Escalating Conflict: US and Iran Trade Strikes Amid Collapsing Ceasefire
Attacks on US Military Assets
On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have launched attacks against United States military assets in the region. According to the IRGC, these strikes targeted the US Fifth Fleet’s command-and-control, logistical, petroleum, and military equipment installations in Bahrain, as well as a US base in Kuwait. The IRGC vowed to continue these attacks against US military assets.
This escalation followed a fourth night of US military strikes against Iran, which lasted seven hours. By early Thursday, the United States had launched further airstrikes, to which Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. Sirens sounded at least twice in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and in Jordan, where the US has stationed troops and aircraft.
The Strait of Hormuz Blockade
The conflict has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, where the US military has reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports and shipping. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the region, stated the attacks were aimed at Iran’s ability to threaten the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Prior to this, the US had struck approximately 90 military targets, including missile and drone storage and logistics sites along the Iranian coastline.
Iran has responded by closing the strait and threatening to shut all other export corridors that benefit the US and its allies. The IRGC stated via Iran’s IRNA state news agency: Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all. Analysts have suggested Iran may use Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab el-Mandeb gateway, potentially putting two of the world’s most vital energy arteries at risk.
Currently, there are at least 19 US warships in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault vessel with at least 1,000 marines on board. CENTCOM noted there are hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Mideast.
Diplomatic Standoff and Threats
US President Donald Trump has declared the fragile truce reached in June over. During a Fox News interview, President Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Tehran: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after… We’re going to knock out all their power plants, we’re going to knock out all their bridges, unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
Regarding the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump stated he does not believe anyone should charge a fee for the strait. Instead, he intends to pursue trade and investment Deals with Gulf states. Following a meeting with Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Trump claimed that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait are among the countries keen to invest billions and billions of dollars into the US.
Tensions are further complicated by conflicting reports from the ground. Iranian state media, citing deputy governor of Bushehr Ehsan Jahanian, reported that a US projectile hit a military headquarters on the outskirts of Bushehr. However, American officials denied that US forces were carrying out attacks at that time.
Meanwhile, Iranian speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has accused the US of breaching their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), citing the revocation of temporary sanctions suspensions on Iranian oil sales and the ongoing attacks in southern Iran.
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