The conflict between the United States and Iran entered a more dangerous phase as President Trump announced a new policy of direct retaliation against Iranian infrastructure following attacks on commercial shipping. At the same time, preparations continued for a major strike on Iran’s fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility amid reports that advanced enrichment equipment had been relocated there. Fighting spread across the Gulf, with missile attacks targeting Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, while additional U.S. military assets flowed into the region. As threats to shipping lanes mounted, energy markets reacted with higher oil prices and growing concern over the stability of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump vowed to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant after every attack on shipping while preparing a major strike on Pickaxe Mountain. Iran expanded attacks across the Gulf, U.S. forces surged into the region, and oil prices rose as the conflict escalated. pic.twitter.com/7gIBsUhcSA
— Matthew Brady (@mattbrady775) July 22, 2026
- President Donald Trump announced that the United States will destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant for every Iranian attack on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump also confirmed plans for a major strike against Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear complex, stating the facility will be hit “very heavily.”
- Iran condemned the planned operation, calling the focus on Pickaxe Mountain a “fabricated pretext for aggression” and insisting the site contains no nuclear activity beyond what has already been declared to the IAEA.
- Israeli intelligence reportedly believes Iran secretly relocated thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels beneath Pickaxe Mountain following the June conflict, increasing concerns that Tehran could rapidly rebuild its nuclear program.
- The United States continues moving aircraft, aerial refueling tankers, and heavy military equipment into the CENTCOM theater as regional fighting intensifies.
- Iranian missile and drone attacks expanded across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, targeting U.S. military installations and regional infrastructure. Oil prices climbed as the conflict widened and threats to maritime shipping increased.
