Trump Reimposes Iran Blockade as U.S. Strikes Nuclear Site

President Donald Trump reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and authorized a wave of airstrikes across Iran on July 19, 2026. The escalation followed Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the death of U.S. military personnel in Jordan. U.S. Central Command executed strikes against the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant in Khuzestan province, as well as the Bonji desalination plant in Hormozgan and targets near Abadan.

The U.S. deployed 19 warships, including two aircraft carriers, to the Arabian Sea to enforce the blockade. Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks against Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, where strikes hit a power and desalination plant. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also threatened to halt all regional energy exports and claimed to have destroyed a U.S. MQ-9 drone in Ahvaz.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is investigating the Darkhovin strike, noting the site contained no nuclear material, though its Director General urged military restraint near nuclear facilities. The conflict marks the collapse of a mid-June memorandum of understanding. Iran announced it is no longer committed to the deal, while President Trump dismissed the move, stating his priority is preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iranian authorities reported that U.S. strikes since June 27 have killed over 57 people and injured 517.