NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that European allies are providing significant support including basing and logistics to the US military to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and reduce its ability to cause instability.
U.S. Central Command announced that since the start of the maritime blockade of Iran, it has prevented 27 Iranian ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraqi militants supported by the Islamic Republic have launched hundreds of explosive drones at Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over the past five weeks. Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, are reportedly considering strikes against Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq.
On April 21, 2026, the Deputy Governor of Hormozgan announced the completion of an operation to neutralize and conduct a controlled explosion of unexploded projectiles in Bandar Abbas. The IRGC also reported that controlled explosions were heard in the Soffeh area of Isfahan and will continue into the afternoon.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted, with only 12 ships passing through in the past 24 hours, according to NBC News and MarineTraffic data. Four of these ships were flagged by the Islamic Republic, and most navigated through the route near Bandar Abbas approved by the Islamic Republic.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: "What I see when I look across Europe today, is allies providing a massive amount of support - basing, logistics, and other measures - to ensure the powerful US military succeeds in denying Iran a nuclear weapon and degrading its capacity to Show more
