IRAN WAR: Iran says Strait of Hormuz ‘unbreakable red line’ as attacks show no signs of letup

Here's the latest on the Iran war on Thursday.

Published Jul 16, 2026  •  3 minute read

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain shut. Photo by AFP

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An Iranian spokesperson said Tehran will destroy “all infrastructure throughout the region” if U.S. President Donald Trump carries out a threat to hit Iranian infrastructure.

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Trump had threatened American military would hit bridges and power plants in the near future if Iran doesn’t return to the negotiation table.

Spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran will also not allow the U.S. to “interfere” with the Strait of Hormuz, stating it’s an “unbreakable red line.”

In the latest round of attacks, more than 200 patients were forced to flee a cancer hospital in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, which was put out of commission. Iran condemned the attack, calling it “barbaric.”

Here’s the latest on the Iran war on Thursday:

Lebanon’s foreign minister said his country vows to end Hezbollah’s presence

Youssef Raggi, Lebanon’s foreign minister, said his country has made the decision to “end Hezbollah’s military presence” and that war decisions and foreign policy are the “exclusive prerogative of the Lebanese state.”

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The Lebanese government is working to disarm Hezbollah, which was a central component of U.S. talks between Lebanon and Israel, The Guardian reported.

“Lebanon has made its choice: there will be no return to dual authority, and there is no longer any place for weapons outside the authority of the state or for decisions taken outside its constitutional institutions,” Raggi said on X.

“The decision to end Hezbollah’s military presence is a sovereign Lebanese decision. It preceded the Framework Agreement and paved the way for it, affirming that decisions on war and peace, as well as foreign policy, are now the exclusive prerogative of the Lebanese state.”

Patients flee after U.S. bombs near Iranian cancer hospital

More than 200 patients from the Baghaei Specialized Hospital were evacuated after deadly U.S. strikes on southern Iran.

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Iran has condemned the American attack, calling it “barbaric.”

“This barbaric attack – reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities – caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the hospitalized children,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei posted on X.

U.S. disabled oil tanker headed to Iran

U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that it had disabled an empty oil tanker heading towards Kharg Island. It’s the first vessel the U.S. had disabled since resuming the naval blockade on Tuesday.

“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces observed Curacao-flagged M/T Belma transiting international waters toward Kharg Island. The commercial vessel ignored multiple warnings as it attempted to violate the US blockade. A US aircraft disabled the vessel after firing hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran,” CENTCOM said on X.

CENTCOM said it had redirected two compliant vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel in the first 24 hours of the blockade.

US Central Command added that during the first 24 hours of the naval blockade, it has redirected “two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel.”

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