President Donald Trump has officially informed Congress of renewed U.S. military operations against Iran, triggered after Iranian forces allegedly attacked neutral shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The notification, delivered under the War Powers Act, comes amid intensified hostilities and reciprocal attacks in the Gulf region.
In a July 10 letter to Congress, President Trump outlined his direction to the U.S. military to strike Iranian targets after Iran was accused of targeting commercial vessels sailing under neutral flags, despite an existing memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. The letter emphasized that no U.S. ground troops participated in the operation, which was characterized as limited and specifically planned to avoid civilian casualties.
The War Powers Act requires the president to report military operations to Congress within 48 hours. According to the law, any action taken without direct congressional consent must end within 60 days.
Trump’s letter stated that this 60-day limit was not applicable in this case, asserting that combat had ended following a declared ceasefire, despite ongoing attacks and continued blockade of Iranian ports by U.S. forces. Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticized the administration, arguing that the legal requirements were being misapplied.
The latest escalation saw U.S. military strikes on Iranian sites for a third consecutive night on Monday, in response to ongoing Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping. U.S. Central Command reported the completion of a five-hour mission targeting Iranian military installations, including coastal defense, missile, drone, and maritime infrastructure, with the aim of reducing Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping lanes.
Earlier, President Trump ordered the reinstatement of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and proposed a 20% transit toll for ships passing through the strategic chokepoint. Iran countered by launching missile attacks against regional states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
According to the UAE Ministry of Defense, Iranian cruise missiles struck Emirati oil tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah as they transited Omani waters, injuring nine crew members. Iranian official sources, quoting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), confirmed attacks in the strait on two supertankers, claiming the vessels had ignored navigational warnings and asserting the U.S. had encouraged the use of unauthorized routes.
The IRGC warned of further possible disruptions to energy supplies and reopening of the waterway should Gulf countries cooperate with U.S. forces.
Bahrain, where the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, also reported missile alert sirens Tuesday as part of Iran’s retaliation to American strikes.
