Retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis on Sunday, July 19th, 2026, warned that the United States should closely watch Iran’s actions in the Suez Canal. He noted that the canal handles more traffic than the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran is reportedly making noises about attempting to close it, potentially using the Iran-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen’s southwest corner.

Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Stavridis described Iran as "adaptive" in its conflict with the U.S., observing that Tehran is closely watching Ukraine’s actions and employing similar tactics such as innovation, drones, and maneuvering to inflict costs on U.S. forces, akin to Ukraine’s efforts against Russia.

The retired admiral expressed concern about possible attacks on U.S. bases and service members worldwide, especially in regions with less alert presence like Europe, South Korea, and Japan, calling these vulnerabilities that Iran would likely exploit.

U.S. military strikes on Iran have intensified over the past week, following the deaths of two U.S. service members at air bases in Jordan. Central Command (Centcom) stated that the latest strikes on Saturday night aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces responsible for missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces in Jordan.

In response, Iranian leaders have criticized the U.S. presence in the region. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei referred to the U.S. as "The Great Satan" and called its continued dominance in the region a "naive fantasy." Additionally, Baqaei, an Iranian official, condemned the U.S. for showcasing images of destroyed infrastructure as its only remaining "victory."

Sources