U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the world and called on other nations to contribute equipment or financial resources to protect global shipping, speaking ahead of a trip to the Philippines to meet ASEAN foreign ministers.
The diplomatic push came as the U.S. military struck Iranian command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance sites, missile and drone launchers, and communication networks, according to U.S. Central Command, after launching airstrikes for a ninth consecutive night. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked U.S. military aircraft in Aqaba, Jordan, causing serious damage, and separately claimed two oil tankers were stopped and exploded in the strait, where vessel transits fell to four on 19 July from eight a day earlier.
Brent crude oil briefly reached $90.50 a barrel on 20 July, its highest since June. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. first struck Iran on 28 February to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.