Daily Briefing July 14 – War on? Trump declares US ‘guardians’ of Hormuz

The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing on July 14 discussed several key developments. The US launched strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump declared Washington was "reinstating" a blockade on Iranian ports and suggested the US would act as "guardians" of the Strait of Hormuz, charging ships for safe passage. Separately, a New York Times report detailed a multiyear Israeli effort to reinstall Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's leader, a plan that reportedly failed on February 28. Domestically, the Knesset passed a Basic Law declaring Torah study a "foundational value" of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, a move that drew public outcry from the IDF chief of staff.