US strikes Iran for 11th night as Hegseth reveals $37.5b cost; Rubio warns over Strait of Hormuz precedent

Day 142: Air defences roar over Tehran on 11th night of strikes

Day 141: Iran president says country in 'full-scale war' with US

Day 140: US strikes Iran, Gulf states face missile threats as war risks spread

Day 139: Two US troops killed, one missing in Jordan

Day 138: Gulf faces fresh attacks as Trump signals diplomacy

Day 137: Dubai rebuts false explosion reports

Day 137: Iran says it is no longer bound by parts of US ceasefire deal

Day 136: 2 UAE tankers hit, US to resume Iran blockade

Day 135: US military launches another round of Iran strikes

US forces have redirected eight commercial vessels and disabled one ship in the latest enforcement actions under Washington's naval blockade of Iran, as the maritime campaign expands alongside a widening conflict between the two countries.

The latest operation comes as the United States intensifies efforts to prevent vessels from entering or departing Iranian ports, while maintaining that international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains open for ships not trading with Iran.

According to US military updates, the eight commercial vessels complied with orders to alter course after being hailed by coalition naval forces.

One additional vessel was disabled after it allegedly failed to comply with repeated warnings, marking one of the most forceful enforcement actions since the blockade began in April.

The naval blockade was imposed after ceasefire negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed.

Iranian air defence systems were activated across parts of Tehran early on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media, amid renewed fears of aerial attacks as tensions between Iran and the US continue to escalate.

State news agency IRNA and other Iranian media outlets reported that air defence batteries engaged over sections of the capital.

Authorities did not immediately specify the nature of the threat or whether any incoming drones, missiles or aircraft had been intercepted.

No immediate reports of casualties or damage were released.

The activation came hours after US President Donald Trump said the United States could strike Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex "pretty soon," fueling expectations of further military action against Iranian strategic sites.

Iran has repeatedly placed its air defence network on heightened alert during the current conflict, particularly around Tehran and key military and nuclear facilities. Previous activations have been linked to suspected drone incursions, reconnaissance aircraft, or missile threats.

US military launched airstrikes against numerous targets in Iran for the 11th consecutive night overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday, per CentCom.

Widespread attacks were reported on Bushehr, Parchin, Behbahan, Mahshahr, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Urmia, West of Tabriz, Baneh, Sirik, Urmia and Tehran.

Moreover, US has reportedly struck the Bidboland Gas Refinery in Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province, Iran.

The Bidboland Gas Refinery is Iran's largest gas processing facility and the largest gas hub in west Asia.

One of the strikes announced overnight by CentCom reportedly targeted the military section of Bushehr Airport.

Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, held a phone call on Tuesday with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the latest regional developments.

According to Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the two ministers discussed the continued Iranian attacks on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Jordan, as well as the systematic attacks on critical infrastructure, vital facilities, and civilians.

They also reviewed the implications of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the freedom and safety of maritime navigation and the global economy.

The two sides further discussed ongoing efforts to preserve regional security and stability and exchanged views on a range of issues and topics of mutual interest.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Iran war has cost the United States $37.5 billion so far, up from a previous estimate of nearly $29 billion in mid-May.

"The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion," Hegseth testified during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing at which he defended a request for some $67 billion in supplemental funding for the Pentagon.

Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress the funding request is "urgent" and "necessary" to pay the Pentagon's costs for the Iran war through the end of September.

But Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen challenged that assessment, saying Hegseth still has $75 billion available in unspent funding.

"Why are you asking the American people to absorb the cost of a war they don't support instead of asking for transfer authority for unspent reconciliation funding?"

Hegseth said the unspent money was "otherwise allocated" for President Donald Trump's other priorities, like the "Golden Dome for America and hypersonics and other munitions investments."

The requested funds do not include what it will cost to rebuild US military bases in the Middle East.

Lawmakers voiced frustration as they pressed for details of the Trump administration's strategy to win the war in the Middle East.

Demands for transparency crossed partisan lines, with Republican Senator John Kennedy saying "we need some hard answers and some straight talk" when he asked what would happen if the US just left the Strait of Hormuz.

Hegseth and Caine did not offer specifics for whether Iran would impose fees for ships seeking passage.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Wednesday that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a dangerous precedent with repercussions beyond the Middle East.

"If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and blow up your ships if you don't pay, we have created a very dangerous precedent that will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including this region," he told envoys at a Manila gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The US military identified Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton as the third American service member to die following recent Iranian attacks in Iraq and Jordan, underscoring the continuing dangers facing US forces even after missile and drone strikes have ended.

The US Department of War said Swinton, a soldier assigned to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, was killed on July 18 while participating in the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance recovered from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone in northern Iraq.

The incident occurred during an explosive ordnance disposal operation after US and coalition forces intercepted Iranian drones targeting military installations in Iraq.

Several flights between the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain have been affected as airlines adjust operations amid the ongoing regional situation. Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia have reported cancellations on multiple Gulf routes.

Passengers travelling during the busy summer peak season are advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, arrive at least three hours before departure, and monitor airline updates for schedule changes.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Southeast Asian foreign ministers that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz could set a dangerous global precedent.

Key points from his ASEAN remarks:

• On freedom of navigation:

  “There is a fundamental principle about freedom of navigation that is threatened. That cannot be allowed to happen.”

• On Iran controlling the waterway:

  “Iran demands the right — which they do not have under any existing legal mechanism — to control the transit of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.”

• On global consequences:

  “If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and blow up your ships if you don't pay, we have created a very dangerous precedent that will repeat itself in other parts of the world.”

• On diplomacy with Iran:

  “The United States remains open and willing to engage in positive and constructive negotiations and discussions, provided that the commitments made are honoured.”

• On future action:

  “If they are serious, we will be too. If they are not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and those of our allies.”

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the city would not be able to execute an arrest warrant issued by the world's top war-crimes court for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, but urged the federal government to do so.

In the video Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a "war criminal" and said he is not welcome in New York City.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," he said in a video posted on X. "The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," he added, referring to the International Criminal Court.

Mamdani had told the New York Times earlier this month that he and the city's legal department were discussing arresting Netanyahu if he comes to New York City for the UN General Assembly in September.

Mamdani had said throughout his mayoral election campaign last year that he would seek to order the city's police to arrest Netanyahu under the criminal court's warrant over Netanyahu's role in the war in Gaza.

In his video message, Mamdani said his administration has reviewed all avenues available and determined the city can't execute the arrest warrant.

"I want to be equally clear, Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large," he said.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, responded by telling the mayor "enough."

"You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas' propaganda," he said in a statement on social media. "Do your job!"

• Rubio warns over Hormuz: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz would set a “dangerous precedent” for global shipping. He said Washington remains open to diplomacy if Tehran is serious.

• US strikes continue: US Central Command said it carried out its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets to reduce threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

• Trump vows support for Lebanon: US President Donald Trump said Washington would support Lebanon in efforts to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah and pursue peace with Israel. He also said US airlines could resume direct flights to Lebanon.

• War cost rises: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Iran war has cost Washington $37.5 billion so far, up from an earlier estimate of nearly $29 billion.

• Trump says strikes will continue: Trump said the US is “not finished” with Iran and warned Tehran could take decades to rebuild from the damage caused.

• Pakistan urges restraint: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on all sides to avoid actions that could further destabilise the region and said Pakistan would continue mediation efforts.

French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM will introduce an emergency bunker surcharge from August 1, citing rising fuel costs triggered by renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The company said the recent escalation in hostilities has pushed fuel prices sharply higher, reversing the decline seen in recent weeks and increasing the cost of ocean freight worldwide.

The temporary surcharge will range from $65 to $165 per container, depending on the trade route, and will remain in effect until further notice.

Britain's annual inflation rate fell more than expected in June, driven by lower fuel prices, official data showed Wednesday, in a boost to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The Consumer Prices Index rose by 2.6 percent in the 12 months to June, down from 2.8 percent in May, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Analysts' consensus forecast had been for a slowdown to 2.7 percent last month.

Much of the fall was a result of petrol and diesel prices easing as crude prices tumbled in the wake of the ceasefire between the US and Iran.

However, analysts expect the dip to be short-lived as fresh fighting in the Middle East this month led to the collapse of a preliminary peace deal, pushing oil prices back up.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks on areas of mutual interest on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, Philippines.

Jaishankar said the discussions focused on key areas under the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership, including trade and tariffs, energy, defence and security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

“Exchanged quick perspectives on regional, global, and multilateral issues of mutual interest,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The talks come as energy markets face uncertainty amid tensions in the Gulf. India relies heavily on fuel imports, with a significant share of its crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Missile alert sirens sounded in Jordan's port city of Aqaba as officials in neighboring Israel say an Iranian missile attack targeted the kingdom.

Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in Aqaba in videos filmed by people in nearby Eilat, Israel.

Officials in Eilat described it as an Iranian missile attack that saw no fragments reach Israel.

Jordan has been repeatedly targeted by Iran for hosting US troops and aircraft.

Another recent attack on Aqaba saw Israeli officials warn that there could be a spillover of the Iranian attacks into its territory.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila on Thursday for talks set to focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

"The meeting will be useful in any case. It's good to ask questions and get answers," Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday.

He said the meeting would take place on Thursday morning on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in the Philippine capital.

Moscow has condemned Washington's fresh strikes on its key ally Iran.

US-led talks on ending the war in Ukraine have stalled, with its attention turning to the Middle East and as Russia sticks to its hardline demands for Ukraine to cede territory.

US President Donald Trump has also backed a Ukrainian campaign of long-range counter-strikes on Russian energy facilities as an escalation that could lead to the end of the war.

The strikes have caused fuel shortages across Russia - one of the world's top oil producers.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States remains open to diplomacy with Iran but will not accept Tehran controlling the Strait of Hormuz or restricting global shipping.

Speaking at the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines, Rubio said Iran’s military infrastructure has suffered significant damage during the conflict, accusing Tehran of focusing for years on missiles, drones and support for armed groups rather than domestic investment.

World oil prices soared Wednesday, with main contract Brent North Sea crude surpassing $95 for the first time in nearly six weeks, as the United States and Iran carried out more strikes.

Brent oil jumped 4.4 percent to $95.02 per barrel and the key US contract, West Texas Intermediate, rallied 4.5 percent to $88.16.

A new round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Italy on August 4, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.

"We will host another session of dialogue on August 4," Tajani told parliament, following a round of talks between delegations from the two countries in Rome last week. 

Saudi Arabia's National Platform for Early Warning in Emergency Situations issued an alert for the eastern city of Dammam on Wednesday, July 22, warning residents of a potential danger. The warning was announced by the Saudi Civil Defence on X. The alert was lifted around 10 minutes later

The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported a US missile strike on the island of Larak in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday afternoon, saying residents heard a loud explosion there.

"At 2:48 pm, the island of Larak was targeted by an American missile," Tasnim said. "The competent authorities are currently carrying out an investigation to determine the scale of the attack, the exact point of impact and the extent of the potential damage."

Sirens sounded in Bahrain on Wednesday, the interior ministry said, with an AFP correspondent in Manama hearing an explosion, two weeks into renewed US-Iran hostilities that have seen daily Iranian attacks on the island kingdom.

"The siren has been sounded... Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said in a statement on X.

Iran again denied the existence of any secret nuclear complex at Kolang mountain on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike the site in the centre of the country.

"Washington's obsessive focus on Kolang Kouh where no nuclear activity is taking place is nothing more than a fabricated pretext for aggression, destruction, and sabotage," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

He insisted "Iran's nuclear activities have been fully declared" to the UN's atomic watchdog.

US Central Command shared images of sailors signalling an F/A-18E Super Hornet aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush as it transits the Arabian Sea. The Super Hornet is a multirole fighter capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday pledged that the United States would bomb Iranian civil infrastructure every time that Tehran fires at ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"Any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT," he wrote on social media.

President Donald Trump is attending the dignified transfer Wednesday of four US service members killed in the Middle East.

Trump will be at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware when the remains of the troops killed in action are returned to their families, the White House said. The ritual is one of the most somber duties of a commander-in-chief. It will be the third that Trump has attended since he launched the war in Iran in February.

Two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan will be returned during the dignified transfer, according to an administration official who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The remains of a third service member who is believed to be the soldier missing after the Jordan attacks will also be returned, the official said, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in Iraq during a detonation of an Iranian drone.

The Trump administration is expected to sign an agreement with Saudi Arabia as early as Wednesday that could potentially provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says any deal signed by the US would not lead to proliferation.

The deal - confirmed to The Associated Press by two people familiar with the decision who were not authorized to discuss details and spoke on condition of anonymity - could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia after a joint US-Saudi study.

More than 50 people have been killed and nearly 600 wounded in US airstrikes on Iran since June 27, the Iranian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Hussein Kermanpour, head of the ministry’s public relations and information centre, said 53 people had died and 592 had been injured by 8.30am on Wednesday. Of the wounded, 535 had been discharged, 36 remained in hospital and 21 were treated at the scene.

IRGC Navy says the Strait of Hormuz is closed and that no ships or boats are allowed to pass through the waterway.

Iran is committed, for now, to keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.

The US military is encouraging some vessels to use an "illegal route" in the southern Gulf waters.

The IRGC Navy says it is firmly intercepting vessels attempting to violate navigation rules or use alternative transit routes.

US strikes targeted two or three locations in Sirik and Larak Island earlier today.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday honored the lives of four U.S. service members who were killed in the Middle East and returned to their families at an air force base in Delaware.

The president saluted as four transfer cases were escorted off an airplane during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. The ritual is one of the most somber duties of a commander-in-chief. It was the third Trump has attended since he launched the war in Iran in February.

Trump was scheduled to meet privately with the grieving families. Speaking to reporters on his way to Dover, Trump called the ritual "one of the hardest things to do as a president." His message to the families, he said, was, "We love you. We love your child."

"There's no games, there's no nothing - that's their child," Trump said. "And all you can do is throw out your heart."

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi accused Iran of continuing attacks against GCC member states and other countries, saying the actions violated international law and posed a growing threat to regional and global security.

He warned that any aggression targeting key maritime routes would have direct consequences for global energy security and called on the UN Security Council and the international community to take action to halt what he described as Iranian aggression.

Albudaiwi also condemned Iran's targeting of commercial shipping and efforts to obstruct vessel traffic, saying such actions threatened freedom of navigation and civilian safety.

He further denounced what he described as hostile statements by Yemen's Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia, including threats to close the strategic Bab Al Mandeb Strait, warning that any disruption to international shipping lanes would have far-reaching consequences.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, has warned that either the entire region will be free of war or all countries will become embroiled in the conflict between Tehran and Washington. “In a region where we do not sell oil, no one will sell oil. If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe, and the security of the strait is in the absence of American forces,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X. He also added that the Strait of Hormuz “will not return to pre-war conditions”.

A government official said on Wednesday that Iraq had lost more than $40 billion in revenue since the start of the Middle East war, mostly due to a sharp decline in its oil exports.

Before the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, Iraq produced around four million barrels per day, and exported an average of 3.5 million bpd, mostly via Hormuz.

But the OPEC founding member was forced to halt production in most of its oil fields as reservoirs filled up, limiting its exports to routes via neighbouring Turkey and Syria.

"For Iraq, due to a 90 percent drop in its oil exports... in addition to the decline in growth rates... the estimated loss was between $40 and $45 billion up to June 2026," said Muzhar Saleh, financial adviser to Iraq's prime minister.

Revenue losses could reach $50 billion as the war and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz continue, Saleh added.

Another government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Iraq's losses were "nearing $50 billion", mostly due to the drop in oil exports.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces enforcing the naval blockade against Iran redirected nine commercial vessels and disabled one vessel as of July 22.

It added that sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) were monitoring operations from the ship’s Combat Information Center while transiting the Arabian Sea.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Iran, including strikes against its infrastructure, would trigger a “powerful and decisive” response.

In a post on X, Araghchi said: “ Our defense doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response.”

Araghchi also warned that “those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”

US President Donald Trump delivered a speech at a high school in Georgia and addressed the escalation in the confrontation with Iran. "We don't need the Strait of Hormuz," he claimed, "but we're doing this because we have to, because we cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons."

According to him, "That's how we're also winning in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and ensuring that never, but never, will they have the power to do to us what they did to so many. They killed more than 52,000 protesters."

The US military has dismissed Iran's claim that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) controls access to the Strait of Hormuz, calling the assertion "false."

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said Iran does not control the strategic waterway and that commercial vessels continue to transit the strait despite what it described as IRGC threats and attacks.

"The international waterway remains open for transit," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces have assisted more than 900 commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz since early May.

The statement comes after the IRGC Navy claimed it controlled entry to and exit from the vital shipping lane, through which about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil passes.

President Donald Trump has approved a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for US companies to help develop the kingdom's civilian nuclear energy program in a move that is expected to trigger debate over nuclear proliferation and security in the Middle East. The US Department of Energy announced Wednesday that the two countries had signed a so-called "123 Agreement," a legal framework required under the U.S. Atomic Energy Act for civilian nuclear cooperation. The accord now heads to Congress for a mandatory review before it can take effect.

According to US officials familiar with the agreement, the 30-year deal would allow American companies to supply nuclear technology, equipment and expertise for Saudi Arabia's planned civilian reactor program.

US Central Command forces began a new round of strikes against Iranian military targets overnight on Thursday (July 23), the military said, as part of an ongoing campaign to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in regional waters.

Iran state media reported early Thursday (Tehran time) that the cities of Ramshir and Ahvaz, in the country's southwest, were under "missile attack by the US terrorist enemy," while authorities in Bushehr province, along Iran's Gulf coast, reported an attack there by a US missile.

In a post on X, CentCom stated that strikes commenced at 5:30 pm ET on Wednesday July 22 (1.30am Gulf Standard Time on July 23, 2026) , and “will continue to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters.”

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with repeated American strikes, now on its 12th consecutive days/nights since fighting resumed.

CentCom has conducted multiple rounds of operations targeting Iranian command centres, air defenses, missile and drone sites, coastal facilities and communications networks.

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they carried out missile and drone strikes Wednesday on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea after declaring a maritime embargo on the kingdom amid the US war with Iran, AFP reported.

The Houthis said in a statement posted on Telegram that they "carried out a qualitative military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers that violated the blockade", naming the vessels as the Encelia and the Layla.

Kuwait's military said its air defence systems intercepted hostile drones on Thursday following what it described as an Iranian attack, urging residents to remain calm and follow official safety instructions.

In a statement, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said air defences were "confronting attacks by hostile drones" and noted that any explosions heard by the public were the result of interception operations.

The military called on residents to adhere to security and safety directives issued by the country's competent authorities.

The statement came amid heightened tensions in the Gulf as the conflict involving Iran continues to escalate. Kuwaiti authorities did not immediately provide details on the number of drones intercepted, whether any damage had been reported, or if there were casualties. Iran has not immediately commented on the allegation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would respond in kind to any attack on its infrastructure, after Washington threatened to bomb a bridge or power plant for every ship targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," Araghchi stated on X.

A US Air Force E-3B Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft declared a general in-flight emergency Thursday while operating over Saudi Arabia, according to flight tracking data. The aircraft began squawking the international emergency transponder code 7700 shortly before 1:30 a.m. UTC (5:30 AM in Gulf Standard Time (GST) on Thursday (July 23, 2026), Flightradar24 reported. The plane had been active for hours in the region near the Arabian Gulf. No immediate details were available on the nature of the emergency, and US military officials have not publicly commented.  The E-3B, a militarised Boeing 707 variant equipped with a distinctive rotating radar dome, provides critical command, control and surveillance capabilities. It is frequently deployed in high-tempo operations in the Middle East.

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