Trump launches US airstrikes on Iran after vowing to hit regime 'very hard'

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War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday amid rising tensions across the Middle East.

"Earlier today I had the pleasure of meeting with Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu," Hegseth said in a post on X.

"Members of my team, including @USWPColby and @SeanParnellASW, joined me to reaffirm the strength of our defense partnership and commitment to advancing our shared security interests," he added.

President Donald Trump had met with Netanyahu a day earlier.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday sanctioned two Iranian companies that it said operate coercive maritime "insurance" schemes in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of extorting commercial vessels and using the proceeds to fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Treasury Department also sanctioned eight companies that operate a "shadow fleet" of vessels used to transport Iranian oil as Washington seeks to weaken Tehran's control over the strategic waterway.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said: "Through the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority, the regime brokers IRGC-approved policies designed to extract revenue under the guise of maritime services, including payments in digital assets to evade sanctions, allowing Iran to tighten control over shipping activity and funnel funds into IRGC operations."

"With its economy in freefall and inflation in the triple digits, the regime is desperate for cash," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

"The United States will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to finance the IRGC's terrorism, aggression, and repression."

Video shows water cannons dousing a vessel at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday after a drone struck the U.S.-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating storage facility, igniting a fire.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said in an initial assessment that the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was struck by at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Ambrey identified the vessel as the Energos Winter. Egypt's Petroleum Ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out but did not identify the cause or mention a drone strike.

The ministry said the blaze was quickly brought under control and that there were no casualties.

Port services firm Inchcape also said that two gas tankers caught fire at Damietta following the incident, Reuters reported.

Speaking at the White House, President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident.

Tehran is facing mounting pressure following joint U.S.-Saudi military strikes against Iran-backed militias, Vice Adm. Robert Harward, the former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, said Wednesday.

"You're seeing the pressure build on Iran on all fronts," Harward, a member of the Iran Policy Project at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said on Fox News' "The Story."

"Not only was Saudi participating in this attack, but you're also seeing up in Lebanon.

"You see the Lebanese government making an agreement with Israel to undermine and try to get rid of Hezbollah.

"You're seeing the British willing to contribute ships to the blockade.

"You're seeing other countries willing to go after the Houthis. So the pressure is building tremendously in Iran, and you're starting to see some breaking points there in the executions in Isfahan yesterday.

"The people came out to protest, and they had to shoot them down to prevent them from overwhelming the execution team, so the pressure in Iran is building, and we could see a tipping point come here in the not too distant future," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday appealed for U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles, warning that Russia could be preparing for a major overnight attack.

His appeal came as the war in Ukraine became intertwined with the Iran war, with Kyiv targeting an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea and accusing Moscow of sharing intelligence with Tehran.

"I received a report from Air Force Commander Anatolii Kryvonozhko," Zelenskyy said in a post shared on X, adding that Russia had prepared a "massive attack several days ago" and that there is a "high probability that the strike will be carried out tonight."

"It is important that our partners fully understand what is happening and that the protection of lives directly depends on their readiness, or lack thereof, to help us with air defense missiles," he said.

"First and foremost, this concerns the United States and those partners that have Patriot missiles and can provide them to support our defense," Zelenskyy said.

"Every partner knows what is needed and fully understands the consequences of marking time," he added before urging Ukrainians to pay close attention to air raid alerts and stay safe.

Zelenskyy's comments also followed his July 28 meeting with President Donald Trump, after he announced at the NATO summit in Turkey that the U.S. would license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, according to The Associated Press.

Saudi Arabia is working to form an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The coalition's final makeup has not yet been determined and remains under discussion with dozens of countries, the outlet reported.

This came after the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, claiming it was a response to what they described as a Saudi "siege" of Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.

The Houthis have since claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi-linked vessels while Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes targeting what it says are Houthi military facilities at Yemen's Hodeidah port. 

Some U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East may soon be ordered to surrender their cellphones as military leaders warn that Iran is using photos and videos posted online to assess where its strikes landed and potentially improve follow-up attacks, Reuters first reported Wednesday.

Some service members stationed in Jordan have been told their phones will be confiscated in the coming days, two sources familiar with the matter told the outlet.

A third source said cellphone restrictions were being considered more broadly across the region because of operational security concerns but did not describe the move as certain.

Any crackdown would force U.S. military commanders to balance operational security against troops’ reliance on cellphones to communicate with their families during wartime.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) — the military command which leads U.S. military operations in the Middle East — confirmed to Fox News Digital that commander Adm. Brad Cooper sent the internal message described in the report but declined to release it publicly.

"The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security," CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said.

"This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities."

A defense official declined to tell Fox News Digital whether personnel had been ordered to surrender their phones or whether wider restrictions were under consideration, saying CENTCOM does not discuss force-protection tactics and techniques for operational security reasons.

This is an excerpt from a report by Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday it had redirected 20 ships and disabled two others in the Strait of Hormuz as it continues to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports.

“CENTCOM forces continue to strictly enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran,” the command said in a post shared on X.

As of July 29, CENTCOM also said it had redirected 20 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said reports that China is sending 400 rocket launchers to Iran via Pakistan would be "surprising," adding that President Xi Jinping had assured him Beijing would not become involved.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the reports by Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich.

“I mean, things like that happen, but that would be surprising,” he replied.

Trump clarified that Xi had previously assured him China would not take part. “And he told me very strongly he wouldn't partake.”

“And he knows I'd be quite disappointed,” Trump added.

The president made the remarks before referencing Xi's planned Sept. 24 visit.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed a forceful response to Iran after an attempted ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. military facilities in Jordan.

"We're going to, we're going to hit them very hard. I mean, I can actually say that because in that there's very little they can do about it," he said.

"It was a different group than we're dealing with. They've already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit."

"Will I always hit back? Pretty much yes," he added. "It was another smaller event."

"They send five 8,000-mile-per-hour missiles at us, and fortunately, we had our people operating the greatest equipment in the world, namely the Patriot system."

"Think of it. Five missiles going 8,600 miles an hour, big ones coming right at us, and all five were shut down."

"Nobody else could do that but us," Trump said.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been briefed on a reported drone attack off Egypt's coast, warning the U.S. would respond forcefully if Iran continues to escalate tensions.

His comments came after reports that a U.S.-owned liquefied natural gas tanker was targeted by a drone.

"I've been briefed," Trump said.

The drone hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at the port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday, in an initial assessment.

Trump made the remarks in the Oval Office during a briefing on plans to renovate Washington Dulles International Airport.

"It's a little more of the same, but it's going to be straightening out," Trump told reporters on the war with Iran.

"In the meantime, we're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them," the president said of the situation with Tehran.

"They know it's coming. They're asking us not to do it.

"But, you know, they tried shooting it last night, so we had five rockets shot going 8,500 miles an hour, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground, but they nevertheless took a shot.

"So it's our turn, and we'll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we're going to hit them very hard."

A Chinese-flagged ship sailed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait without interference after Houthi rebels declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.

The transit came as Reuters reported that China has held direct talks with the militant group to make sure its own tankers can safely pass through the Red Sea waterway.

"As the Houthis targeted Saudi-linked vessels, a Chinese-flagged bulk carrier transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Jeddah openly and untouched," Windward said in a post on X.

"No dark activity. No GPS manipulation. No deviation," the firm added.

Instead, the vessel's AIS destination field repeatedly broadcast messages identifying its apparent Chinese affiliation, the firm said.

The pattern, Windward said, suggests "selective enforcement."

"Saudi-linked vessels are being targeted, while Chinese-flagged ships calling at the same ports appear to benefit from protection," Windward said.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis are weighing whether to charge fees on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially adding another layer of disruption to one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, according to reports.

Citing regional sources and Reuters said the potential move comes more than a week after the group imposed a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 and expanded its attacks on tankers transiting the area.

On July 25, the Houthis also said they launched missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities in the Red Sea port cities of Jizan and Yanbu, the outlet said. 

The whereabouts and influence of Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, were among the topics discussed during President Donald Trump's meeting July 28 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to reports.

Citing an Israeli official, Axios reported that Mojtaba Khamenei takes a very negative line "about everything," but the official said it remains unclear whether he ultimately is making key decisions.

"He is alive, but nobody can testify that they've actually seen him," the official told the outlet.

"He told his people not to do anything without getting his approval, and even once allegedly got angry when they didn't," the official said.

The meeting marked Trump's first face-to-face talks with Netanyahu since the war began on Feb. 28, when an Israeli- and U.S.-led military strike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at his Tehran compound. 

The U.S. should use military force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if negotiations with Iran fail, according to retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane.

“We’ve got to open the Strait of Hormuz,” Keane told Wednesday's “Varney & Co.”

“If we’re not going to be able to do it through negotiation, we’ve got to do it by force.”

Keane pointed to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on a U.S. base, attacks on Gulf shipping and repeated strikes by Tehran-backed militias as evidence that diplomacy is unlikely to produce an acceptable deal.

He called for a comprehensive campaign rather than a limited retaliatory strike, including isolating Iran by closing its roads, railways, airports and ports.

“We have got to conduct all-out attacks on the IRGC, their leadership,” Keane said, also urging strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities.

Egypt's petroleum ministry said in a statement a fire broke out on a gasification vessel and a storage vessel at Damietta port and was dealt with immediately under approved emergency response plans by firefighting and security teams.

Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi went to the site to oversee response efforts, it said. The fire caused no injuries or fatalities and emergency and technical teams were continuing to work on the response and assess the impact of the incident, the statement added.

A drone hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said Wednesday, citing an initial assessment of the incident.

The Egyptian petroleum ministry statement confirmed a fire at the port but made no mention of a drone attack.

Port services firm Inchcape said in a separate message two gas tankers had caught fire at Damietta.

The drone hit floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a fire that then spread to another vessel, Gaslog Salem, three trading sources familiar with the incident said.

Two separate security sources said the likely cause of the blast was assessed as a drone strike, in what could signal a further spread of conflict across the Middle East.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident.

The Energos Winter is a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with storage capacity of 138,250 cubic meters. It is owned by U.S.-based firm Energos Infrastructure. Its technical, safety and commercial operations are managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, also a U.S. company.

Energy supplies are strained due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade and attacks in other Middle East regions.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Blair House in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 29, images shared with Fox News show.

The allies continued high-level consultations amid the Iran war.

Footage released by Netanyahu’s office showed the two leaders meeting alongside military and civilian aides.

The talks came one day after Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House.

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

U.S. forces have helped approximately 1,000 commercial vessels carrying 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz since early May, according to U.S. Central Command on Wednesday.

CENTCOM rejected Iran’s attempts to dictate shipping routes through the critical international waterway, accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of threatening commercial vessels and mariners.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet patrolled the skies over the Middle East as American forces maintained an elevated presence during the war with Iran, U.S. Central Command wrote on X.

CENTCOM highlighted the aircraft’s ability to conduct air-to-air combat, ground attacks, tactical reconnaissance and close-air-support missions.

The command did not disclose the fighter’s location or provide details about its patrol.

U.S. commercial crude inventories fell far more than expected last week, reaching their lowest level since 2018 as the war with Iran intensified and oil prices surged.

Crude stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve dropped by 7.2 million barrels to 404.5 million, the Energy Information Administration said Wednesday.

Analysts had expected a decline of just 1.3 million barrels.Including the reserve, U.S. oil stocks fell to their lowest level since 1984.

"This EIA report, with an unexpectedly large crude oil inventory decline, shows that oil supplies are still insufficient in this time of Middle East War and geopolitical uncertainty," Josh Young, chief investment officer at Bison Interests, told Reuters.

"And it raises questions of how the oil market will balance when the SPR eventually runs out, if there isn't peace and stability by then."

Inventories at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub also dropped to their lowest level since 2014.

Oil prices extended gains after the report, with West Texas Intermediate crude rising 7.5% to $85.22 a barrel and Brent climbing to $90.42 by 10:47 a.m. ET.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia said Wednesday it would give the Iraqi government until Aug. 6 to demonstrate that it can defend the country’s sovereignty following U.S.-Saudi strikes.

The Iran-backed group said retaliation for the attacks was “inevitable” and warned that any response could target U.S. “tools” in Saudi Arabia.

The threat raises the risk of further escalation after Washington and Riyadh struck Iran-aligned militias in Iraq in response to attacks on the kingdom.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran is expected to receive its first shipment of as many as 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers within weeks as Tehran rebuilds defenses damaged in the war with the U.S. and Israel, Reuters reported.

The $60 million to $70 million contract covers between 300 and 400 QW-12 and FN-16 man-portable air-defense systems, three sources familiar with the deal told Reuters.

The weapons are designed to target low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones.

President Donald Trump has said China's Xi Jinping has denied providing support for Iran's war effort and he scoffed at the notion that Russia and China are provided defense equipment, mocking its use in Venezuela as "unimpactful" against American forces.

"I want to thank China because, to be honest, I asked President Xi not to get involved with Iran, and they get 50% of their oil from the strait," Trump said June 19.

The reported systems would give Iran a more mobile layer of protection around military sites and critical infrastructure after months of U.S. and Israeli strikes exposed gaps in its air defenses.

Sources said the initial deliveries were expected to move from western China through Pakistan, though Pakistan denied involvement.

China’s Foreign Ministry called the report “completely groundless.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

The United States imposed a new round of Iran-related sanctions Wednesday, targeting eight oil tankers and 10 entities as tensions with Tehran continue to rise.

Six of the sanctioned entities are based in China, according to the Treasury Department.

“With its economy in freefall and inflation in the triple digits, the regime is desperate for cash,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a statement. “The United States will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to finance the IRGC’s terrorism, aggression, and repression.”

The sanctions appear aimed at disrupting Iran’s ability to move oil through overseas companies and a network of tankers.

The action came hours after President Donald Trump vowed to “hit Iran hard,” signaling that Washington is prepared to intensify economic pressure alongside its broader campaign against Tehran.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iraq’s national security council directed the Foreign Ministry to pursue legal action over U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militias, even as President Donald Trump told Fox News the operation had been coordinated with Baghdad.

The Iraqi prime minister’s office said only the government has authority to respond to attacks on the country’s territory. It urged all sides to avoid escalation and said Iraq wants to remain outside broader regional conflicts.

Trump, meanwhile, promised a forceful response to Iran’s surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan.

“We’ll be hitting them hard,” Trump told Fox News earlier Wednesday morning. “They’re going to get a beating.”

Trump said American forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming missiles. He called the Iran-backed Iraqi militias a “cancer on the world” and said he was considering additional warnings to Tehran’s proxies.

Despite the latest escalation and strong Trump warning to Iran, he said talks with Iran would continue.

“We’re going to let them keep talking,” Trump told Fox News.

Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst and Reuters contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his alliance with President Donald Trump remains unshaken as the two leaders coordinate their strategy against Iran.

“What they find, like today, is a wall of granite,” Netanyahu told Tuesday night's "Hannity" after meeting with Trump.

“We have a common commitment. We don’t want to see this fanatic regime in Tehran have nuclear weapons to threaten every American, to threaten the peace of the world and to threaten the existence of Israel.”

Netanyahu said the shared goal would be achieved “either through diplomatic means or other means,” adding that both leaders remain firmly committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu called the Oval Office meeting one of the best the two leaders have held and dismissed reports of divisions between Washington and Jerusalem.

The Israeli Defense Forces said Hezbollah launched an explosive drone at an IDF engineering vehicle in southern Lebanon overnight Wednesday, calling the attack a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.

No Israeli troops were injured in the strike near the Ali Taher Ridge, according to the IDF.

Israeli forces said they remain in the area to prevent further attacks and dismantle Hezbollah weapons inside the security zone.

The IDF said troops recently recovered rifles, RPGs, explosives, grenades and other military equipment. Israeli forces also dismantled a roughly 180-foot Hezbollah tunnel beneath a construction-materials factory in Haddatha, about 300 meters from a UNIFIL building.

The underground site contained living quarters and a weapons shaft, the IDF said.

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., blamed President Donald Trump’s war in Iran for driving up inflation ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest-rate decision Wednesday.

“Donald Trump promised to lower costs ‘on day one,’" Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, wrote in a statement.

"Instead, his failed economic agenda – from his chaotic tariffs to his illegal war in Iran – has fueled inflation and eaten away at Americans’ paychecks. Let’s be clear: families deserve lower interest rates and lower costs. But one man is standing in the way: Donald Trump.”

U.S. oil prices surged nearly 7% on Wednesday as renewed airstrikes in the Middle East crushed hopes for a quick end to the Iran war and intensified fears of supply disruptions.

West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $5.34, or 6.7%, to $84.60 a barrel by 8:24 a.m. ET. Brent crude rose 6.9% to $89.93, nearing $90 a barrel.

Prices spiked after President Donald Trump vowed retaliation for a surprise Iranian attack on U.S. troops, while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained depressed.

"Renewed military strikes in the Middle East and Iranian officials reiterating that they want to control shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz amid depressed oil flows through the Strait are lifting oil prices again," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo told Reuters.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump vowed a forceful response after U.S. troops intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Jordan overnight.

“We're going to beat the f------ s--- out of them,” Trump told Fox News on Wednesday morning.

“We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.”

Trump said American forces had only minutes to respond to the surprise attack and shot down the incoming missiles before they reached their targets. He said he reviewed video showing U.S. personnel calling out coordinates in real time during the interception.

The president also said overnight U.S.-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq were coordinated with the Iraqi government.

He called the militias a “cancer on the world” and said additional warnings against Iranian proxies were under consideration.

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia, warned Wednesday that U.S. and Saudi forces would face retaliation following joint strikes on armed groups in Iraq.

The group said it would not allow the two countries to “desecrate Iraqi soil without paying a heavy price.”

The warning came after Washington and Riyadh attacked Iran-backed militias accused of launching strikes against Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions across the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iraq’s presidency condemned U.S.-Saudi strikes as a violation of its sovereignty while also rejecting the use of Iraqi territory to attack neighboring countries.

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia, threatened retaliation, saying it would not allow U.S. or Saudi forces to “desecrate Iraqi soil without paying a heavy price.”

The diplomatic rupture comes as President Donald Trump moves to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi recently visited the White House before traveling to Iran, highlighting Baghdad’s difficult balancing act between Washington, Tehran and Gulf states.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A U.S. projectile struck the northwestern Iranian city of Piranshahr, but caused no casualties, Iranian state television reported Wednesday, citing an official.

The development comes as regional fighting intensifies following joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

President Donald Trump remains resolute that the U.S. military is "locked and loaded" for a massive offensive if Iran does not come to heel on peace soon.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned joint U.S.-Saudi attacks on Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Wednesday, according to a ministry statement.

The strikes marked Saudi Arabia’s first publicly acknowledged combat role in the Iran war. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 members were killed and 32 wounded in attacks on several bases.

The operation followed drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that Washington and Riyadh said were launched by armed groups in Iraq.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Saudi Arabia entered the Iran war directly Wednesday, joining the United States in airstrikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.

The operation marked the first time Riyadh publicly acknowledged taking part in combat alongside U.S. forces during the conflict.

U.S. and Saudi officials said the strikes were retaliation for drone attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi oil facilities.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 members were killed and 32 wounded in strikes on several bases. The Iran-backed paramilitary groups are formally incorporated into Iraq’s security forces.

That strike comes just days after the Iraqi foreign minister met with President Donald Trump in the White House and then went to Iran to try to broker peace.

Saudi involvement risks widening the conflict by opening another front between the Sunni-led kingdom and Iran’s Shiite-aligned allies.

Riyadh is also facing pressure from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who recently announced a blockade of Saudi oil exports in the Red Sea.

The strikes were the first major U.S. military action in the region since Trump suspended the bombing campaign against Iran last week.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran has rejected an Omani proposal for joint regional control of the Strait of Hormuz, deepening a dispute over the critical energy shipping route as fighting with the U.S. resumes.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters the plan was “unreasonable,” saying a proposed 50-50 control arrangement with Oman would not serve Tehran’s interests.

Iran is seeking sole control of the strait’s inbound route and partial control of the outbound lane.

The U.S. has advised ships to travel closer to Oman’s coast, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said it retains full control of the waterway and would respond to what it called unlawful U.S. military interference.

The dispute helped push oil prices up 4.6% on Wednesday. Brent crude traded near $88 a barrel at 6:30 a.m. ET, while U.S. WTI crude climbed 4.3% to $82.69 a barrel.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Some U.S. troops deployed in Jordan might soon be required to surrender their cellphones as commanders tighten security amid fears that mobile devices and online posts could help Iran target American bases.

The possible confiscations have not been formally confirmed across the region, and cellphone rules can vary by unit and mission.

Troops are already required to lock away devices in some circumstances, while phones are routinely prohibited during sensitive special operations.

The prospect of a wider crackdown, however, has alarmed some military families who rely on messages from deployed relatives for reassurance during Iranian attacks.

U.S. officials have long warned that location data collected by fitness apps and other mobile services can expose troop movements or military positions.

Commercially available smartphone data has also been used to surveil or target American forces, Reuters previously reported.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, warned that photos, videos and detailed accounts of Iranian strikes could help Tehran determine what it hit and plan more damaging follow-up attacks.

“Detailed public disclosures can become an immediate green light for Iranian forces to launch a secondary, much more devastating wave of attacks,” Cooper wrote.

In a statement, Capt. Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM Public Affairs Director also said that Admiral Cooper's "top priority is the well-being and protection of over 50,000 American service members operating in the Middle East."

"His guidance to troops about operational security reinforces this priority," Hawkins added. 

Fox News' Liz Friden and Reuters contributed to this report.

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East is reportedly warning American troops that cellphone videos posted online may be giving Iran critical intelligence about its attacks on U.S. bases.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said photos and footage can show Iranian forces whether their missiles struck personnel, buildings or empty ground — information that could help Tehran adjust future attacks — according to a Reuters exclusive.

Some troops in Jordan have been told their phones could soon be confiscated, according to Reuters, although CENTCOM described Cooper’s message as a general security reminder.

"The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries," Cooper wrote in his Tuesday letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

He called on troops to "redouble our focus on operational security," without prescribing specific steps in the memo.

"The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security," CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins told Reuters.

"This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities."

The warning follows the online release of footage showing U.S. personnel running for shelter during a deadly July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

"Video captured from a service member's Meta glasses was posted on Instagram showing where and how the individual had evacuated to a bunker during an Iranian missile and drone attack," Cooper wrote.

Iran would normally have a tough time determining the success or failure of its strikes, were it not for such accounts, Cooper said, thanks to the U.S. military's electronic jamming or other tactics used in war zones.

"Iran knows the weapons were fired; however, their forces do not know if they missed by 50 meters, hit an empty tarmac, or successfully struck a crowded facility," he wrote.

"Detailed lists, descriptions, and analyses of what was hit, openly published by news outlets are essentially performing Iran’s Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) for them, free of charge," Cooper said.

Eighteen U.S. troops have been killed and more than 600 wounded since the conflict began on Feb. 28, including four in the month of July after Iran violated the terms of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) ceasefire.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft launched joint strikes on Iran-aligned militia sites in Iraq after a wave of drone attacks threatened American forces and Saudi oil facilities, U.S. Central Command announced.

The overnight operation hit multiple weapons and logistics sites in eastern Iraq allegedly used by armed groups operating under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to CENTCOM.

The command said the strikes followed more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks over a 72-hour period. The command said the recent attacks against U.S. forces were unsuccessful.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response,” CENTCOM said.