Cafes Reportedly Being Closed In Tehran
Reports from a number of social media users in Iran indicate that several cafes on Sanai and Iranshahr streets in Tehran have been sealed by authorities.
Screenwriter Jamileh Darolshafaei, who worked at one of the cafes on Iranshahr Street, was among those who shared the news on X.
She wrote that the cafe had previously been notified that officials would come to seal the premises.
Authorities have not yet issued an official explanation for the latest restrictions on cafes, which are popular public gathering places, particularly among young people. However, most reports shared on social media attribute the closures to enforcement of Iran's mandatory hijab rules.
Other reasons cited in social media reports include "failure to observe public decency," "obstructing public thoroughfares," and "trade-related violations."
Journalist Bahman Darolshafaei also reported the closures, naming several cafes on Sanai Street that had been sealed.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly shut down cafes and other public venues in recent years on the grounds that they failed to enforce the country's mandatory hijab regulations, a practice that has drawn widespread criticism.
Attacks On Iranian Cities Reported
Iranian media reported new attacks on several cities on the morning of July 20.
The state-run Mehr news agency, citing an official from West Azerbaijan Province, reported that "a point near the Silvana district of Urmia" was targeted, and reported that several people were injured and taken to medical centers following the attack.
An official for East Azerbaijan Province said one person was killed and several others were injured in an attack on "a military area in the city of Tabriz" on July 20.
East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan are both located in northwestern Iran. Most of the attacks so far have been along the southern coastline.
An explosion was heard in the central city of Isfahan but said that "the exact cause and origin of this loud sound have not been determined."
However, an official from Isfahan Province told ILNA news agency that the explosion was caused by "unexploded ordnance left over from the war."
The Fars news agency quoted the governor of Bushehr as saying the city was attacked twice on July 20. Bushehr is home to Iran's sole nuclear power plant. It was not yet clear whether the plant was targeted.
The report of new attacks on Iran comes hours after CENTCOM, the US military's Central Command, announced the end of its new attacks on Iran.
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.