international system. Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. forces have moved 84 commercial vessels away, disabled three, and boarded two others to ensure they follow the American blockade against Iran, Central Command said Tuesday. CENTCOM posted this update on X with a picture of a U.S. Sailor guiding a takeoff from the USS Boxer in the Arabian Sea. That amphibious assault ship supports the blockade as Washington tries to stop Iranian maritime activity and keep vessels from breaking rules. These numbers came out as tensions rise between Washington and Tehran. Recent exchanges of fire and attacks on commercial tankers near the Strait of Hormuz add to the heat.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that Tehran would strike back militarily if the U.S. ramps up its "siege." If the U.S. siege is intensified, we will definitely respond militarily, Qalibaf said according to Iranian media reports. He added in defiance, If the enemy wants us not to export oil from the Persian Gulf, no one will be able to export oil. These warnings arrive as the Trump administration pushes sanctions harder on Tehran and threatens more measures against Iranian banks and airline leasing companies. Trouble is also brewing around the Strait of Hormuz where two oil tankers were reportedly hit by unknown projectiles earlier this week.

Tensions in the Persian Gulf have erupted into direct exchanges of fire while competing blockades now clog the vital waterway for global energy shipments. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argues that sanctions by themselves fail to break the Iranian resistance, but a blockade paired with military strikes creates a crushing effect. Speaking Tuesday at the G20 finance ministers summit in Asheville, North Carolina, he insisted this new strategy is succeeding where previous efforts did not.

Everyone keeps claiming sanctions do not work, yet Bessent counters that the combination of penalties and physical blockades changes everything. He highlighted five new authorities granted to the Treasury Department that target digital assets, aviation operations, and maritime shipping lanes. The administration flexes these tools daily, he noted. Without the initial military campaign that reportedly destroyed Iran's navy, air force, missile stockpiles, and drone inventories, these economic results would be impossible. He added that roughly eighty-five to ninety percent of the factories needed to rebuild those capabilities have been taken out of commission.

The currency in Tehran is already crumbling under this pressure. The rial has slumped from about 800,000 units per dollar to more than two million since the crackdown began. Bessent stated the administration intends to economically asphyxiate the Iranian regime until it returns to the negotiating table. This goal drives a broader effort to cut off funding for nuclear programs, missile production, drone manufacturing, and regional proxy networks. The Treasury recently used an untested Patriot Act authority against a Dubai branch of an Egyptian bank that allegedly funneled over 1.8 billion dollars to the Iranian leadership. New sanctions targeting Iranian banks are expected soon as officials track assets held through trust companies and luxury properties worldwide.

Warnings about the Strait of Hormuz grew louder during the same event. Bessent told Larry Kudlow that in two years the strait will be a worthless piece of water because nations will build pipelines to bypass it entirely. He described kinetic strikes, sanctions, and the blockade as a crippling trifecta against Tehran. President Donald Trump previously noted the memorandum of understanding failed because Iran refused a deal, but Bessent believes his actions will force that desire eventually. Meanwhile, unknown projectiles struck two supertankers carrying Saudi crude near the strait earlier this week. These incidents pushed oil prices higher and sparked fears that prolonged conflict could force energy producers to seek alternate routes. The United States continues working with partners to secure these lines against further disruption.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed Tuesday that the United States has held private talks with China over Iran. He told Larry Kudlow during a chat at the G20 finance ministers summit in Ashville, North Carolina, on Tuesday that America and Beijing share more ground on Tehran than they do where they disagree. "The Chinese agree: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Bessent stated. "The Chinese agree that there should be free the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." So officials held private discussions with them to achieve those goals. These comments arrived just as the Trump administration prepares new sanctions hitting Iran, including measures against banks and potentially airline leasing companies. Washington has warned that entities doing business with Tehran could face secondary sanctions as economic pressure mounts amid ongoing conflict.

Bessent also said the Treasury Department will likely announce a bank sanction this week, followed by another next week. "We are probably going to announce a bank sanction this week, and we will announce one the week after," he told reporters. Officials are speaking with allies who have all come forward with support for these moves. The administration plans to examine airline leasing companies too as part of its effort to squeeze Tehran economically. This push comes while the White House pursues a maximum-pressure campaign against Iran amid escalating hostilities and fresh fears about its nuclear and military capabilities. Bessent previously warned that nations trading with Iran risk punishment because Washington wants to cut off funding for Iran's military and its support for regional proxies.

GOP Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., sees these actions as vital tools. The Trump administration's "Economic D-Day" sanctions can force Iran to stop attacking the United States and its allies, according to Mast. As chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he said countries including China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran's regional neighbors should face pressure to stop doing business with Tehran. "You can't do business with this entity that you're saying is shooting ballistic missiles and drones at your refineries, at your ships, at your apartment buildings, everything else throughout the region," Mast told reporters. Sanctions must also prevent countries from supplying Iran with parts used to build drones and other weapons. Nations supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must help defend that waterway too. "Iran, I don't think ever once has given me a reason to ever trust them," Mast said, urging the maximum pressure campaign so Tehran would ultimately be "forced to heel" from "an endless war."

President Donald Trump's meeting Tuesday with refiners and distributors will expand U.S. refining capacity and lower gasoline prices as the Iran war fuels concerns about global energy supplies. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told FOX Business that President Trump is laser-focused on ensuring his successful energy dominance agenda translates into the most cost savings possible at the pump for consumers. As part of that commitment, the President met with industry leaders to discuss expanding domestic refining capacity and offsetting potential disruptions by increasing crude flows from Venezuela. This strategy aims to keep fuel affordable even if tensions rise. The administration continues to emphasize limited access to sensitive information regarding these strategic moves while reflecting on the risks such conflicts pose to local communities dependent on stable energy markets.