Trump Orders Iran Strikes as US-Iranian Citizen is Released

President Donald Trump announced on July 16, 2026, that Iran released Dena Karari, a US-Iranian citizen and operator of the Children of Mehr Foundation who had been detained since December 2024. Trump characterized the release as a "gesture of Goodwill," while attorney Jared Genser noted that Karari had been held on bogus espionage charges and recently suffered a massive heart attack.

This diplomatic gesture coincided with an escalation of military hostilities. Trump reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and authorized five consecutive days of strikes targeting command centers, air defense sites, and coastal surveillance facilities, including targets on Greater Tunb Island and in Bandar Abbas. U.S. Central Command also used Hellfire missiles to disable the oil tanker M/T Belma for attempting to break the blockade. The U.S. is currently considering expanding operations to include the seizure of Kharg Island and bombing underground complexes at Pickaxe Mountain.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against U.S. assets in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, with Jordan reporting the downing of eight missiles. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated its operations focus on destroying U.S. offensive infrastructure. While Trump suggested Iran may be ready to settle a peace deal, Iranian officials, including Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Esmaeil Baghaei, asserted that the U.S. undermined peace arrangements through force and that Tehran has no current plans for negotiations.