IRIA News

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The United States carried out its largest wave of airstrikes against Iran since fighting resumed, targeting about 140 military sites, while Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks against several Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.

Iran launched attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan on Sunday after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) struck missile and drone launch sites, naval facilities, ammunition depots and other military infrastructure across Iran.

The latest exchanges have raised concerns that the fragile U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June could collapse completely. Iran fired several waves of missiles and drones at countries hosting U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.

Missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while Kuwait said it intercepted incoming projectiles.

تتصدى حالياً القوات المسلحة لأهداف جوية معادية داخل المجال الجوي الكويتي

تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش بأن أصوات الانفجارات، إن سُمعت، فهي نتيجة اعتراض منظومات الدفاع الجوي للهجمات المعادية.

ويرجى من الجميع التقيد بتعليمات الأمن والسلامة الصادرة عن الجهات المختصة.… pic.twitter.com/KGkTXfQIyM

— KUWAIT ARMY – الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) July 13, 2026

Kuwaiti authorities also confirmed that attacks damaged three northern border posts and an offshore oil drilling platform, injuring one worker.

Qatar reported that three people, including a child, were injured after falling missile debris struck populated areas. The country condemned the attacks, describing them as a dangerous escalation that threatens diplomatic efforts.

Jordan said three Iranian missiles landed inside its territory without causing casualties. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had struck a U.S. command-and-control center and drone facilities in Jordan, as well as a U.S. radar installation in Kuwait.

Oman also reported Iranian drone attacks in Musandam and Al Wusta governorates, prompting the Omani Foreign Ministry to summon Iran’s ambassador and deliver a formal protest.

The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems engaged incoming missiles and drones, although authorities later stated that the missile threats remained outside the country’s borders.

🔴 موج حملات پهپادی ارتش به پایگاه‌های آمریکا در منطقه

ارتش: در پاسخ به ادامه تجاوزات آمریکا به مناطقی از جنوب کشور، ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران، از ساعاتی قبل، با پهپادهای انهدامی خود، سامانه پاتریوت، انبار مهمات و سایت رادار ارتش تروریستی آمریکا در کویت را هدف حملات قرار داد. https://t.co/UHfInRnem6 pic.twitter.com/3KZ3Db1OAj

— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) July 12, 2026

US Strikes 140 Military Targets

The Iranian attacks followed one of the largest U.S. military operations of the conflict. CENTCOM said American forces struck approximately 140 military targets across Iran.

The U.S. attacks included Iranian missile launch sites, drone facilities, naval assets, ammunition storage locations, and communications infrastructure, which the U.S. claimed were designed to support attacks against commercial shipping.

Additional strikes later targeted Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Hajjiabad in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported explosions across several locations, while local officials said multiple projectiles struck Qeshm Island.

Iranian state media reported that at least one military officer and one maintenance worker were killed in separate attacks. The U.S. military said the operation was intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial vessels and ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. It remains an international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way,” CENTCOM said.

The latest fighting was triggered by escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.

On Saturday, Iran attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the waterway, leaving the vessel heavily damaged and one crew member missing. The IRGC subsequently declared the strait “closed until further notice,” warning that vessels would no longer be permitted to transit without Iranian approval.

The United States rejected Iran’s claim, insisting that commercial shipping remains free to pass through the international waterway.

Iran has increasingly sought to enforce a northern shipping corridor closer to its coastline while warning against vessels using an alternative southern route near Oman. Several ships using that route have reportedly come under attack in recent days.

Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island remain strategically important because they host major naval installations, radar systems and military infrastructure that oversee shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Before the conflict began, roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas exports passed through the narrow waterway, making any disruption a significant concern for global energy markets.

The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary… pic.twitter.com/FS3TUBOZEj

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 12, 2026

Diplomacy Under Growing Pressure

The renewed fighting has placed additional pressure on diplomatic efforts launched after Washington and Tehran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17, aimed at negotiating a permanent end to the conflict.

Although U.S. President Donald Trump recently suggested the agreement was effectively over, he later acknowledged that negotiations could continue after Iran requested further talks.

Trump defended the latest military operation, saying Iran had undermined negotiations by attacking commercial shipping shortly after discussions had appeared to make progress.

Regional mediators, including Oman and Pakistan, continue efforts to preserve negotiations despite the latest escalation. Omani and Iranian officials said technical and political discussions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would continue, although Tehran has not committed to restoring unrestricted commercial passage.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that renewed full-scale fighting would have catastrophic consequences and urged both sides to return to diplomacy before the conflict expands further across the Middle East.