live Trump Threatens To Use Iranian Assets To Pay For Shipping Damage

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had completed the 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, adding that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to maritime transit.

"CENTCOM targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities to further diminish the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz," the US Central Command said in a post on X on July 24.

"The international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Commercial vessels continue to navigate the strait freely with U.S. military support," CENTCOM stated.

Meanwhile, data supplier Kpler said in a July 23 statement that tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen 70 percent since the conflict in the Middle East resumed, with average daily crossings dropping to about 13 as vessels increasingly use the Iranian route and Brent crude oil rising above $100 a barrel.

US President Donald Trump has warned that any damage to ships or cargo amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz would be compensated using Iranian assets held under US control, prompting a swift reaction from Tehran.

"From this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on July 24.

Tehran condemned Trump's remarks, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi calling the proposal an "incendiary precedent."

"Seizing another nation's assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent," Araqchi wrote in a post on X.

He warned that "those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe," adding that the resulting "chaos will not be pretty or peaceful."

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 23 that its forces had redirected 12 commercial ships and disabled one to prevent vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

CENTCOM said the actions were carried out in line with the naval blockade that Washington had reimposed on Iran on July 15.

The statement came as shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Tehran and Washington exchanging air strikes.

The White House has repeatedly said that substantial negotiations between the two countries to end the conflict cannot move forward while Iran threatens traffic through the strait.

Speaking at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, President Donald Trump said the United States was "doing very well" against Iran, adding that he believed Tehran was "not ready yet" to make a deal to end the protracted conflict in the Middle East.

"They need more of the same," Trump said on July 23.

With reporting by CNN.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, hours after the group struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Trump said Iran would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.

"If they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis," he wrote in a Truth Social post on July 23.

Earlier the same day, the Houthis claimed that their strikes on the vessels were part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia announced by the group on July 20.

As US and European leaders urged the Houthis to refrain from further military action, the attacks heightened fears of a second disruption to global oil supplies. While Iran continues to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea risk disrupting traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

"A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships. Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly," Trump said.

The president added that now he was "very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart."

Separately, US Central Command said its forces completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets as Washington looks o ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, says threats by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to block shipping on the Red Sea and its attack on a Saudi Arabian-flagged tanker overnight pose a "direct threat" to regional stability and constitute "a dangerous escalation" in the Middle East conflict between Iran and the United States.

Kallas said in a statement on July 23, hours after the Houthis claimed the attack, that the rebels must "cease all actions that endanger international shipping and the lives of seafarers" and abide by international law.

"The attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal, and further inflames an already volatile situation in the region. Navigation must be unimpeded, in the Strait of Hormuz as well as in the Red Sea," she said.

The Houthis earlier this week threatened to blockade Saudi Red Sea ports and disrupt transit through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a move that could compound the fallout from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz that was sparked by the US-Iran war.

Brent crude oil rose above $100 a barrel on July 23 for the first time in two months as renewed fighting between Iran and the United States stoked fears of prolonged supply disruptions.

The benchmark touched $100.36, up nearly 7 percent from the previous session, after a mid-June cease-fire collapsed and clashes resumed around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments that remains effectively closed.

The US carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, while Tehran continued attacks on US allies and assets across the region.

Prices, which had eased to about $70 after June cease-fire talks, rose further after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, raising fresh concerns over maritime security and energy supplies.

With reporting by dpa. This blog entry has been updated.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing is “deeply concerned” by the escalation of fighting in the war in Iran.

Lin Jian, a ministry spokesperson, told reporters on July 23 that “the resumption of fighting does not serve the interests of either side,” adding that the relevant parties should “cease hostilities” and “resume contact” to de-escalate the conflict.

China has consistently called for a cease-fire and a negotiated settlement since the conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, while urging all parties to avoid further escalation and safeguard freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Beijing has maintained a consistent public stance on the war in the Middle East since it began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, calling for all parties to avoid open hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, said in a joint statement on July 17 that Washington and Tehran should “strive to reach a comprehensive peace agreement through negotiations.”

A previous framework peace agreement between Iran and the United States fell apart after US President Donald Trump said the deal was “over” at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi's declaration on July 22 that Tehran's doctrine was an "eye for an eye" after President Donald Trump warned the United States would strike Iranian infrastructure each time Iran fired on commercial shipping in the strategic waterway.

"The president's policy is a head for an eye," Rubio told reporters told reporter on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in Manila on July 23. "They will pay a very heavy price for the things they're doing. They're already paying a very heavy price."

Turning to the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, which Washington has long sought to curb, Rubio cast doubt on Iran's willingness to negotiate a durable agreement, saying Tehran repeatedly sought talks but had a history of reneging on commitments.

"I just don't think they're serious about making a deal," Rubio said, adding that President Trump had increasingly reached the same conclusion.

He said Iranian officials were using intermediaries to signal interest in negotiations but repeatedly altered or violated agreements after reaching them.

"The problem with these guys...is they make a deal, they agree to something, and then they decide, 'Let's change it,'" Rubio said, adding he believed Iran would eventually become more willing to negotiate as economic and military pressure mounted.

Rubio said the United States was not pursuing regime change in Iran, describing Washington's primary objective as preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"The US is seeking a denuclearized Iran that will never have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Asked about reports that Moscow was helping Iran target US forces after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings, Rubio declined to discuss intelligence matters, saying he would not comment publicly even if such reports were accurate.

He said that Iran had spent years building missile and drone capabilities independently and that nothing currently being done by outside actors was materially increasing Tehran's ability to target Americans.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets as Washington looks to regain total control over the Strait of Hormuz to allow international vessels to pass freely through the key waterway.

"US forces struck Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets. The strikes further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels," CENTCOM said in a social media post on July 23 as it announced the completion of the action.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on July 23 that its forces had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been the focus of the war between Iran and the United States in recent weeks.

US President Donald Trump threatened on July 22 to ratchet up the pressure on Tehran if it continues to interfere with vessel transit in the strait.

"From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran," he said in a post on social media.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed that a ship belonging to a Saudi company has been struck in the Red Sea after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed to have hit two oil tankers in the waterway overnight.

Saudi state media on July 23 quoted an official source as saying the ship ENCELIA was hit by the rebels, resulting in a fire in the bow of the vessel. The source added that all crew members were safe.

There were no confirmed reports of other attacks, though the Houthis said they had attacked two Saudi tankers, a claim which could not be immediately verified.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported that an unknown projectile hit an oil tanker near the Saudi Red Sea coast, causing a fire but no casualties. It did not identify the ship.

The attack after the Houthis said earlier this week that they would impose a blockade on ships from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and the world's biggest oil exporter, if they tried to pass through the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia has been redirecting millions of barrels of oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which accounted for one-fifth of the world's oil supplies until the start of the US-Israeli war on February 28.