The raging war between the United States and Iran has spiralled into a new phase of intense volatility, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed a series of devastating strikes against American military facilities across the Middle East.
The barrage, labelled by Tehran as the latest wave of “Operation Nasr 2,” followed a renewed campaign of US air strikes along the Iranian coast and the reinstatement of a stringent naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The overnight exchange signals a definitive collapse of the fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April, leaving global energy markets rattled and diplomatic efforts in tatters. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed a seven-hour operation concluded late Tuesday, during which fighter aircraft, naval vessels, and drones targeted what it termed “dozens of military targets” near the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC Strikes US Military Assets in Jordan and Kuwait
In a rapid response to the American offensive, the IRGC announced that its missile and drone units had successfully targeted US assets in Jordan and Kuwait. According to official Iranian statements, these operations inflicted substantial damage on strategic infrastructure, including a satellite communications centre, advanced air defence radar systems, and a Patriot air defence complex.
Further claims from the IRGC indicated that strikes on Jordan’s Al-Azraq Air Base had decimated shelters housing high-value American aviation assets, specifically F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets, alongside several MQ-9 Reaper drones.
In Kuwait, the IRGC asserted the destruction of a significant US military logistics hub at Mina Abdullah and the neutralisation of HIMARS missile launchers.
Satellite imagery reveals Iran’s precise strike on the drone command centre at the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain — a targeted blow to American surveillance and control capabilities in the region. 🇮🇷🇧🇭🇺🇸💥🛰️🛸🔥⚡️ pic.twitter.com/2Dd1LteasM
— IRGC (@IRGC_Press) July 15, 2026
“The holy land of Jordan is the resting place of the prophets and not a place for occupiers and international criminals,” the IRGC stated in a formal address, demanding the immediate removal of US forces from the region.
📹 Eighth phase of Operation Thunder — continued drone strikes by the Iranian Army on U.S. bases in Jordan.
Army Public Relations:
For the second time, F-18 fighter jet positions and large equipment hangars of the U.S. terrorist army at Al-Azraq Base in Jordan have been targeted… pic.twitter.com/5gU39YgdRW
— IRGC (@IRGC_Press) July 15, 2026
The group maintained that its operations were a direct response to what it characterised as the American targeting of civilian infrastructure inside Iran, including a wheat storage facility in Khuzestan and a mineral water factory in Ilam.
Direct hit by an Iranian drone in Kuwait — Arab media have published footage claiming a precise strike on U.S. assets. 🇮🇷🇰🇼🇺🇸💥🛸🔥⚡️ pic.twitter.com/pV14ikhFux
— IRGC (@IRGC_Press) July 15, 2026
US Strikes Kill 7 Iranian Soldiers In Southeast
The Iranian military reported that a precision missile barrage by the United States struck a barracks in Bampour, located in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. According to statements, thirteen US missiles impacted security facilities and living quarters, resulting in the deaths of seven personnel attached to the 388th Brigade. Several other soldiers were reported injured in the attack, which marked a new front in the expanding conflict.
The strike on Bampour represents a direct challenge to Iranian defensive positions far from the immediate naval flashpoints in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has framed the assault as part of an escalating campaign of US aggression that has increasingly targeted military accommodation and support infrastructure. While the Pentagon has not provided immediate details on the specific targets hit in the southeast, the incident has prompted a surge in retaliatory pledges from the Iranian command, further hardening the lines in a conflict that continues to migrate deeper into Iranian territory.
Defiant Trump Warns: ‘Attacks Will Continue’
In Washington, US President Trump has adopted a defiant stance, signalling that the military campaign against Iran is far from concluded. Speaking on the escalation, Trump warned that the attacks “will continue until I say enough,” and did not rule out expanding the scope of targets to include critical national infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges.
“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump stated in an interview, emphasising a strategy of maximum pressure intended to force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
The situation on the ground remains precarious. While the IRGC has explicitly stated it holds no hostility toward the populations of Kuwait and Jordan, urging their citizens to press for the expulsion of US troops, the geopolitical landscape suggests the conflict is hardening.
As CENTCOM maintains a heavy naval presence in the region, the resumption of the blockade of Iranian ports has sent oil prices surging, with Brent crude climbing to $86.19 a barrel, raising fears of a sustained global energy crisis.
Global Energy Markets React to Gulf Instability: Oil Prices Surge to Above $85
The resumption of hostilities has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, with oil prices climbing sharply as investors weigh the risks of a prolonged supply disruption.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, surged by 1.2 per cent to $85.77 a barrel on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate, the US crude benchmark, rose 1 per cent to $80.14. This upward movement reflects the acute sensitivity of markets to the renewed US naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz, the critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies flowed before the conflict.
The volatility has been further exacerbated by heightened rhetoric from Tehran, with the IRGC warning that regional energy exports must be “for everyone or for no one,” effectively threatening a total halt of shipments from the Gulf.
While prices currently remain below the wartime highs seen earlier this year, analysts warn that continued military escalation and the threat to shipping transit could keep markets in a state of high uncertainty. As the conflict spreads, the potential for sustained disruption to global energy security remains a primary concern for international observers and traders alike.
Iranian-backed Yemeni Militia Houthis Attack Saudi Arabia
The US-Iran conflict has expanded beyond the Gulf as Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen launched a retaliatory strike against Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia. This offensive follows a period of heightened friction sparked by Saudi aerial bombardments on Sanaa International Airport, which Houthi officials have denounced as a “blatant violation” of Yemeni sovereignty and a terminal breach of the 2022 truce.
Houthis, also known as the Ansarullah, have characterised the Saudi military action as a persistent effort to enforce a blockade and dictate Yemen’s political autonomy.
The Iran-backed group, in a statement, has vowed that such alleged “aggression” by the neighbouring Gulf country allied with the American interest would not go unanswered.
The retaliatory strike marks a significant escalation in the ongoing regional proxy war, which has been further strained by the landing of Iranian aircraft in Hodeidah, a move Riyadh views as an unacceptable challenge to its security operations.
Ansarullah spokesperson Mohammad Abdul Salam warned that the Saudi bombardment of civilian infrastructure would face “strong and earth-shaking” repercussions, signalling that the militant group is prepared to intensify its campaign to break the long-standing blockade.
The Political Bureau of Ansarullah further accused Riyadh of acting in coordination with US regional policies, alleging that the Saudi military is actively working to prevent the return of Yemeni officials and maintain control over the country’s borders.
As the situation on the ground deteriorates, Yemeni resistance factions have explicitly held the Saudi government responsible for the resulting instability, warning of serious long-term consequences for the kingdom. With both sides currently locked in a cycle of direct military strikes and mutual accusations of bad faith, the potential for a wider conflagration remains high. With the recent escalation and spilling of the Iran-US hostilities across the Gulf region, the fragile peace in the Arabian Peninsula is nearing a complete collapse, with the regional actors aligning themselves along increasingly hardened military lines.
Tehran Threatens to Halt Mideast Energy Exports After US Reimposes Its Blockade
The fallout from the US-led naval blockade took a dire turn as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that it may move to completely shutter regional energy exports.
Tehran’s declaration follows the US decision to tighten its grip on Iranian ports, a move designed to cut off revenue streams and isolate the Iranian economy. Iranian officials insisted that regional oil and gas transit will either remain open for all nations or be denied to all, effectively turning global energy security into a bargaining chip and rattling the global energy markets.
The threat to blockade the Strait of Hormus serves as a high-stakes counter-strategy to the American naval presence. Trump has remained steadfast in his administration’s position, signalling that pressure will only increase until his objectives are met, even as analysts warn that a total closure of the Strait would trigger a catastrophic global supply shock.
With both powers trading threats over the flow of oil, the standoff has shifted from localised skirmishes to an existential struggle over the economic lifeline of the Middle East.
