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US Pounds Iran For 7th Night In Row As Tehran Targets American Bases Across Gulf
Apoorva Gupta | July 18, 2026 10:11 AM CST

The United States and Iran exchanged fresh rounds of missile and drone strikes on Friday as Washington's military campaign against Tehran entered its seventh consecutive night, prompting Iran to warn of a broader offensive if US attacks continue.

The latest escalation comes amid growing regional tensions following the collapse of a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

US Launches Seventh Night Of Strikes

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian military targets on Friday.

"CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction," the command said in a post on X.

Iranian state media reported that three explosions were heard in Sirik in Hormozgan province during the latest wave of attacks.

Washington has said the military campaign is aimed at reducing Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and US interests in the region.

Iran Claims Strikes On US Military Facilities

Hours after the latest US attacks, Iran announced a fresh wave of retaliatory operations targeting American military installations in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Statements carried by state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), citing the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Tehran had launched the 14th phase of "Operation Lightning" and the 17th wave of "Operation Nasr 2".

According to the Iranian Army, drones struck ammunition depots at Al-Udairi Camp and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, along with communication bridges.

Iran also claimed to have targeted fuel storage tanks at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan.

Separately, the IRGC said it attacked a US drone storage facility in Bahrain, claiming ballistic missiles and drones also struck what it described as the country's "main artificial intelligence centre". These claims could not be independently verified.

Iran Warns Of Wider Offensive

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned that Tehran would intensify its military response if US operations continued.

"Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses... and no political border will be safe," Rezaei was quoted as saying by IRIB.

IRGC aerospace force commander Majid Mousavi also said targeted strikes from across Iran would continue until the United States halted attacks on Iranian coastal facilities and infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz.

Civilian Infrastructure Claims

Iran accused US forces of targeting civilian infrastructure, including an airport, railway station and two bridges, while also alleging civilian casualties.

US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure, but there was no official confirmation from Washington that such targets were attacked in Friday's operations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "deep concern" over the escalating conflict and said attacks on civilian infrastructure were "unacceptable".

The current conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks against Israel and US interests across the Gulf.

The latest exchange of strikes marks one of the most serious escalations in the confrontation, with both sides signalling that military operations are likely to continue.


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