Collapse of the Islamabad Accord and End of the Ceasefire in the U.S.-Iran War

United States and Iran reached an agreement on 14 June 2026, which was signed on 17 June 2026 under the mediation of Pakistan, known as the Islamabad Accord. By 7 July 2026, the agreement had effectively collapsed. Immediately after the end of the one-week ceasefire stipulated in the accord, U.S. officials reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had struck two commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz with missiles. On the same day, the Qatari oil tanker Al-Rekayyat was also targeted near the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the U.S. administration revoked the general license issued on 21 June, which had temporarily permitted the sale of Iranian oil, effective 7 July. On the morning of 8 July, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had launched a series of strong attacks against Iran.

Between 7 and 17 July 2026, successive waves of attacks occurred between the parties. The U.S. military conducted seven consecutive nights of air strikes against Iran. In response, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian military carried out numerous missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks targeting U.S. bases in the region, countries around the Persian Gulf, and Jordan under the operations named Operation Thunder and Operation Nasr 2. During this period, the Strait of Hormuz was repeatedly closed, numerous commercial vessels and oil tankers were targeted, and Iran’s southern coastal cities — Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bushehr, Chabahar, Kunarik, Iranshahr, Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and Abadan — were heavily bombed. On 13 July, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the re-imposition of a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and declared that a 20 percent transit fee would be levied on all cargo passing through the strait. The blockade took effect on 14 July at 16:00 Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 Turkey Standard Time).

The conflict spilled over into third countries in the region; Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) were hit by missile and UAV attacks originating from Iran. On 14 July, the UAE-owned tankers Mombasa and Al-Bahiyah were struck by Iranian cruise missiles, resulting in the death of one crew member. According to data from Iran’s Ministry of Health, casualties increased progressively during this period; by 17 July, the number of fatalities from July attacks had reached 38, with over 400 injured. Global oil prices also fluctuated during this time, with Brent crude oil prices rising from $70 to over $87 per barrel.

As of the end of 17 July 2026, the United States continued its attacks against Iran, while Iran maintained the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and continued retaliatory operations — designated as the 14th, 15th, and 16th waves — against U.S. targets in the region.

On the morning of 7 July 2026, U.S. officials speaking to the American press reported that shortly after the end of the one-week ceasefire with Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had fired at least two missiles at two commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, causing severe damage to both ships. Officials speaking to the U.S.-based news site Axios stated that the attacks occurred during nighttime hours, that both vessels sustained serious damage, but that there were no casualties. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) reported receiving an alert from a tanker heading south near the Omani coast in the Strait of Hormuz, indicating the vessel had been struck by unidentified munitions and was on fire. On the same day, Iranian state television announced that the Iranian navy had targeted a petroleum tanker that had ignored warnings near the Strait of Hormuz; the report claimed that the Qatari vessel Al-Rekayyat had planned to transit via an Omani route with U.S. Navy support but had disregarded repeated warnings, prompting the strike.

On the same day, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the oil tanker Al-Rekayyat had been struck while navigating near the Strait of Hormuz. Ministry Spokesperson Majid al-Ensaari described the attack as an unacceptable violation of international navigation and global energy supply security, and a grave and clear breach of international law. He held Iran fully responsible under international law for the attack and its consequences. Ibrahim bin Yusuf Fahru, Director of the Protocol Department at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned Iran’s Charge d’Affaires in Doha, Muhsin Muhammad Kanaani, to deliver a formal protest note and demanded that Iran immediately cease practices endangering maritime navigation security. In its response on the same day, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Qatar’s move as unacceptable and incompatible with the principle of neighborly relations. Ministry Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi stated that Iran had committed under Article 5 of the Islamabad Accord to take necessary measures for the management and facilitation of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and expected Qatari shipping companies to avoid actions contrary to the accord.

That evening, the U.S. administration revoked the general license issued on 21 June, which had permitted the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil for a 60-day period. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a new general license replacing the temporary authorization for Iranian-origin crude oil, petrochemicals, and petroleum products. As of 7 July, no transactions involving the purchase or loading of these Iranian-origin products were permitted, with a grace period until 17 July for the settlement of transactions initiated under the previous license.

Former Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohsen Rezaei, stated on Iranian state television that same evening that the United States was pursuing the passage of its warships through the Strait of Hormuz, had undermined the signed accord, and would fail in negotiations. Rezaei said, “Friends opposed to negotiations should wait. The United States itself is eliminating these negotiations. ‘Death to America,’ ‘Death to Israel’ slogans confirm the necessity of the United States’ military withdrawal from the region.” By midnight, Iranian state television reported hearing explosion sounds in the city of Sirik in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and on Kish Island.

In the early hours of 8 July 2026, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had launched “a series of strong attacks” against Iran on the grounds that it had targeted commercial vessels. CENTCOM’s statement read: “U.S. Central Command forces launched a series of powerful air strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial vessels carrying innocent civilian crews on international sea lanes.” It stated that the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and described Iran’s aggression as “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.” With these developments, the Islamabad Accord’s stipulated ceasefire effectively ended, and a period of intense reciprocal military attacks began between the parties from the night of 7–8 July.

On the morning of 8 July, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that U.S. strikes against certain monitoring points along Iran’s southern coast constituted a violation of the first article of the accord, which aimed to end the war, and invalidated the accord’s fundamental provisions. The Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Kalibaf, asserted that U.S. attacks violated the Islamabad Accord, specifically citing breaches of several of its 14 articles and claiming Iran’s regulations concerning the Strait of Hormuz had been violated. On 15 July, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi stated that the Islamabad Accord had been completely “eliminated” due to U.S. attacks and the re-imposition of the naval blockade. On 16 July, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of “betraying diplomacy once again” by violating the accord, asserting that Washington had rendered the agreement entirely invalid by breaching several of its provisions just 20 days after its signing on 18 June and held Washington fully responsible for all consequences. On 13 July, Ministry and Negotiation Team Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi declared, “As long as the other side violates its obligations, we will not implement the accord.”

On 10 July 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran had requested the continuation of talks and said, “We accepted, but the United States clearly announced the end of the ceasefire.” On 11 July, the U.S. administration demanded that Iran publicly declare it had ceased attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and that all maritime transit routes in the strait be open to commercial vessels without fees. On the same day, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until a further notice due to “an unstable security situation caused by foreign intervention.”

On 12 July, CENTCOM announced that approximately 140 military targets had been struck in its latest operation and that the week’s third wave of attacks had been completed. On the same day, Mohammad Bagher Kalibaf, Chairman of Iran’s Parliament and Negotiation Team, shared the visual text of Article 5 of the Iran-U.S. accord and declared, “The era of unilateral agreements has ended.” He delivered a message to the United States: “Either honor your word or pay the price.” Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Waterway Administration, created to regulate transit through the Strait of Hormuz, announced that transit applications would be reviewed in order once peace and stability were restored and necessary permits issued.

On 13 July 2026, in an interview with Fox News, U.S. President Trump responded to a question about Iran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz by saying, “We are taking over the Strait. They (Iran) have nothing.” He added, “We will hold onto the Strait. Probably we will manage it.” That evening, Trump announced via social media that the U.S. naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had been re-imposed and that a 20 percent transit fee would be charged on all cargo passing through the strait “to cover all necessary costs for ensuring security and safety in this highly unstable region of the world.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded sarcastically, saying, “Twenty percent is too much. We will be fair.” He added, “The U.S. President is absolutely right. Whoever ensures safe and secure transit of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.” That same night, according to CENTCOM’s announcement, dozens of Iranian targets were struck with precision munitions “to minimize threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.”

On 14 July 2026, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, hundreds of foreign vessels had applied for transit permits through the Strait of Hormuz to Iran’s new regulatory authority established in recent weeks. On the same day, U.S. President Trump announced he would pursue trade and investment agreements with various Gulf countries instead of collecting the 20 percent transit fee from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post, Trump stated, “At this moment, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels except Iran’s, due to the lying, violent, and malicious regime (Iran).” According to CENTCOM’s statement, the U.S. naval blockade targeting vessels heading to and from Iranian ports was re-imposed at 16:00 Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 Turkey Standard Time) on 14 July.

On 16 July, CENTCOM announced that it had targeted an empty (ballast) oil tanker heading toward an Iranian port. The statement read: “U.S. forces neutralized an empty oil tanker attempting to proceed toward an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf on 15 July to enforce the naval blockade against Iran.” On 17 July, CENTCOM reported that it had taken various actions against five commercial vessels allegedly attempting to circumvent the re-imposed naval blockade in the Oman Gulf. Until that date, Iran maintained that control and management of the Strait of Hormuz remained with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, asserting that the strait would never be opened by U.S. attacks and that the only path forward was “respect for the rights of the Iranian people.”

On the morning of 7 July, U.S. officials speaking to the American press reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had fired at least two missiles at two commercial vessels that had passed through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night, causing serious damage to both ships but no casualties, according to Axios. UKMTO reported receiving an alert from a tanker heading south near the Omani coast in the Strait of Hormuz, indicating the vessel had been struck by unidentified munitions and was on fire. The Saudi National Maritime Transport Company later confirmed that the targeted tanker was the crude oil tanker Vedyan.

That same morning, Iranian state television announced that the Iranian navy had targeted a petroleum tanker that had ignored warnings near the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that the Qatari vessel Al-Rekayyat had planned to transit via an Omani route with U.S. Navy support but had disregarded repeated warnings, prompting the strike. In the afternoon, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the oil tanker Al-Rekayyat had been struck while navigating near the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Majid al-Ensaari stated that the attack was an “unacceptable assault on international navigation and global energy supply security, and a grave and clear violation of international law.” That evening, Qatar summoned Iran’s Charge d’Affaires in Doha, Muhsin Muhammad Kanaani, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver a formal protest note. Director of the Protocol Department Ibrahim bin Yusuf Fahru stated they firmly rejected the attack and demanded Iran immediately cease practices endangering maritime navigation security. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its nighttime response, condemned Qatar’s move as “unacceptable” and incompatible with the principle of neighborly relations. Ministry Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi argued that attempts by certain vessels to bypass Iran’s designated routes by disabling their GPS tracking devices could lead to maritime accidents.

That same evening, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) revoked the temporary general license issued on 21 June, which had permitted the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian-origin crude oil, petrochemicals, and petroleum products for 60 days, replacing it with a new general license. As of 7 July, no transactions involving the purchase or loading of these Iranian-origin products were permitted, with a grace period until 17 July for the settlement of transactions initiated under the previous license.

Former Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohsen Rezaei, stated on Iranian state television that the United States was pursuing the passage of its warships through the Strait of Hormuz and had undermined the accord, saying, “Friends opposed to negotiations should wait. The United States itself is eliminating these negotiations.” By midnight, Iranian state television reported hearing explosion sounds in the city of Sirik in Hormozgan Province and on Kish Island.

In the early hours of 8 July, CENTCOM announced it had launched “a series of strong attacks” against Iran on the grounds that it had targeted commercial vessels. The statement read: “U.S. Central Command forces launched a series of powerful air strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial vessels carrying innocent civilian crews on international sea lanes.” It stated that the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and described Iran’s aggression as “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.” In the morning, CENTCOM reported that more than 80 Iranian military targets had been struck in retaliation for attacks on commercial vessels. Throughout the night, Iranian state television reported explosions in the city of Sirik in Hormozgan Province, followed by six in Bandar Abbas, and additional explosions in the village of Tahiruyi, totaling seven explosion sounds.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that in response to U.S. nighttime attacks on southern Iran, it had targeted 85 military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with missiles and UAVs. A statement published by Fars News Agency indicated that some coastal bases along the Hormozgan and Mahshahr coasts had been targeted. The Hatem al-Anbiya Central Command, Iran’s armed forces unit responsible for the war, declared that the only safe route for commercial vessels and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was the one designated by Iran and warned that any source supporting U.S. aggression would be targeted.

Kuwait and Bahrain called on their populations and residents to follow official instructions in response to missile and UAV attacks from Iran. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iran’s repeated attacks on its territory in the strongest terms, describing them as a clear violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty and a direct threat to its security. In the afternoon, Kuwait’s military announced it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 UAVs launched from Iran, with no material damage or injuries reported. Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, and the Arab League strongly condemned Iran’s repeated attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, classifying these actions as open violations of Gulf countries’ sovereignty. Iranian state television Press TV, citing an Iranian security source, reported that Iran would re-close the Strait of Hormuz and respond forcefully to any potential U.S. attack.

The 3rd Regional Command of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that one soldier, Mohammad Reza Hazini, was killed during combat against enemy UAVs at the Mahshahr Third Naval Region. Deputy Governor of Bushehr Province, Ihsan Jihaniyan, stated that U.S. strikes had targeted two military headquarters in the cities of Deshti and Chogadek in Bushehr Province. Deputy Governor for Security and Public Order in Khuzestan Province, Veliyullah Hayati, reported that U.S. strikes had targeted three locations in the cities of Mahshahr, Bandar Imam, and Hamidiye in Hormozgan Province, resulting in one death and two injuries. According to IRNA, eight Iranian military personnel from the Air and Naval Forces of the Iranian Army were killed in U.S. strikes on southern Iran.

Before the NATO Ankara Summit, U.S. President Trump addressed the press at the Presidential Complex in Ankara with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Speaking about the accord with Iran, he said, “(The accord with Iran) is over for me. I no longer want to reach an agreement with them.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in a speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stated that if Iran fired on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would respond “much more harshly.” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi responded to Trump’s remarks with, “We must speak the language of the killer Trump.”

During the night, Iranian media reported explosion sounds in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, and Kunarek. CENTCOM announced it had launched additional strikes “to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz” under Trump’s orders. At least 10 explosion sounds were heard in Bandar Abbas, Kunarek, and Chabahar. Additionally, on 8 July, a funeral ceremony was held in Kerbela, Iraq, for Iran’s former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in the U.S.-Israel attack; thousands attended the ceremony, during which his body was transported from Najaf to Kerbela.

Beginning at midnight on 9 July, following President Trump’s threat of attacks against Iran, the U.S. military targeted areas near the Strait of Hormuz: the cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province, Abu Musa Island, the city of Chabahar and Kunarek in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, and the city of Bushehr in Bushehr Province. A military base south of Bushehr was struck by two missiles; Deputy Governor of Bushehr Province, Ihsan Jihaniyan, stated no casualties had been reported so far. Iranian state television reported that during a strike on Chabahar Port, shrapnel from the “guilty American regime’s” attack hit the Imam Ali Hospital in the city. During the night, the United States also targeted the Akteke Han Bridge on the railway line on the western border of Akkale city in Golestan Province in northern Iran. The bridge, used in Iran’s trade with China and Russia, was struck by seven munitions at 01:30 local time, two of which hit the railway tracks.

CENTCOM released details regarding the air strikes against Iran on 7 and 8 July, stating that approximately 90 Iranian military targets were struck on 8 July and approximately 80 on 7 July, including more than 60 speedboats belonging to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that in response to U.S. attacks, it targeted infrastructure and facilities at U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the U.S. command and control center in Western Asia and the Azraq Air Base in Jordan had been targeted with 10 ballistic missiles. The Chairman of Iran’s Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ibrahim Azizi, said, “The Americans must know we will deliver a crushing response and take away their security wherever they are.” Mohsen Rezaei, advisor to Iran’s leader Ayatollah Mousavi Khamenei, stated, “The aggressive enemy and its collaborators will be severely punished.”

The Bahraini military reported that Iran had targeted “civilian sites” with missiles and UAVs in the morning and that its air defense systems had intercepted numerous attacks. Sirens sounded twice throughout the night, and the public was urged to seek the nearest safe locations. The Kuwaiti military stated that its air defense systems had attempted to intercept missile and UAV attacks, detecting and neutralizing three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile, and 10 UAVs entering its airspace, with one person injured. Qatar’s Ministry of Interior announced that the security threat had been eliminated and that the situation had returned to normal. In Jordan, warning sirens sounded; the Jordanian military reported intercepting eight missiles fired from Iran toward Jordanian territory, and the U.S. Embassy in Amman issued an urgent security alert urging all citizens to seek shelter immediately.

Hussein Kermanpur, Director of the Public Relations and Information Center at Iran’s Ministry of Health, reported that in U.S. strikes targeting five Iranian provinces on 8 and 9 July, 14 people had been killed and 78 injured in the past two days. In U.S. air strikes on Khuzestan Province, Revolutionary Guard Corps members Hussein Amuri and Saeed Tavakkolizadeh and Basij militia member Mohsen Necati were killed. U.S. strikes on a point along the Tehran-Mashhad railway line temporarily halted passenger train services on that route. Explosion sounds were heard in Bushehr Province; Deputy Governor Ihsan Jihaniyan reported that U.S. strikes during the afternoon targeted the area around the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the military base in Chogadek, and a fishing pier in southern Bushehr.

U.S. President Trump, stating that Iran “very much wanted” to reach an agreement with the United States, said, “They called just a short while ago. They want the agreement so badly. I don’t know if they are worth it. I am not sure they will remain faithful to any agreement made.” In a social media post, he warned, “This is retaliation for Iran’s bombing of ships yesterday. If it happens again, it will be much heavier.” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs classified U.S. strikes on coastal provinces and two bridges on the Mashhad railway line as “clear acts of war.”

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Iran’s attacks on the Strait of Hormuz and the territories of Gulf countries and called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take a firm stance to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. During the night, explosion sounds were heard in Sistan-Baluchestan, Bushehr, and Hormozgan provinces; Kunarek Deputy Governor Muhammad Yunus Hakkani reported two explosions at a Revolutionary Guard Corps naval facility in the city and that warplanes had conducted attacks on the area.

On 10 July, the Bandar Abbas Fishermen’s Cooperative reported that at least 30 fishing boats connected to the Pench Pille Pier had been damaged in U.S. strikes on Bandar Abbas, with some rendered completely unusable.

A delegation of Qatari mediators was reported to have traveled to Tehran to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran and to facilitate the resumption of technical negotiations.

On the evening of 10 July, U.S. President Trump stated on social media, “Iran asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We accepted, but the United States clearly announced the end of the ceasefire.” Iranian Parliament Speaker Kalibaf, during a meeting with Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Chairman Ahmed Muzani, warned that Iran would respond if Washington violated the agreement reached with Tehran. Late at night, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi denied claims that Iran had sought negotiations with the United States.

The U.S. administration demanded that Iran publicly declare it had ceased attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and that all maritime transit routes in the strait be open to commercial vessels without fees. Senior U.S. officials stated that recent talks between Washington and Tehran had been “productive,” but Iran needed to make a clear commitment regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Trump, in an interview with the New York Post, stated that if an assassination attempt against him succeeded, Iran would be bombed “at an unprecedented level,” and that the price for Tehran would be “extremely heavy.”

On 11 July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until a further notice due to “an unstable security situation caused by foreign intervention.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, stating that the United States had violated its obligations under the accord, called for “mutual compliance,” saying, “Iran has kept its word, unlike the so-called U.S. Treasury Secretary who violated Article 9 of the accord.”

Iran’s Ministry of Health reported that in U.S. strikes on 8–9 July, 17 people had been killed and 115 injured.

Explosion sounds were heard in the cities of Bushehr and Asaluyeh along the Persian Gulf coast in southern Iran, followed by three explosions in Bandar Abbas and two in Sirik, and five new explosions in Chabahar and Bushehr.

CENTCOM announced that in its latest operation, approximately 140 military targets had been struck and that the week’s third wave of attacks, carried out by ground- and sea-based fighter jets, UAVs, and warships, had been completed.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had targeted a second vessel that had violated Iran’s transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. military’s aircraft maintenance and repair center and command and control center at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar had been targeted. According to IRNA, the Iranian cities of Mahshahr, Hindican, and Abadan in Khuzestan Province were struck by multiple missiles from the United States; Deputy Governor of Khuzestan Province, Veliyullah Heyat, stated that investigations were ongoing.

On 12 July, the Kuwaiti military reported that its air defense systems had intervened against “hostile targets” in its airspace; sirens sounded again in Bahrain, and the public was urged to move to safe areas. Qatar’s Ministry of Defense stated that its air defense systems had been activated due to ongoing missile attacks and that the Ministry of Interior had sent a “national emergency” alert to residents’ phones; Qatar’s Armed Forces successfully neutralized a missile targeting the country.

Oman’s news agency ONA reported that several locations in Oman’s Musandam province had been targeted by kamikaze UAVs and that Oman had condemned the attack. Jordan’s Armed Forces reported that three missiles fired from Iranian territory had landed in different regions of the country, with no casualties or injuries and only limited material damage. In the evening, explosion sounds were heard near Bandar Abbas and Kish Island; Kish Deputy Governor Hussein Emrayi reported that 10 to 11 missiles had struck the island. Kuwait’s military reported that three border points in northern Kuwait had been attacked and that an oil drilling platform in its territorial waters had been targeted by a UAV. Qatar suspended all maritime traffic, including recreational boats, until further notice for public safety reasons.

Iran’s Parliament and Negotiation Team Chairman Kalibaf, following U.S. attacks, declared, “The era of unilateral agreements has ended.” He delivered a message to the United States: “Either honor your word or pay the price.” Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee Spokesperson Ibrahim Rezaei stated, “We took control of the Strait of Hormuz by force and will defend it by force.” The Bahraini military reported that Iran’s missile and UAV attacks targeting civilians in Bahrain demonstrated a “systematic aggressive posture.”

Qatar, UAE, Egypt, and Jordan condemned Iran’s attacks on Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait as “clear violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the targeted countries.” The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan condemned Iran’s repeated attacks on regional countries and called for de-escalation and the guarantee of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. In the evening, U.S. President Trump, in a statement to CNN regarding the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, indicated that progress toward an agreement with Tehran had been made prior to the nighttime strikes against Iran.

Shortly after midnight on 13 July, following the U.S. announcement of new attacks, new explosion sounds were heard in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Cask cities and on Kish Island; 10 explosions occurred in Sirik and Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM announced it had launched new strikes “to weaken Iran’s capacity to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,” stating the attacks began at 17:00 Eastern Daylight Time. In the morning, CENTCOM announced that “dozens of targets” in Iran had been struck with precision munitions and that the strike wave had been completed. In the afternoon, explosion sounds were heard again near Bandar Abbas and Kish Island, with local residents reporting the sounds originated from the sea.

The Iranian military launched large-scale missile and UAV attacks against “enemy bases” in response to ongoing U.S. strikes; the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the U.S. military’s helicopter maintenance and repair facility at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain had been targeted. The Revolutionary Guard Corps stated it had intervened against two vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without authorization. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the only condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic was the cessation of U.S. interference and respect for the sovereignty of coastal states. In the afternoon, the Iranian military announced that an U.S.-owned UAV had been detected and destroyed by a ground-to-air missile system based in Bandar Abbas. During the night, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had shot down an U.S.-owned MQ-1 UAV over the Strait of Hormuz.

Flight operations in Jordan’s capital Amman were temporarily suspended due to Iranian missile attacks, and sirens sounded in Bahrain. The Jordanian military reported intercepting four missiles fired from Iran, while Kuwait’s General Staff reported its forces had countered “hostile” aerial targets in Kuwaiti airspace. Satellite imagery revealed that after being targeted by Iran, a hangar at the Prince Hasan Air Base — also used by the U.S. military — had collapsed and direct hits had occurred on the runway; according to satellite analysis company Soar Atlas, the base is located in the Mefrat region, approximately 100 kilometers north-east of Amman near the Safavi village. During the night, four explosion sounds were heard east of Bandar Abbas and several in Chabahar and Kunarek; Tesnim News Agency reported that several vessels had been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz; Iranian state television clarified that these explosions were caused by air defense system activity.

Deputy Governor of Khuzestan Province, Veliyullah Hayati, reported that one of the munitions used in U.S. strikes early in the morning struck an agricultural water pump station in Mahshahr, killing one security officer and injuring four. According to ISNA, Deputy Governor of Isfahan Province, Akbar Salih, reported that one person had been killed and seven injured in the Nain district of Isfahan Province during U.S. strikes early in the morning. In the afternoon, according to Fars News Agency, and according to Deputy Governor Veliyullah Hayati, two people were killed and three injured in Abadan after a munition struck the city at 13:45 local time during U.S. strikes on Khuzestan Province in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Negotiation Team Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi, at a weekly press conference in Tehran, said, “Undoubtedly, the accord has entered a crisis phase.” He then stated, “As long as the other side violates its obligations, we will not implement the accord.” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of using bases in some Gulf countries in its attacks on Iran and warned those countries against allowing their territories to be used for attacks on Iran. Spokesperson Colonel Ibrahim Zulfikari of the Hatem al-Anbiya Central Command, Iran’s armed forces unit responsible for the war, responded to U.S. President Trump’s statement, “We will hold onto the Strait. Probably we will manage it,” by saying, “We have not allowed and will not allow the United States to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Spokesperson Hussein Mohibbi stated they would continue to maintain control and management of the strait through strength and determination. The UAE and Qatar strongly condemned Iran’s missile and UAV attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. In the evening, U.S. President Trump announced that the U.S. naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had been re-imposed and that a 20 percent transit fee would be charged on all cargo passing through the strait. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded with, “Twenty percent is too much. We will be fair.”

Starting at midnight on 14 July, the U.S. military announced it had launched a third consecutive night of air strikes against Iran; CENTCOM stated, “CENTCOM, under President Donald Trump’s orders, launched a third consecutive night of air strikes against Iran.” Trump, appearing on Hugh Hewitt’s podcast, said, “Tonight we will strike them very hard, and tomorrow we will strike them very hard.” Explosion sounds were heard in Bandar Abbas and Kish, Kish, and Abu Musa islands in the Strait of Hormuz region, and explosions also occurred in Bushehr Province. The U.S. military announced it had completed its latest wave of strikes against Iranian military targets; CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces had struck military targets across Iran, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Cask, Konarak, Abu Musa Island, and Bandar Abbas, during a five-hour operation. In the afternoon, new explosion sounds were heard in Bandar Abbas, followed by explosions in Bushehr and Chogadek; Bushehr Province reported that four locations in the city had been struck by U.S. missiles. The United States also attacked Abadan and Mahshahr after targeting Bandar Abbas and Bushehr; according to Khuzestan Province, one location in Abadan was struck at 13:25 and one in Mahshahr at 13:30.

In the morning, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported that the UAE-owned tankers Mombasa and Al-Bahia had been targeted by Iranian cruise missiles in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters, resulting in the death of one crew member and injuries to eight personnel. The UAE Ministry of Defense also reported that two missiles fired from Iran struck a fuel tanker, killing one person and injuring eight, four of them seriously. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack, stating that “the UAE’s security of navigation in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz had been violated.”

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran’s coasts, targeted storage facilities containing aircraft parts and weapons at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain and MQ-9 UAV launch pads at the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. According to IRNA, Deputy Governor of Khuzestan Province, Veliyullah Hayati, reported that the United States had launched attacks on several locations in Ahvaz in the Persian Gulf and three explosions occurred east of Bandar Abbas. Late at night, explosion sounds were heard in southern Iran, particularly in Sirik and Behbehan cities in Khuzestan and Hormozgan provinces, with continued attacks on Bandar Abbas. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi, during technical talks in Oman, proposed a new transit route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and stated that attacks on vessels in Omani territorial waters were necessitated by “war conditions.”

Sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain. Jordan’s military reported that four missiles fired from Iran had been neutralized, with no casualties, injuries, or material damage. Bahrain’s military reported that its air defense systems had intercepted numerous attacks launched by Iran in the morning. Kuwait’s military reported that four soldiers were injured after a naval asset was targeted in Iran’s attacks and that from evening onward, one ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, and 33 UAVs in Kuwaiti airspace had been intercepted.

According to Fars News Agency, during a nighttime U.S. strike on Hormozgan Province, a fire storage facility and an environmental protection point were targeted, resulting in the death of a guard’s daughter-in-law and two of his sons who lived near the environmental protection point. U.S. strikes caused damage to the water and electricity generation facility on Kish Island; according to Tesnim News Agency, Kish Water and Electricity Company stated that experts were assessing the extent of the damage. The Hormozgan Province Governor’s Office reported that Kish Island had been struck by U.S. forces at 19:00 local time. In an attack by the Israeli military on the village of Upper Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, despite the framework agreement, ceasefire, and U.S.-Iran accord, two people were injured.

Iranian Armed Forces Spokesperson Major General Mohammad Ekrminiya said, “The Strait of Hormuz will never be opened by U.S. attacks, war, or malice. The only way to open the Strait of Hormuz is to respect the rights of the Iranian people.” In the evening, Trump announced that instead of collecting a 20 percent transit fee from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, he would pursue trade and investment agreements with various Gulf countries. During the night, the U.S. military announced it had launched additional air strikes and that the naval blockade against Iran would take effect at 23:00 Turkey Standard Time (16:00 Eastern Daylight Time).

On 15 July, it was reported that the United States had launched attacks on Kish and Hengam islands near the Strait of Hormuz and on the city of Bandar Abbas; according to Tesnim News Agency, the first attack occurred at 00:00 on Hengam Island and at 00:05 on Bandar Abbas. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi explicitly stated that due to U.S. attacks and the re-imposition of the naval blockade, the Islamabad Accord had been “eliminated.” The Hormozgan Province Governor’s Office reported, “The sounds occasionally heard in Bandar Abbas and coastal cities and islands of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf are related to the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz; currently, combat is taking place at sea.”

The Iranian military announced it had launched kamikaze UAV attacks on the Azraq (Muvaffak Salti) Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. troops and aircraft; the statement indicated that F-18 fighter jets, a barracks building, and a large equipment depot at the base had been targeted. Iranian state television reported that a drinking water production facility near a village in the Musian district of Ilam Province in western Iran had been struck by three missiles.

U.S. President Trump, in an interview with Fox News, stated that if Iran refused to return to the negotiating table, he would “destroy all power plants and all bridges.” He added, “We are striking everything they have along the coast, along the shoreline. Tonight we will strike them very hard. Tomorrow night too.” CENTCOM announced that a seven-hour attack wave had ended at 05:00 Turkey Standard Time (22:00 Eastern Daylight Time), with dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s coastal regions struck. At 13:00 Turkey Standard Time (06:00 Eastern Daylight Time), CENTCOM launched a second attack wave, aiming to further weaken Iran’s military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Fars News Agency, the Hormozgan Province Governor’s Office confirmed that the United States had attacked Hengam Island in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Axios, citing three sources, Trump held a meeting in the Situation Room to discuss a larger-scale attack against Iran around the Strait of Hormuz than the current operations.

Sirens sounded again in Bahrain, and Kuwait’s air defense systems activated against Iranian UAV attacks. Jordan’s military reported that three ballistic missiles fired from Iran had been destroyed by air defense systems. Bahrain’s military reported that its air defense systems had intercepted numerous aerial attacks launched by Iran. In the evening, after the United States announced new attacks, explosion sounds were heard in Ahvaz and Chabahar. Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense Spokesperson Colonel Saud al-Atwan reported that since morning, Kuwait had been targeted by 21 UAVs and four ballistic missiles from Iran, all of which had been intercepted by air defense systems. During the night, sirens sounded again in Bahrain; explosion sounds were heard in Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province, Chabahar and Rask in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, and Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province, with at least four explosion sounds recorded in Ahvaz.

Iran’s Ministry of Health Spokesperson Hussein Kermanpur reported that in the latest U.S. strikes, 260 people, including women and children, had been injured and two killed, with 222 injured receiving medical treatment. Iranian Government Spokesperson Fatma Muhacerani stated, “In recent days, more than 30 civilians have been killed in U.S. strikes on southern Iran.” The Iranian military reported that seven people were killed in a U.S. strike on a military facility in the city of Iranshahr in Sistan-Baluchestan Province early in the morning; according to the statement, the United States fired 13 missiles at a military facility belonging to ground forces in the Bempur region of Iranshahr, targeting a control point, barracks, and guard areas. In the evening, Iran’s Ministry of Health Spokesperson Kermanpur reported that the death toll had reached 35 and the number of injured had exceeded 300. According to Iranian state television, U.S. strikes on Ahvaz targeted the area around the Shahid Bekayi Hospital, where children with cancer received treatment; the hospital was temporarily evacuated after the attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Washington to discuss Iran’s ongoing attacks on shipping and regional countries and condemned Iran’s attacks on Jordanian territory. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Negotiation Team Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi stated regarding possible negotiations with the United States, “We currently have no negotiation plan; we are focused on defense. The accord is a whole composed of mutual obligations. If the other side violates the accord, we will suspend our obligations.” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi, at a commemoration program for former leader Ali Khamenei at Imam Sadiq University, stated that no attack against the country would go unanswered and that the armed forces would respond “decisively” to U.S. attacks. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s attacks on Palestine and restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza, asserting that Israel had violated the ceasefire in Gaza 3,600 times. Iranian Parliament Speaker Kalibaf, in a social media post addressing the public, emphasized the need to be prepared for war but also to utilize diplomacy and negotiation tools for the country’s interests, stating that Iran was in a “existential struggle” with the United States.

Shortly before midnight, CENTCOM announced that it had neutralized an empty oil tanker attempting to proceed

Beginning at midnight on 18 July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had struck the U.S. military’s maritime drone storage facility and its artificial intelligence-assisted targeting center in Bahrain, which it accused the United States of using to identify attack targets in the region. The statement declared that the U.S. facility in Bahrain was destroyed in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure including bridges, and warned that if the United States continued its attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, companies with American stakeholders in the region would also be targeted.

The Khuzestan Governorate announced that U.S. forces had targeted several locations in the city of Ahvaz with missiles. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that U.S. warplanes conducted strikes on multiple sites in Yazd Province and that five explosions were heard in the surrounding area. During the same period, Iran announced that it had shot down a U.S.-owned MQ-9 Reaper armed unmanned aerial vehicle over the skies of Bushehr in the northern Persian Gulf.

On 18 July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that two oil tankers attempting to pass through mined waters south of the Strait of Hormuz had exploded and caught fire. The statement declared that the Strait of Hormuz was now “unsafe and completely closed” due to U.S. actions, and that no chemical fertilizer or even a single drop of oil or natural gas would be exported through the strait until U.S. attacks ceased. In the early morning hours, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that four vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. support had been halted by missile and UAV attacks, urging all ships in the strait to heed Iranian naval warnings. The Hormozgan Governorate reported that the United States had attacked two bridges and one tunnel in the region: the Rudhaneh Shur Bridge on the Bandar Abbas-Sirik route was closed, while the Minab three-way bridge leading to Rodan and the Shahid Mirzai Tunnel from Bandar Abbas to Hajjabad were also struck.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that as part of its “18th wave” of attacks against U.S. bases hosting American troops and aircraft in Kuwait, it had targeted the gathering area of U.S. ground forces at the Arifjan Base using UAVs, asserting that many American soldiers were killed in the strikes. Kuwait’s Ali Salem Air Base was also listed among the targets.

In a separate statement, Iran’s military announced that under the “15th wave” of operations, it had targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base used by the U.S. military in Bahrain and various connecting bridges in the country with kamikaze UAVs, reporting damage to aircraft shelters, parking areas, and fuel storage facilities. At midday on 18 July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Jordan’s Muvaffak Salti military base, where U.S. forces are stationed, had been struck by missiles and UAVs, with several aircraft including two fighter jets parked at the base targeted.

CENTCOM announced the conclusion of its seventh consecutive night of attacks against Iran, stating that surveillance posts, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities had been targeted. The statement added that “CENTCOM continues to hold Iran accountable and enforce the maritime blockade.” Unnamed U.S. officials speaking to CBS News claimed that many U.S. soldiers were wounded in Iran’s attacks on military bases in Jordan this week.

On 18 July, sirens sounded multiple times throughout the night in Bahrain, prompting the Ministry of Interior to urge the public to move to safe zones. The Kuwaiti military reported that its air defense systems had been activated in response to Iranian ballistic missile and UAV attacks, and that some soldiers were wounded. Kuwaiti Defense Ministry spokesperson Colonel Saud al-Atwan stated that missile and UAV threats detected in Kuwaiti airspace since early morning had been intercepted. The Jordanian military announced that ten ballistic missiles fired from Iran had been neutralized by air defense systems with no casualties or material damage; in a separate statement, it confirmed that four UAVs entering Jordanian airspace had also been shot down.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced that one of its electricity generation and water purification facilities had been targeted in the Iranian attack, resulting in a fire. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) confirmed that a facility critical to the oil sector had been struck in a series of Iranian attacks, causing injuries and severe damage. Kuwaiti fire services reported that several firefighters and one facility worker were injured while responding to fires at two separate locations targeted by Iran.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on the electricity and water facility in the strongest terms, noting that it was the second such attack within two days and that the repeated targeting of vital civilian infrastructure demonstrated Iran’s “systematic aggressive approach.” The Bahraini military reported that its air defense systems had intercepted part of the aerial attacks launched by Iran. The Israeli military announced that additional U.S. aerial refueling aircraft would be deployed to military air bases rather than Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to avoid disrupting civilian air traffic.

Hormozgan Water Authority reported that due to U.S. strikes on a water distribution pump and electrical grid west of the city of Cask on 18 July, water supplies to two villages were cut off, leaving approximately 10,000 residents without access to water. The Hormozgan Governorate stated that over the past 10 days, the United States had conducted 95 strikes on locations within 12 cities in the province, resulting in eight civilian deaths. Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kirmanpur announced that since 27 June, Iran had suffered more than 50 civilian deaths and over 517 injuries from U.S. attacks, including women and children among the wounded.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi stated that his country had suspended its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, asserting that the United States had violated all its commitments under the agreement and that Iran was now focused solely on defense. Iranian Foreign Ministry and Negotiation Team spokesperson Ismail Bekayi said, “Certain factions within the U.S. administration are preventing their government from fulfilling its commitments. But what ultimately matters is adherence to U.S. commitments.” Iranian leader Mujtaba Khamenei, in a post on his official social media accounts, stated, “The Great Satan’s (the U.S.) renewed violation of the agreement once again proves to everyone how worthless and invalid the U.S. President’s signature is.” The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep concern” over recent developments in the region and called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

On the evening of 18 July, CENTCOM announced that two U.S. soldiers had been killed in the Iranian attack targeting the military base in Jordan: “Two U.S. soldiers lost their lives on 17 July while U.S. and allied forces in Jordan resisted Iranian ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks.” The statement also noted that one U.S. soldier was missing and that four soldiers wounded and evacuated to Jordanian hospitals had since been discharged.

Beginning at midnight on 19 July, Iranian media reported that the United States had launched attacks on the city of Sirik near the Strait of Hormuz and on the city of Hajjabad in Hormozgan Province. According to Fars News Agency, “At approximately 01:30, the enemy United States conducted a strike on a location near Sirik,” followed by another strike near Hajjabad at 02:10, with no reports of civilian casualties or damage from either attack.

CENTCOM announced that it had launched new air strikes against Iran “in response to the attacks that killed two U.S. soldiers in Jordan.” The statement read, “Today, at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Forces (Donald Trump), new air strikes were initiated against Iran.” It was also stated that the strikes aimed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In the early morning hours of the same day, CENTCOM confirmed that during the eighth night of attacks, Iran’s military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, naval forces, and missile and UAV storage sites had been struck, and that the attack wave had been completed.

On the afternoon of 19 July, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced that the United States had conducted a strike on the construction site of a nuclear power plant in Darhovin, located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. The organization asserted that the attack on a nuclear facility under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) constituted a clear violation of international law. That night, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi stated, “The U.S. targeting of the Darhovin nuclear power plant under construction is a dangerous attack on Iran’s peaceful infrastructure,” and warned that an “appropriate response” would be delivered.

The Iranian military announced that under the “16th wave” of operations, it had targeted U.S. equipment at Kuwait’s Al-Adiri Camp and Ali Salem Air Base using kamikaze UAVs. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that it had shot down an MQ-9 type UAV over the skies of Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province. During the night, the Iranian military announced that an MQ-9 type UAV and a U.S.-owned cruise missile had been intercepted by air defense systems in western Iran, and that the Iranian Armed Forces had shot down a surveillance UAV over the skies of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced that two of four vessels violating the “safe navigation route” it had designated in the Strait of Hormuz had suffered accidents, while the other two had altered course. It alleged that these vessels, allegedly supported by the United States, had disabled their navigation systems and ignored warnings from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Strait of Hormuz Control Center.

On 19 July, the Kuwaiti military reported that its air defense systems had been activated in response to missiles and kamikaze UAVs fired from Iran. In Bahrain, sirens sounded again due to aerial attacks, and the public was again urged to move to safe zones. In the afternoon, sirens sounded across a wide area of Jordan, beginning with the capital Amman, following a missile attack launched from Iran. The Israeli military reported that a ballistic missile had been launched from Iran toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba, with some debris potentially heading toward Israel.

The Jordanian military announced that three of four missiles fired from Iran and entering its airspace had been intercepted, while the fourth had landed in a sparsely populated area in southern Jordan with no casualties or damage reported. Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy confirmed that Iran had for the second time in two days targeted its electricity and water purification facility, damaging power generation plants and causing fires in parts of the facility. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense reported that missile and UAV attacks launched by Iran since dawn had caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure in the country. In the evening, a technical malfunction at a main electrical transformer station in the Hittin district of Kuwait caused power outages in several areas.

On 19 July, Israeli media claimed that the United States was preparing to expand the scope of its upcoming air strikes against Iran and had begun deploying approximately 100 aerial refueling aircraft to Israel. It was reported that 14 additional refueling aircraft had arrived in Israel within the past 24 hours and were being directed to Israeli military air bases and facilities in Eilat.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened to respond with full force if Iran targeted Israel in retaliation for U.S. strikes, stating that Iran’s ballistic missile launch systems would be the primary targets in any potential conflict.

During the night of 19 July, the United States announced that additional remains had been recovered from the attack in Jordan that killed two soldiers, and that another U.S. soldier had been killed during the controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian UAV munition in Iraq.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with NewsNation following the attacks that killed two U.S. soldiers in Jordan, said he “did not care” that Iran claimed it was no longer bound by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, arguing that the deaths of soldiers were “a very sad situation” but that the war’s primary goal was “to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”

Trump also used his social media account to call for Iran to be added to a Republican Party bill imposing sanctions on Russia, asserting that the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who had led the bill’s drafting before his recent death, would have supported the move. Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Eyman al-Safadi held phone calls with the foreign ministers of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman to discuss recent developments in the region. Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned Iran’s Ambassador to Amman and delivered a formal protest note to the Tehran government.

Israeli television channel 13 claimed that Trump had sent a message to mediator countries warning that if a ceasefire with Iran could not be achieved within the same week, tensions would escalate further. The same report alleged that Qatar had proposed to the parties that the Strait of Hormuz be opened for maritime traffic under Iranian control for a period of 10 days in exchange for a ceasefire. Iranian Member of Parliament Mohammad Bakri Benab argued that criticisms directed at Mohammad Bagher Kalibaf, who also heads the parliamentary negotiation team with the United States, were intended to “eliminate Kalibaf from the political scene.”

On the night of 20 July, the U.S. military launched attacks on the Iranian cities of Tabriz, Urmia, and Bushehr. The East Azerbaijan Province Governorate reported that at 02:35 local time, U.S. forces targeted the eastern part of Tabriz, resulting in one death.

The West Azerbaijan Province Crisis Management Center reported that U.S. forces had launched a missile strike on Urmia during the night of 20 July, causing injuries. Bushehr Province Governorate announced that U.S. forces had conducted a missile strike on Bushehr city during the night, and that Bushehr District Administration confirmed additional strikes on multiple locations in the city the following morning, stating that the city had been bombed twice. Later, CENTCOM announced that the ninth wave of air strikes aimed at degrading Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping and civilian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz had been completed, and that efforts to weaken Iran’s military capabilities would continue.

On 20 July, the U.S. military announced that under the maritime blockade imposed on Iran, six commercial vessels had been rerouted and one vessel had been “taken out of service.” CENTCOM’s statement noted that the guided-missile destroyer “USS John Finn (DDG 113)” continued its mission enforcing the blockade against Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz along an unsafe route had “exploded,” adding that the tankers had detonated while attempting to follow the unsafe route under U.S. pressure, without specifying the cause of the explosions. The statement reiterated that all routes outside those designated by Iran were unsafe for vessel transit.

On the same day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that under the “21st and 22nd waves” of Operation Nasr, it had launched missile and UAV strikes against U.S. military targets in Jordan and Kuwait. According to the statement, 20 hangars housing U.S. troops in Jordan’s Al-Ezraq region had been targeted by missiles, with numerous U.S. soldiers reportedly killed. The Aqaba Airport in Jordan was also struck by missiles, with allegations that U.S. military C-17 heavy transport aircraft and P-8 command and control aircraft had sustained heavy damage.

In Bahrain, sirens sounded three times throughout the night, with the Ministry of Interior urging the public to move to the nearest safe zone each time. The U.S. Embassy in Manama warned that Iran might attempt to target specific locations in the center of Bahrain’s capital and urged U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and follow local authorities’ instructions. The Kuwaiti military reported that its air defense systems had responded to UAV attacks from Iran and that any explosion sounds heard in the country were the result of these interception efforts.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement to journalists on 20 July, accused Iran of seeking to control the Strait of Hormuz and use it as a “bargaining chip” against the world, warning that if Tehran continued its attacks on international commercial vessels, military operations would continue. U.S. President Trump, upon returning to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, told reporters he felt great sorrow over the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East, adding, “This night we hit them very hard again,” and asserting that control of the Strait of Hormuz remained in U.S. hands.

Global oil prices continued to rise during the period of 18–20 July. Energy analysts estimated that the U.S. re-imposed maritime blockade had removed at least 1.5 million barrels per day of Iranian oil exports from the market, pushing Brent crude prices close to $90 per barrel. According to Iranian Health Ministry data, since 27 June, the number of civilian deaths from attacks had exceeded 50 and the number of injured had surpassed 517 as of 20 July.

In Hormozgan Province, 95 locations across 12 cities were struck over 10 days, resulting in eight deaths. In Kuwait, electricity generation and water purification facilities were targeted for two consecutive days, with a critical facility owned by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation sustaining severe damage. Approximately 10,000 people were left without water after a U.S. strike on a water distribution pump in the city of Cask in Hormozgan.

21 July, just after midnight, it was claimed that approximately 100 American servicemen were injured during Iran’s series of attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East throughout July. U.S. officials speaking to CBS News on condition of anonymity stated that the majority of the injured had returned to duty. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed on a television channel that approximately 100 servicemen had been “somewhat injured” since 7 July.

In the evening of 21 July, after the U.S. announced its strikes, explosion sounds were heard in central Iranian cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and near the Strait of Hormuz in the town of Bender Lenge. No official statement has been issued regarding the source of the explosions, but Iranian media reported that these strikes were Iran’s retaliatory response to U.S. attacks on its bases in regional countries. In the morning, Iranian officials reported that the U.S. had launched a missile strike on the town of Abdanan, located in Iran’s western Ilam Province. Abdanan Deputy Governor Behzad Nur Muhammad stated that U.S. forces had targeted a civilian area near the Abdanan mountains with missiles, that search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the site, and that initial assessments indicated no loss of life.

Iranian media reported that two oil tankers attempting to pass through the unsafe zone of the Strait of Hormuz had experienced explosions. According to a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Tasnim News Agency, fires broke out on the two tankers after they were targeted while navigating the dangerous and insecure route south of the Strait under “U.S. pressure.” The statement reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as U.S. attacks in the region continued and not a single drop of oil or gas would be able to pass through safely.

In the early morning of 21 July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that as part of the 24th wave of “Nasr 2” operations, it had launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. According to the statement, a U.S. radar and air defense system in the Al-Muharraq region of Bahrain and a Patriot air defense system in the Al-Rifa region were destroyed by missile and drone attacks. In subsequent operations, a long-range U.S. radar facility, a communications center, satellite communication systems, and a hangar housing MQ-9 drones at the Ali Al-Salem Base in Kuwait were targeted, with numerous drones reportedly destroyed.

Shortly after midnight on the same day, following the U.S. announcement of a “new wave of attacks,” air defense systems in Kuwait and Bahrain were reactivated. The Kuwaiti military reported that Iran had targeted the country with missiles and drones, and that its air defense systems had been activated to counter the threat.

Qatar sent letters to the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the UN Security Council regarding Iran’s attacks on its territory and recent developments. According to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, delivered two letters addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and to the President of the July UN Security Council and Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the UN, Zenon Mukongo Ngay. The letters emphasized that the Tehran government was responsible for compensating all damages and that Qatar’s right to legitimate defense remained intact.

In the U.S. domestic political arena, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an end to the war against Iran and announced that Democrats would force Republicans to vote again on halting military operations. Schumer wrote on social media: “Every second Trump extends this war, our servicemembers remain in danger.” He stated that Senate Democrats would “force Senate Republicans to vote again to end this war and bring our troops home,” adding: “Enough is enough. End this war.”