US Israel War on Iran Day 55

This live blog follows updates for Day 55 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 54, go here.

Clearing Hormuz Strait mines could take six months: Report
Iran official says Tehran receives first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolls
Araghchi urges clear stance in condemning 'crimes against Iranian people'
Iran seizes two ships in Strait of Hormuz
Gold falls on oil-driven inflation fears; US-Iran developments in focus

Clearing Hormuz Strait mines could take six months: Report

Published: April 23, 2026 | 09:25 GMT | by AFP

A Pentagon assessment said it could take six months to completely clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines, which could keep oil prices high, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

The strait -- through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas passes in peacetime -- has remained largely closed during a shaky ceasefire, with the US imposing its own blockade.

Even if hostilities end and the blockade lifts, it could take months to clear the waterway of mines, according to a Pentagon assessment, the Washington Post reported citing officials close to the discussion.

The assessment added that it was unlikely such an operation would begin before the end of the war. The six-month estimate was shared with members of the House Armed Services Committee during a classified briefing, the Post reported.

Lawmakers were told that Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the strait, some floated remotely using GPS technology which makes them harder to detect, according to the report.

"A six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the Secretary," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement shared with AFP denying the report.

Parnell said the Post report was based on a "classified, closed briefing" but much of the information was "false."

Iran official says Tehran receives first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolls

Published: April 23, 2026 | 08:25 GMT | by AFP

A senior Iranian parliament official said on Thursday that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account," said deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei, according to Tasnim news agency.

Other Iranian media carried the same statement, without elaborating.

Araghchi urges clear stance in condemning 'crimes against Iranian people'

Published: April 23, 2026 | 07:56 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US-Israeli aggression is the main cause of the current insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, urging all countries to take a clear and firm stance in condemning the brutal crimes against the Iranian people, state-run Press TV reported.

Iran seizes two ships in Strait of Hormuz

Published: April 23, 2026 | 05:23 GMT | by Reuters

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway.

Gold falls on oil-driven inflation fears; US-Iran developments in focus

Published: April 23, 2026 | 05:11 GMT | by Reuters

Gold fell on Thursday as elevated oil prices fueled fears of ‌inflation and prolonged high interest rates, while investors looked for clarity on the stalled US-Iran peace talks.

Spot gold was down 0.7% at $4,705.37 per ounce, as of 0432 GMT. U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 0.7% to $4,720.90.

US Navy Secretary Phelan fired, sources say

Published: April 23, 2026 | 05:09 GMT | by Reuters

Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, a US official and a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in ‌another wartime shakeup at the Pentagon coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted the Army's top general.

The Pentagon announced his departure in a brief statement, saying he was leaving the administration "effective immediately."

But it did not provide a reason or say whether it was his decision to go.

Energy monitor says over 10M barrels of Iranian oil left Gulf since US blockade

Published: April 23, 2026 | 05:00 GMT | by Web Desk

Vortexa, an analytics firm focusing on global energy and freight markets, says it recorded 34 movements of sanctioned and Iranian-linked tankers in and out of the Gulf in the week after the US imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The firm said it identified 19 outbound and 15 inbound movements of such vessels between April 13 and Monday, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Associated Press (AP).

Six of the outbound movements were “confirmed laden with Iranian crude, representing about 10.7 million barrels”, the firm said in an email to the AP.

It was not immediately clear whether all those barrels reached markets overseas.

US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters, sources say

Published: April 23, 2026 | 04:15 GMT | by Reuters

The US military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in ‌Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.

Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's trade by sea, while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them from sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf.

CPJ ‘outraged’ over apparent Israeli targeting of Lebanese journalists

Published: April 23, 2026 | 02:31GMT | by Web Desk

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has shared a detailed update, expressing outrage that Israeli forces “apparently targeted Lebanese journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj in Al Tayri, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday.”

The update included details of how Khalil was found dead hours after she was last heard from at approximately 4:10 p.m. local time (13:10 GMT), when she called her family and the Lebanese military, according to colleagues and news reports.

“The repeated strikes on the same location, the targeting of an area where journalists were sheltering, and the obstruction of medical and humanitarian access constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” CPJ regional director Sara Qudah said.

“CPJ holds Israeli forces responsible for the endangerment of Amal Khalil’s life and the injuries Zeinab Faraj sustained after the targeted strike on their location,” Qudah added.

US military says most of 31 ships it turned around in Iran ports siege were oil tankers

Published: April 23, 2026 | 01:40GMT | by Web Desk

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says US forces “have directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the US blockade against Iran”, most of which were oil tankers, Al Jazeera reported.

In an update shared on social media, the military said that “the majority of vessels have complied with US directions”.

The operation to blockade Iranian ports involves more than 10,000 US troops, 17 warships and more than 100 aircraft, CENTCOM said.