⚓ UKMTO REPORTS AN UNAUTHORIZED BOARDING AND MILITARY INTERACTIONS: A vessel was boarded by “unauthorized personnel” 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, at 8:00 AM UTC on July 17 while traveling east through the Gulf of Aden. UKMTO classified the incident as an “illegal boarding.”
UKMTO also reported military interactions involving a merchant vessel near Kharg Island, Iran, on July 15 and another approximately 100 nautical miles east of Duqm, Oman, on July 16.
Investigations remain underway. Vessels were advised to exercise caution and report suspicious activity to UKMTO.
⚓ WHITE HOUSE SAYS THE STRAIT REMAINS OPEN OUTSIDE THE IRANIAN-PORT BLOCKADE: White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Iran continued communicating with Washington and expressing interest in an agreement.
“Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and express that they want to make a deal with us because they are suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military. In the Memorandum of Understanding that they signed, they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz. And unfortunately, they have made the tragic decision—for them—to do that. Trump is not going to sit by and allow these active acts of terrorism to take place in the Strait without ensuring Iran pays consequences for that.”
Leavitt said the blockade applies specifically to vessels entering or departing Iranian ports:
“There is a blockade of ships, directed by Trump, for ships entering and departing Iranian ports only...this blockade was reimposed due to Iran's inability to honor their agreement with the United States...the Strait is OPEN for ships that are not traveling to and from Iranian ports specifically, and the U.S. Navy is there to ensure that can take place.”
🇮🇱 HERZOG SAYS IRAN’S CONDUCT UNDERMINES DIPLOMATIC AGREEMENTS: President Isaac Herzog told Al Arabiya that the “Iranian pattern of behavior” makes diplomatic agreements impossible because of repeated violations and arbitrary interpretations of agreements.
Herzog said he was “not surprised” by the renewal of American strikes and described reported U.S.-Israeli disagreements as “tactical” differences that are natural within the alliance.
Regarding regional diplomacy, Herzog reiterated his “dream to see peace” and said a “rapprochement” between Israel and Saudi Arabia remained a primary Israeli objective.
❗️ IRAN-BACKED IRAQI FACTIONS OFFER $10 MILLION FOR KILLING PRESIDENT TRUMP: The factions announced the reward as separate reports revealed an earlier Iranian assassination warning during Trump’s visit to Turkey.
During President Trump’s trip to Ankara, Israeli intelligence warned the United States that an Iranian official had discussed the possibility of attempting to assassinate him.
The warning prompted heightened security measures, including moving Trump to an older Air Force One aircraft.
U.S. officials said the intelligence came from a single, uncorroborated source and described it as “more aspirational than operational.”
Turkish security services investigated and found no evidence of a specific assassination plot targeting Trump in Ankara.
❌ BRITISH MAN CHARGED WITH ASSISTING IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE: Vahid Aberi, 39, from Liverpool, was arrested in Birmingham following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing.
He was charged under Britain’s National Security Act 2023 with assisting the Iranian intelligence service and was scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, according to the BBC.
🔁 Know someone who should see this? Forward it.
🌐 Full updates & discussion: https://www.israelrealtime.com
