US strikes Iran again as Tehran hits Bahrain and Kuwait

Dubai,UPDATED: Jul 20, 2026 10:48 IST

The United States carried out a fresh round of airstrikes on Iran early Monday, while Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, in the latest escalation in a conflict that has pushed both sides closer to a wider war. The strikes came after Washington announced the death of another American service member, and as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely stalled.

The latest exchanges also deepened concern over the wider impact of the conflict. Both sides have hit civilian infrastructure used by millions of people, while Brent crude rose above USD 90 a barrel on Monday, adding to a global energy crisis linked to the war.

The US military said the service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the "controlled detonation" of a downed Iranian drone. US President Donald Trump said, "We hit them very hard again tonight," adding, "And we did that in honour of the" soldiers killed.

The US military's Central Command said it had launched its ninth straight night of strikes, targeting "Iranian military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks". There was no immediate word from Iran on casualties or damage, though Iranian state media reported explosions in southern and northwestern Iran. Around the same time, a ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Oman, according to the British military. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. The route off Oman has been one the US military has encouraged ships to use to avoid Iran's control, though Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later claimed it was targeting tankers in the strait.

Iran also struck US-allied countries in the region. Bahrain sounded missile alert sirens on Monday morning, while Kuwait said its air defence systems were firing at an incoming Iranian barrage. The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the conflict. Before the war, one-fifth of globally traded oil supplies passed through the waterway. Trump has threatened to target Iran's power stations and bridges to force Tehran to ease its grip on the strait, and recent attacks suggest the US military is moving ahead with that plan. In the past week, the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to stop its crude oil shipments, and the military said on Saturday that it had redirected six ships and disabled one since then.

The 60-day interim deal meant to negotiate a permanent end to the war, along with other issues including Iran's nuclear programme, is now past its halfway mark. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was still open to talks, but that "it has to be real". He added: "We're going to continue to respond. If the door opens to diplomacy - if the guys that want to do something productive for Iran win and take control of that system, or take control of the negotiations - that'll be a very positive development. That's not where we are tonight, unfortunately." Iranian authorities said on Sunday that at least 50 people had been killed and 517 wounded in the latest rounds of US strikes. Since the war began on February 28, 17 US service members have been killed. Overall, the latest attacks showed a conflict widening across the region, even as the US said it remained open to diplomacy.

With PTI Inputs

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