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Day 148 of the WarSaturday, July 25, 2026

Day 148 — A Lull After Thirteen Nights as the Blockade Disables a Second Tanker and the Houthis Fire at Aramco

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Gulf of Oman and Arabian SeaRed Sea — Yanbu and JizanAhvaz

Damage Seen From Orbit, Sharper Missile Tactics and a Gasoline Shock at Home

Iran
  • Satellite images show 18 buildings in a military complex northwest of Ahvaz were hit in a recent night of bombing; the scale and pattern suggest B-1 bombers were used, though this is not officially confirmed, LiveIranNews reports.source
  • The Wall Street Journal reports Iran is making its Kheibar Shekan attacks more complex, mixing ballistic missiles with varied flight paths, speeds and drones to challenge U.S. air defenses; officials say most are intercepted but some have got through, per LiveIranNews.source
  • Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said a change to gasoline prices or quotas is 'certain' as the state tries to balance subsidized consumption, adding the method is still under review, per RadioFarda.source

The Blockade Disables a Second Tanker and Boards Another

Gulf & Naval
  • CENTCOM says the blockade remains in full effect: as of July 25 it has redirected 12 commercial vessels, disabled two that did not comply and boarded two, including a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged tanker Charminar in the Arabian Sea, which then continued its journey.source
  • U.S. forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged tanker Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on July 24 after its crew tried several times to breach the blockade and ignored repeated warnings; CENTCOM says the ship is no longer heading to Iran.source
  • Al Jazeera reports Iraq's prime minister asked Tehran during his visit to guarantee safe passage for Iraqi oil tankers through Hormuz, but got no clear answer, Iran International relays.source

The Front Shifts to the Red Sea — Houthi Missiles at Aramco

Gulf & Naval
  • The Houthis claim missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu in retaliation for reported Saudi airstrikes on Hodeidah and Kamaran Island, insisting their naval blockade of Saudi Arabia remains in force, Open Source Intel reports.source
  • Greece's defense ministry says a Hellenic Air Force Patriot PAC-3 battery guarding Yanbu shot down two incoming Houthi ballistic missiles, preventing damage to the oil facilities, Babak Taghvaee reports.source
  • Iran International notes that after 13 consecutive nights of reciprocal strikes no new U.S.-Iran exchange was reported since the previous night, with the focus shifting toward Bab al-Mandab; analyst Alireza Noorizadeh calls the Houthi threat now more serious than Hormuz.source

The IRGC's Long Arm — Smuggling Routes, Drone Cells and Russian Satellites

  • The Telegraph reports the Quds Force's Unit 700 oversees smuggling networks, once used to move weapons and money to proxies, that now also move drugs, migrants and trusted regime operatives into Britain, including by small boats, per Iran International and LiveIranNews.source
  • Israel's Kan reports an IRGC unit called 'Section 4000' has planned explosive-drone attacks on Israeli sites and on U.S. and coalition bases in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, and was involved in a foiled plot against Trump at the NATO summit in Turkey, per Iran International.source
  • Zelensky says Kyiv has evidence Russia is giving Tehran satellite images of U.S. bases in the Middle East to guide Iranian strikes, Iran International reports; Babak Taghvaee says the IRGC may retaliate after a Ukrainian drone strike on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian killed a civilian sailor.source

Threats Toward London, Thanks to Moscow

  • IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohammadi said any country backing the U.S., whether Britain or Gulf states, is a 'legitimate target,' citing U.S. bombers flying from British airfields; Britain's defense ministry replied it is ready around the clock to counter any attack, per Iran International.source
  • At the SCO meeting in Kyrgyzstan, Araghchi thanked Lavrov for Russia's condemnation of U.S. and Israeli 'aggression' and blamed U.S. policy for insecurity in Hormuz, without mentioning Iran's attacks on shipping; Lavrov offered help building a regional security mechanism, per IRNA via Iran International.source
  • MP Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani warned the U.S. might strike Kolang mountain and present it as the end of the war with a unilateral ceasefire, or use Hormuz as a distraction to target officials, while saying 'no war ends without negotiation,' Iran International reports.source

Sources