Twelfth day of US strikes on Iran; explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm near the Strait of Hormuz

The military conflict between Iran and the United States entered its twelfth day on Thursday, 23 July 2026. According to Al Jazeera, citing Iranian official media, explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and the Bemani district of Hormozgan province, along the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. This focus of the conflict is sensitive for global energy markets, as roughly one fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

On the diplomatic track, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran was begging for a deal and needed to come to its senses, adding that Tehran would pay a heavy price. Mediators had earlier floated a 10 day ceasefire, which Washington has not accepted. The United States has also reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

For Iranian markets, the continuation of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz keeps the risk of disruption to oil exports and maritime transport elevated, a factor that has held global oil prices above 95 dollars a barrel in recent days.