GRANTS, N.M. – The latest Iran war update shows Iran facing growing difficulty in its effort to control the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian-backed forces in Yemen and Iraq continue trying to pressure the United States and its regional partners.
According to the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project, Iran’s challenges in consolidating control over the Strait of Hormuz are likely driving its wider regional campaign against the United States and U.S. allies. The strait remains the center of the war because it is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes and because Iran has treated control over the waterway as a central war aim.
Hormuz Remains the Central Fight
According to ISW-CTP, Iran was required under the memorandum of understanding to negotiate an arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was expected to meet with Gulf officials in Oman on Sept. 14 to present a formal plan for Iranian management and tolls in the strait, with some Omani involvement.
That proposal has met resistance from other Gulf states. According to ISWCTP, Bahrain refused to participate until Iran stopped attacking regional energy infrastructure and relations were restored. Saudi Arabia reportedly submitted amendments because of concerns that the proposal could create an unacceptable new status quo in the waterway, including language that could allow Iran to selectively charge tolls against countries it considers hostile. Oman also continues to oppose mandatory fees in the strait.
U.S. Action Limits Iran’s Options
According to ISW-CTP, recent U.S. strikes have degraded Iranian coastal radars, surveillance equipment, mine-laying capabilities and other systems that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has relied on to monitor and threaten commercial shipping.
ISW-CTP reported that the IRGC Navy falsely claimed Sept. 14 that a Panama-flagged vessel struck a mine while transiting the southern route through the strait. U.S. Central Command rejected that claim and said Iranian forces instead fired a drone at a different stationary vessel off the coast of Oman.
ISW-CTP assessed that Iran has repeatedly made claims about mines in an effort to suggest the strait remains dangerous after CENTCOM announced in late August that U.S. forces had cleared mines from the waterway. Iranian regime media also acknowledged Sept. 14 that Iran’s control over the strait may be waning, according to ISW-CTP.
That matters because it shows U.S. military pressure is having an effect. Iran is still dangerous, but its ability to control shipping appears constrained.
Red Sea Threat Remains Dangerous
The Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait are also becoming more dangerous.
According to ISW-CTP, Yemeni government-aligned forces appear to have halted Houthi advances south along Yemen’s Red Sea coastal plain since Sept. 11. But the Houthis still hold territory that allows them to threaten international shipping in the Red Sea, including Dhubab, Mokha and the Hanish Islands.
The Bab al Mandeb is another critical chokepoint for global trade and energy shipments. ISW-CTP reported that Houthi control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast preserves their ability to threaten shipping, even if they have not fully secured every position.
According to ISW-CTP, the Houthis also continued attacks against Saudi energy and military infrastructure between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14. The attacks are part of a broader effort to coerce Saudi Arabia into ending military operations in Yemen, lifting the Saudi blockade of Houthi-controlled ports and airports, paying Houthi civil servant salaries and paying reparations.
In Remembrance
The following 17 U.S. service members have been publicly identified as having died in service to our nation during the current conflict. The Cibola County community honors their sacrifice and holds their loved ones, friends, and fellow service members in our thoughts.
Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait — March 1, 2026 Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien Capt. Cody Khork Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan Master Sgt. Nicole Amor Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens Sgt. Declan Coady
Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia — March 1, 2026 Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington
Western Iraq — March 12, 2026
Maj. John A. Klinner Capt. Ariana G. Savino Tech.
Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt Capt. Seth R. Koval Capt. Curtis J. Angst Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan — July 17, 2026
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan Pvt. Isabella Gonzales Sgt Angel S Rampersand Erbil Air Base, Iraq — July 19, 2026 Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton