Global Oil Prices Surpass $90 Per Barrel
As the United States and Iran continued to trade strikes for the ninth consecutive night, the price of Brent oil rose above $90 per barrel for the first time in a month.
The price of US crude oil also increased by more than 2 percent, exceeding $84 per barrel.
The rise in global oil prices has been exacerbated by reports of a decrease in the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US dollar also strengthened slightly against most major currencies in early Asian trading on July 20, following escalating conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, oil prices rose and investor confidence remained fragile after last week's volatility.
The US dollar rose 1 percent to 162.48 yen, its highest level in 11 days, as rising geopolitical tensions prompted investors to flee to safe haven assets.
In general, stock markets in Asia also started their working week on July 20 with a decline in value.
Rising fuel prices have revived concerns about the return of inflation in Western countries.
Air Raid Sirens Sound In Bahrain, Kuwait As Iran Claims Fresh Strikes
Air raid sirens sounded again across Bahrain and Kuwait early on July 20 as both countries activated air defenses in response to reported Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Meanwhile, in a statement carried by Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed it had launched another attack on the Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, saying it struck "equipment, air assets and a hangar housing U.S. drones." The IRGC also claimed it had destroyed a US radar system in Kuwait in a drone strike.
Earlier, the IRGC said it had launched new attacks on Jordan, claiming that, with the "help" of the Jordanian people, it targeted US military transport aircraft and command-and-control facilities at Aqaba Airport with ballistic missiles, causing "heavy damage."
Jordanian authorities have not confirmed the claim.
The IRGC also said it attacked two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz late on July 19, claiming it disabled the vessels. It did not identify the tankers, but said they had been attempting to transit the southern shipping lane of the strait "under the provocation and coercion of the US military."
Vessel Catches Fire In Omani Waters
The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority announced that a vessel caught fire in Omani waters.
According to the report, published in the early hours of July 20, the incident occurred on July 19 and the cause had not yet been confirmed.
The maritime watchdog advised ships to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The location of the incident was reported to be at the northernmost point of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had previously claimed in a statement late last night that two oil tankers that were attempting to enter the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz 'in violation" were "punished."
Rubio: Iran Using Strait Of Hormuz As Leverage
WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on July 19 that Iran was seeking to use the Strait of Hormuz as "leverage against the world," accusing Tehran of trying to control a vital international waterway while calling on other nations to share the burden of protecting global shipping.
Speaking to reporters before departing for the Philippines for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Rubio said US military operations were focused exclusively on countering Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and degrading Tehran's ability to threaten maritime traffic.
"It’s clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the strait and hold that as leverage against the world," Rubio said. "The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to do to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it’s hardware or finances, to help carry that burden."
Rubio said Washington could not remain solely responsible for securing one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. "It is not the United States' job to protect shipping for the entire planet forever," he said.
Diplomacy Remains Possible
Rubio said the current US military campaign was aimed only at Iranian assets being used to launch missiles and drones against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the waterway as an international passage that must remain open.
"The only reason why the US is conducting strikes is against assets of Iran that are being used to attack global commercial shipping," he said.
He said US forces had successfully reduced Iran's capability to strike ships, adding that many attacks had been prevented before they occurred.
"You hear about the ships that have been struck. You don't hear about the ones that have been defended and the ones they haven't been able to launch against," Rubio said.
While reaffirming that Washington remained open to negotiations, Rubio said diplomacy would require a genuine change in Tehran's behavior.
"We're always open to diplomacy. It has to be real. It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by," he said.
Rubio accused Iran of violating previous understandings by continuing attacks on shipping instead of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
"Their behavior has to change in order for ours to change," he said, adding that Tehran continued to send signals through direct and indirect channels expressing interest in negotiations while simultaneously launching missile and drone attacks.
Divisions Inside Iran
Rubio said there appeared to be growing divisions within Iran's leadership between officials seeking economic relief through diplomacy and hardliners determined to continue military confrontation.
"There’s a growing split... between those that understand that their economy is in shambles... and others who are very militant in their view of life and continue to launch missiles," he said.
He said Washington would welcome negotiations if more pragmatic voices gained influence in Tehran but warned that continued confrontation would deepen Iran's economic crisis.
"I don't think it'll be good for Iran," Rubio said, describing the country's economy as being in "shambles," with soaring inflation, food and fuel shortages, dwindling revenues and severe domestic challenges.
Rubio accused Iran's leadership of diverting resources to support groups including Hezbollah, Hamas and regional militias instead of investing in its own people.
"Iran is a rich country," Rubio said. "One of the reasons why Iran is in shambles is because every penny that this regime gets... they invest it in Hezbollah, they invest it in Hamas.... They should be spending billions of dollars supporting the people of Iran."
He said there was a growing awareness within Iran, including among some government officials, that the country's current course was unsustainable.
"If the door opens to diplomacy, we'll be happy to see it open," Rubio added.
Rubio also called on other countries to increase their contributions to protecting global shipping.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
US Hits Iran For Ninth Night To 'Honor' Fallen Americans, Trump Says
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had launched attacks on Iran on July 20 for the ninth straight night to degrade Tehran's ability to hit shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while US President Donald Trump said the strikes were designed to honor Americans killed in action in recent days.
Trump told reporters that "we hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the, probably three, it's probably three great patriots."
He said that "we feel very badly" about the deaths of the service members who died fighting so that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."
Trump made the comments while returning to Washington following his attendance at the World Cup final in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM said its forces "began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran...for the ninth consecutive night. The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
CENTCOM earlier reported the first deaths in action of US service members related to the Iran war since March.
It said two service members were killed on July 17 and that another was missing defending against an Iranian missile and drone attack at an undisclosed site in Jordan. It later said unidentified remains were recovered at the site, raising the likelihood of a third fatality in the Middle East country.
Then, on July 19, CENTCOM said another service member was killed in Iraq during a "controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury."
US Military Death Toll Rises With Fatality In Iraq, Discovery Of Remains In Jordan
US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 19 said a service member was killed following an Iranian drone attack in Iraq, adding to the two deaths disclosed earlier in Jordan, where the discovery of unidentified remains raised the possibility of a fourth fatality in the past three days.
"A U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury," CENTCOM said.
A day earlier, CENTCOM had announced the first combat losses in the Iran war since March, saying two service members had been killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire.
In its latest statement, the military said that "after a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today [in Jordan]. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing," raising the possibility that the remains were of the missing service member.
That statement did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred. Identification of the victims was not provided pending notification of family members.
Read more here.
Jordan Summons Iran Envoy, Condemns 'Brutal' Attacks After US Service Members Killed
Jordan on July 19 summoned Iran's representative in Amman to protest Tehran's missile and drone strikes on the Middle East nation, a US ally and site of the deaths of at least to American service members two days earlier.
Jordan's said its Foreign Ministry "summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Embassy in Amman and conveyed to him a strongly worded message of protest against the continuation of Iran's brutal and unjustified attacks targeting the Kingdom's territories, and the provocative and inflammatory statements issued by official Iranian entities regarding the Kingdom."
The statement on X added that ministry spokesman Fuad Majali "clarified that the ministry had reiterated its condemnation and denunciation of the brutal Iranian attacks, which represent a flagrant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty and a blatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter."
It also condemned Iran's series of attacks on "sisterly" Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and stated its "absolute solidarity and support" for the countries that have been the target of Tehran's retaliatory missile and drone strikes since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.
The US military suffered its first combat fatalities since March in the Iran war, with the Pentagon saying two service members were killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire.
"On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command...and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action," CENTCOM said on X on July 18.
As of midday on July 19, no information had been made public by CENTCOM on the fate of the missing service member.
Iran Executes 2 Men Over Antigovernment Protests In Early 2026
Two men were hanged in the Iranian city of Isfahan on July 19 over allegations related to antigovernment protests earlier this year, according to Mizan news, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary.
The men were identified as Erfan Esfandiari and Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, who were among 12 protesters -- including a number of teenagers -- in the central Iranian city whose death sentences were upheld last week by the country's Supreme Court.
Prior to this announcement, a recent tally by Amnesty International said there had been 44 “politically motivated executions” under cover of what the authorities call “wartime conditions” since US and Israeli air strikes on Iran began on February 28.
The ages of the two men executed on July 19 or dates of their arrests were not disclosed. Mohammadi was reportedly an Afghan citizen.
The indictment stated the two men had "filmed the scene of the killing and transmitted the footage to television channels" abroad.
Mass protests erupted in late December 2025, initially sparked by anger over the high cost of living but which rapidly turned into widespread antigovernment demonstrations. The movement peaked on January 8-9 before a brutal crackdown by security forces.
Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths, claiming that "terrorist acts" had been orchestrated by the US and Israel. Foreign-based organizations said security forces fired on protesters.
At the time, US President Donald Trump threatened to intervene militarily in Iran. US and Israeli forces later launched air strikes on Iran beginning on February 28 and triggering the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Amnesty has said Iran is responsible for the second most executions of any country, after China. Iran Human Rights and other organizations said at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in 2025.
With reporting by AFP
Rubio Meets With Lebanese President Ahead Of Discussions With Trump
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed Lebanon for its "move towards peace" following a meeting with the embattled Middle East nation's president, Joseph Aoun, in Washington on July 19.
The secretary "commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," the State Department said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Aoun is expected meet with US President Donald Trump later this week to present a plan on how to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. Aoun would become is the first Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years to visit the White House.
Israeli forces occupy a large strip of Lebanon's south, while hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens remain displaced following Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah has rejected the Lebanese government's direct talks with Israel.
Israel has said its attacks on southern Lebanon and areas around Beirut are designed to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah militants who have launched missiles into Israeli territory.