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Iranian state television, citing Iranian military sources, reported that it had struck US camps and bases in Kuwait and Jordan.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard: Four "illegal" oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz were intercepted in a joint missile and drone operation.

On July 18, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire while passing through a mine-laying area in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement emphasized that due to recent US military operations, the Strait of Hormuz is "completely closed," and oil and gas transport cannot proceed through the strait until the US ceases its military operations against Iran. Ships should avoid entering the mine-laying area. The statement did not specify the nationalities of the two oil tankers, the number of casualties, or the extent of damage.

On July 18, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that its forces attacked US facilities in Bahrain, destroying a US unmanned surface vessel storage facility and striking an artificial intelligence center used to assist US forces in target acquisition. Iran stated that this action was a response to previous US attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges, and warned that if the US continues to attack Iranian targets, Iran will expand its strikes to target US industrial, technological, and artificial intelligence-related assets in the Middle East.

July 18th - According to US media reports on the 17th, the US government has notified Israel that it will send dozens more refueling aircraft to Israel, potentially escalating military operations against Iran. Axios, citing Israeli officials, reported that the US hopes to send dozens more refueling aircraft to Israel in the coming days, restoring the number to the level at the beginning of the US-Israel conflict with Iran in late February. The report stated that the US government has requested Israel to accept the additional refueling aircraft, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will make the final decision. The US currently has approximately 30 refueling aircraft parked at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel. The report suggests that US President Trump appears intent on escalating the conflict to create sufficient disruption to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept US demands on the nuclear issue. According to US and Israeli officials, Trump may order an escalation of the situation in the coming days.

Lucid Group (LCID.O) rose 32%, marking its biggest single-day gain in nearly a year.

This week, the S&P 500 fell 1.55%, the Nasdaq fell 2.9%, and the Dow Jones fell 0.93%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 406.55 points, or 0.77%, at 52,146.42 on Friday, July 17; the S&P 500 closed down 76.11 points, or 1.01%, at 7,457.66; and the Nasdaq Composite closed down 361.70 points, or 1.40%, at 25,520.24.

Hang Seng Index futures closed up 0.54% at 24,602 points in overnight trading, a premium of 40 points.

U.S. Central Command: In the three days following the reinstatement of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, the U.S. military intercepted and forced four merchant ships to change course, rendered one merchant ship unable to navigate, and boarded another merchant ship for inspection to ensure it was in full compliance with regulations.

The Kuwaiti military stated that Iran used drones to attack several military facilities and camps.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA: Iran claims to have launched cruise missiles in the northern Indian Ocean to strike US ships, initiating the thirteenth phase of "Operation Lightning".

July 18th - US President Trump stated that the June inflation data brought encouraging news! The CPI monthly rate saw its largest drop in six years. The June CPI was lower than the forecasts of every economist (67 in total) surveyed by Bloomberg. Prices for various goods, including gasoline, electricity, auto insurance, hotels, and prescription drugs, all declined. With strong wage growth and falling prices, real wages rose sharply by 0.8%. With investment continuously flowing into the US, rapid expansion of factory construction, increased manufacturing employment, and persistently low prices, we have so much to be proud of—America's golden age has arrived!

US President Trump: June inflation data brings "major good news", the US is entering a "golden age".

July 18th - US President Trump stated that TSMC announced it will invest an additional $100 billion in its semiconductor manufacturing plant in Arizona. This brings TSMC's total investment in US manufacturing to a record $265 billion. "My trade policies and trade agreements are delivering on everything I promised," Trump said. "From automobiles and pharmaceuticals to semiconductors and the entire economy, the Trump administration is bringing advanced manufacturing back to America. This is what success looks like! Massive hiring, massive construction, massive investment—welcome to America's golden age! We invite everyone to build factories in America."

According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), in the week ending July 14, speculators on the CBOT increased their net short positions in 10-year U.S. Treasury futures by 17,413 contracts to 831,675 contracts. Speculators on CBOT 2-year U.S. Treasury futures decreased their net short positions by 103,531 contracts to 1,157,477 contracts.

July 18th - Crude oil futures recorded double-digit gains this week as the US expanded its military strikes against Iranian targets and Iran launched attacks on neighboring Gulf states. Another factor exacerbating concerns about escalating tensions is the possibility that Yemen's Houthi rebels may take action to block shipping over the Red Sea; Saudi Arabia has been diverting its crude oil exports via the Red Sea while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh stated in a report: "With inventories at near-record lows and most strategic petroleum reserve releases completed, the renewed escalation of tensions around the 'red line' of the Strait poses significant upside risks to energy prices. As things stand, we believe the oil market is still too complacent about the potential impact on inventories."