Iran war live: Ship ablaze in Hormuz Strait after attack; crew rescued
US forces attack Iran for ninth consecutive night as one US soldier killed in northern Iraq.
Live updates,
First published on 20 July 2026
The recent escalation between Iran and the United States has renewed fears of supply disruptions in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
- A vessel is on fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile, forcing the crew to abandon ship. They were later rescued by a tugboat.
- One person has been killed and several others wounded after the US military attacked the Iranian city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran.
51 Updates
6m ago
(08:55 GMT)
Oil prices ease after Iran says US contacts continuing through mediators
Oil prices retreated from earlier highs after Iran stated that diplomatic exchanges with the US continue through mediators, despite the renewed Middle East conflict, which had driven prices to a one-month peak.
The price of a barrel of the North Sea grade Brent for September delivery climbed by nearly 4 percent overnight to $91.42 per barrel. The price subsequently eased slightly, trading at $90.20.
Since early July, the global oil benchmark has risen by nearly 30 percent.
“Markets are once again being forced to trade two seemingly contradictory stories on the same screen,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.
While the renewed rise in oil prices has injected a geopolitical risk premium into markets, he said cooling underlying US inflation and a softer labour market suggested the energy shock would not necessarily trigger a new cycle of broad-based inflation.
Crude oil prices have jumped over the past week as Washington and Tehran traded fire, heightening concerns about a sustained interruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war handled roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies.
Oil prices have surged in recent months after the US-Israeli war on Iran began [File: Eric Gay/AP] 16m ago
(08:45 GMT)
Iran-US citizen reportedly released wasn’t a prisoner: Tehran
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei says no American mentioned by US President Trump has been released in Iran.
“The person in question was neither a prisoner nor had a case,” he told reporters in Tehran.
Trump on Wednesday welcomed what he described as the release of a US citizen detained in Iran, identified by a human rights lawyer as Dena Karari, calling it a gesture of goodwill by Tehran.
Video Duration 1 minutes 57 seconds
1:57
Trump expresses rare gratitude as Iran releases detained American 31m ago
(08:30 GMT)
Iran says diplomatic exchanges with US ongoing via mediators
Baghaei says messages from the US have been shared recently with Tehran through intermediaries despite ongoing fighting.
“We have been informed by mediators. We have received messages, without going into details, but the main point is that the diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days and ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a news conference in Tehran.
The responsibility for the recent escalation lies with the US, Baghaei said.
“We have repeatedly emphasised that we have no hostility towards the countries of the region, but we expect them to do their duty and not allow attacks on Iran from their territory.”
He added: “As long as these crimes continue, our armed forces will respond to them.”
37m ago
(08:24 GMT)
Iran ‘counting down the minutes’ for US ground invasion
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says the United States will face “consequences of any adventure” to seize Kharg Island in southern Iran.
He added there are people in Iran’s leadership “counting down the minutes to welcome” US forces in any ground invasion.
Kharg is the heart of Iran’s oil industry. It sits 55km (34 miles) off Iran’s coast in Bushehr province. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to seize the territory during the war.
46m ago
(08:15 GMT)
US attacks Iran after drone blast kills American soldier in Iraq
The US has attacked Iran for a ninth consecutive night after the Central Command announced an American soldier died in northern Iraq in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers “exploded” and were halted in the southern Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said the US is hitting Iran to honour American service members who have been killed.
Read more here.
1h ago
(08:00 GMT)
‘No excuse’ for US to break agreement: Iran
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has repeated Tehran’s stance that “there is no ambiguity” in the text of the interim deal signed with the US.
“The text of the memorandum of understanding is a short text and has 14 clauses,” he told reporters in the Iranian capital.
“We had said from the very beginning that the responsibility for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran and this issue will be pursued in consultation with Oman and through dialogue with regional countries,” Baghaei added.
“The text is completely clear, and there is no excuse for America to break the treaty.”
1h ago
(07:45 GMT)
Iran capable of strikes on Hormuz ‘for the foreseeable future’
US attacks on Iran are degrading Iranian capabilities to control the Strait of Hormuz, but it could take many months to fully neutralise its attacks on shipping, an analyst says.
“Iran has a huge number of missiles and especially drones that are able to strike ships in the Strait of Hormuz for the foreseeable future,” Wolfgang Pusztai, a defence analyst, told Al Jazeera.
Tehran restarted its oil exports after signing the memorandum of understanding with the United States last month, and “this means Iran has filled up its financial resources”, he said.
1h ago
(07:35 GMT)
Ship ablaze in Strait of Hormuz after attack; crew rescued
A vessel is on fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, “The crew safely abandoned the vessel and have been recovered by a tug boat.”
The attack occurred 8 nautical miles (15km) northwest of Kumzar, Oman.
“The fire has not been extinguished and the vessel is currently adrift,” it said in a statement. “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities investigate.”
A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman [Reuters] Sign up for Al Jazeera
Americas Coverage Newsletter
1h ago
(07:27 GMT)
One killed, several injured in US strike on Iran’s Tabriz
One person has been killed and several others wounded after the US military attacked the city in northwestern Iran.
Majid Farshi, director general of crisis management in East Azerbaijan province, told state news agency IRNA the strike in the early hours targeted a military site southwest of Tabriz.
“Rescue, security and law enforcement agencies were present at the scene in the initial moments after the incident, and necessary measures are being taken to manage the crisis, provide relief to the victims, and investigate the exact extent of this crime,” Farshi said.
The attack on Tabriz in northern Iran is the first beyond the south since the latest escalation began 10 days ago.
1h ago
(07:15 GMT)
Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers discuss war
Badr Abdelatty and Ayman Safadi had a phone call on “ways to restore security and stability in the region”, according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Condemning the recent Iranian attacks on Jordan during the call, Abdelatty expressed Cairo’s “full solidarity” and conveyed “support for all measures it takes to maintain its security and stability and protect its sovereignty”.
The ministers also discussed international efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions, emphasising the importance of the immediate cessation of all hostilities that could expand the scope of the conflict.
2h ago
(07:00 GMT)
US directly hits Darkhovin nuclear plant; Iran reports no radiation leak
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has condemned the attack on the Darkhovin Nuclear Power Plant, saying the site was for peaceful purposes.
This is the first time since the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28 that the US has directly struck a nuclear power plant. Because it was still under construction, there was no nuclear material there, so there is no radiation, no leak of the nuclear materials.
However, it was quite important for Iran because it started to construct it in 2022, and it was aiming to finish it or to complete it by 2030.
We have seen the US attacking the vicinity of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant last week, and then also we have seen throughout the initial 38 days of the war that some of the reactors and research centres were hit by the US.
This marks the first direct attack on a nuclear power plant in 2026. While the US previously targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan in June 2025, the strike on the Darkhovin plant represents the first time a nuclear power plant itself has been hit.
But let’s keep in mind, this is also a systematic campaign to destroy critical infrastructure along Iran’s southern coast.
2h ago
(06:45 GMT)
Three injured in earthquakes near Iran’s Kuzaran: State media
As we reported earlier, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Kuzaran in the western Kermanshah province.
A spokesperson for the country’s disaster management authority told the Mehr news agency that two earthquakes occurred five minutes apart in the region.
The official confirmed that the first occurred at 7:13am local time (03:43 GMT) at a depth of 8km, followed by a magnitude 5.7 earthquake at a depth of 13km.
Three people were wounded in the earthquakes, Mehr said.
2h ago
(06:30 GMT)
WATCH: US releases footage of ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran
The US military carried out its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military command centres, air defence systems and coastal surveillance facilities, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The US military said it hit maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks.
Watch our video below:
2h ago
(06:21 GMT)
Multiple locations struck in Bushehr; scale under investigation: Iran media
The governor of the southwestern province of Bushehr says several locations in its capital, also named Bushehr, have been hit in an attack, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.
The official added that the scope and extent of the strikes are under investigation.
We will bring you more as soon as we have it.
2h ago
(06:15 GMT)
Water, electricity, gas networks stable in quake area near Iran’s Kuzaran: State media
As we reported earlier, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck near Kuzaran in the western Kermanshah province.
The country’s state media reported that relief, service and law enforcement teams had been dispatched to the earthquake-stricken area.
A spokesperson for the crisis management authority was quoted by state broadcaster IRIB as saying that the water, electricity and gas networks were stable, and relevant teams were further assessing conditions in the area.
3h ago
(06:00 GMT)
‘Another night of escalation’: US strikes new targets in Iran as regional tensions soar
Reporting from Tehran, Iran
It was another night of escalation between Iran and the US.
We have witnessed continued air strikes by the Americans on different cities – some of them being targeted for the first time, such as Tabriz in the northwest of the country.
Tabriz earlier witnessed three massive explosions.
We do not have confirmed information about the attacks across the country, including Tabriz.
We know that Iran is talking about its retaliatory strikes. In line with the security doctrine of the country, they say as long as US strikes continue, they are going to strike back.
The IRGC came out to confirm attacks on US military bases and assets across the region, in particular Jordan and Kuwait.
3h ago
(05:45 GMT)
Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians in occupied West Bank raid
Israeli forces have arrested five young men from the city of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.
Several military vehicles entered the city through its main eastern entrance and deployed in the al-Naqar neighbourhood. Forces raided and searched local homes before making the arrests, according to the Wafa report.
3h ago
(05:34 GMT)
Warning sirens activated in Bahrain
The Ministry of Interior has told people to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place”.
We will bring you more as soon as we have it.
3h ago
(05:30 GMT)
Gulf states intercept Iranian drones and missiles as regional attacks escalate
Reporting from Doha, Qatar
Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan are continuing to bear the brunt of these Iranian attacks.
In the last couple of minutes, we’ve heard from Kuwait’s army. It says it’s currently intercepting a series of drone attacks.
That comes after Bahrain’s sirens have been sounding throughout the morning. The US embassy there saying that they are warning their citizens that Iran may be planning attacks on the capital city in Manama, and its’s warning US citizens in particular to take precautionary measures.
Jordan says it has been intercepting at least three missiles, a further one landed in open ground.
Earlier the IRGC says that it had targeted an ammunitions depot and an air defense radar system in Kuwait. There has been no confirmation from Kuwait that this attack took place; instead, the country has been concentrating on recovering from a strike on a power and water desalination plant—an attack that has been condemned by countries across the region.
3h ago
(05:15 GMT)
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and any sustained disruption could have far-reaching economic consequences. While diplomatic channels remain open, the situation underscores the fragile balance in the region. Market watchers will be closely monitoring both military developments and US inflation data in the coming days.
Original source: Al Jazeera
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