GRANTS, N.M. – The U.S.-Iran ceasefire has effectively ended, according to the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project, after a new round of attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz led the United States to resume its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
This report reflects information available as of the Cibola Citizen’s press deadline on July 14 at 2:22 p.m.
The war began Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran after escalating tension over Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian-backed armed groups, and attacks across the region. A ceasefire and memorandum of understanding signed in June appeared to move the conflict into a diplomatic phase, but the same unresolved issues remained: Iran’s nuclear program, Hezbollah and Lebanon, and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to ISW-CTP, the latest fighting is smaller in geographic scope than the large March and April exchanges, but the pattern of strikes and the return of the U.S. blockade mark the end of the ceasefire. ISW-CTP reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy announced July 11 that it had closed the strait, struck a Cyprus-flagged vessel, and struck a second vessel July 12. ISW-CTP reported that the United States then struck dozens of Iranian military targets to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping.
According to ISW-CTP, the United States has conducted more than 300 strikes in Iran since July 10. Iran retaliated with strikes against U.S. military bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, according to ISW-CTP, and also claimed to strike a U.S. radar site in Oman, though ISW-CTP noted that neither the United States nor Oman had commented on that claim.
U.S. Central Command said the blockade of Iranian ports resumed at 4 p.m. Eastern on July 14 at President Donald Trump’s orders. According to CBS News, CENTCOM said more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft are operating across the Middle East. CENTCOM said the blockade applies to maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, while U.S. forces would support traffic flow for vessels not linked to Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the center of the conflict. According to ISWCTP, Iran views control of the strait as a major strategic objective and believes ending the war without that control would be a serious strategic defeat. ISW-CTP reported that Iran rejected an Omani proposal that would have created two routes through the strait: a southern route through Omani waters allowing unrestricted navigation and a northern route through Iranian waters requiring prior Iranian approval but no tolls.
According to ISW-CTP, U.S. strikes over the last several days have targeted missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, air and surface surveillance radars, and air defense systems. The goal, according to CENTCOM reporting cited by ISW-CTP, is to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. ISW-CTP cautioned, however, that even individual attacks can disrupt shipping because ship captains, owners and insurers make decisions based on risk.
The human cost of those attacks is already being felt beyond the region.
According to AFP reporting included in the July 14 updates, India summoned Iran’s senior diplomat in New Delhi after attacks on two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz killed one Indian seafarer and wounded several others. The United Nations also warned that renewed fighting and a closure of the strait could have consequences for food, medicine and other essential goods far beyond the Middle East.
Diplomacy is not completely gone, but it is under severe strain. According to ISW-CTP, Iranian negotiators have tried to preserve talks, while hardline elements tied to the IRGC have continued using force to enforce Iran’s position in the strait. ISW-CTP assessed that Iranian factions may differ on tactics — negotiations versus military action — but broadly agree that the strait is critical leverage for Iran.
Lebanon remains another unresolved front. According to ISW-CTP, U.S.brokered Israel-Lebanon talks are expected to focus on “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, where Lebanese Armed Forces would eventually backfill Israeli positions. ISW-CTP reported that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has demanded Israeli withdrawal from those zones as a precondition for further technical discussions. Hezbollah, meanwhile, continues to reject disarmament and has warned that attempts to force the issue could spark civil war, according to ISWCTP.
The broader regional picture also remains unstable. According to ISW-CTP, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias continue to resist U.S. pressure for disarmament, even as Iraq seeks deeper economic ties with Washington. ISW-CTP also reported that the Houthis launched missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia after likely Saudi strikes on Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in Yemen.
The ceasefire that briefly shifted attention toward diplomacy has broken down, the U.S. blockade is back in place, and the Strait of Hormuz is again the central flashpoint. The conflict remains smaller than the heaviest fighting earlier this year, according to ISW-CTP, but the risks are spreading through shipping, energy markets, U.S. military deployments and regional politics.
In Remembrance
The following 13 U.S. service members gave their lives for our Freedom in this conflict. The Cibola County community honors their service and holds their families in our thoughts.
Drone attack in Kuwait March 1, 2026
• Capt. Cody A. Khork
• Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens
• Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor
• Sgt. Declan J. Coady
• Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan Attack in Saudi Arabia March 1, 2026
• Sgt. Benjamin Pennington KC-135 crash in 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