On 14 July 2026, the United States resumed its naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iran‘s ports and coastal areas, with more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East.
Efforts Category: US’s Military Subversion against Iran
On 13 July 2026, airstrikes struck the runway of Sanaa International Airport, controlled by the Houthis, to prevent an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation returning from Tehran from landing. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the strikes, and responded the same day by firing ballistic missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia — their first claimed attack on the kingdom since the informal truce of March 2022. Saudi air defenses intercepted the missiles, and no casualties were reported.
Efforts Category: Houthis’ Military Force against Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia’s Military Force against the Houthis
On 14 July 2026, the United States pressed Iraq‘s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, during his visit to the Pentagon, to disarm the Iran-aligned militias responsible for over 600 attacks on US personnel during the spring of 2026, making the deepening of the US-Iraqi partnership and commercial and defense cooperation conditional on this. The National reported on 15 July that Washington was pressuring Iraqi leaders to exclude Iranian-backed armed groups from the Iraqi government as well as to disarm them.
Efforts Category: US’s Political Pressure against Iran in Iraq
Modern Great Game Watch 