The United States military launched another wave of strikes on Iran, while Tehran said it retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 35 people were killed and more than 300 injured since fighting resumed last week.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, said it carried out an evening operation that began as part of a wave of strikes against Iran, concluding at 9pm ET on Wednesday (01:00 GMT on Thursday).
CENTCOM says 90-minute strike
CENTCOM said the 90-minute mission targeted what it described as Iranian command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities. It said the aim was to reduce Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The command said the operation hit Bandar Abbas, a southern port city and naval hub overlooking the waterway. It also targeted coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb island, one of three islands near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian air defences were activated over Tehran, according to state media reporting attacks across much of the country.
Picture courtesy of Al Jazeera
Iran reports attacks across multiple provinces
Explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm island in the south. Iranian media also reported strikes in Sirik, Chabahar and Konarak on the southeastern coast, along with attacks further inland in Rask, Khondab, Khorramabad and Semnan.
Iranian authorities said there were no casualties in Pakdasht or at the Parchin military complex near Tehran. In Semnan, the state broadcaster IRIB, citing a senior security official, said there were no deaths or injuries following the attack.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera said a civilian airport building in Semnan was attacked, with only minor damage reported. The network said a storage facility in the same city was also hit.
In Khuzestan province, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it intercepted and shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk.
Retaliation claimed across Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan
Iran said it carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks against facilities used by US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. The Iranian army said its missiles targeted US radar and air defence systems in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Kuwait’s military said its air defences were confronting attacks by “hostile drones”. It said any explosion sounds were the result of interceptors handling the attacks.
Kuwait said it intercepted four cruise missiles and 21 drones launched from Iran between Wednesday and early Thursday.
Iranian state media said missiles struck Patriot missile batteries and fuel tanks used by US forces at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The Iranian army added that drones targeted communications equipment, Super Hawk radar systems and Patriot air defence installations used by US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. It also claimed missile and drone attacks on Jordan’s al-Azraq Air Base.
Jordan’s military said earlier on Wednesday it intercepted eight Iranian missiles. In a statement addressed to the Jordanian public, the IRGC said it had “targeted and destroyed” what it called a fighter jet storage ramp and a new command and control centre in West Asia at a “very large base” in Al-Azraq, using Khyber-Shakan ballistic missiles.
Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that attacks “will spread to new areas” if the US continues its strikes, saying Iran’s response would be commensurate and exceed expectations.
Blockade enforcement and Trump comments
The latest escalation comes less than a month after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding extending an April ceasefire and setting out plans for negotiations to end the war that began on February 28, following Israeli and US strikes on Iran. Both sides have since accused the other of violating the agreement.
Separately, CENTCOM said US forces disabled an oil tanker attempting to sail towards an Iranian port. It said the Curacao-flagged M/T Belma was observed transiting towards Kharg Island despite warnings, and that a US aircraft fired Hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack. CENTCOM said the vessel stopped transiting towards Iran, and that during the first 24 hours of enforcement it redirected two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel.
Reporting from Washington, Al Jazeera said President Donald Trump has indicated he could broaden US military operations beyond targeting Iranian military facilities, including storage and naval assets, and has raised the possibility of striking parts of Iranian infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges.
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17 July 2026
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