WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran exchanged fresh military strikes on Thursday, marking another sharp escalation in their confrontation, with Washington announcing a new wave of attacks on Iranian military infrastructure and Tehran claiming retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US military facilities in Kuwait and Jordan.
The United States (US) military said it had completed another wave of precision strikes against military targets in Iran, with the Pentagon saying the operation was aimed at further degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command says its latest wave of strikes against Iran has been completed.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten… pic.twitter.com/1NlgO7Bav9
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 16, 2026
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest phase of the operation concluded at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, following a series of coordinated strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.
CENTCOM said American forces targeted Iranian command and control centres, air defence installations, missile and drone capabilities, as well as coastal surveillance facilities.
The military said the strikes were designed to weaken Iran’s capacity to endanger commercial vessels and their crews transiting one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
The operation included precision strikes on multiple locations, including the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, a key hub for Iran’s naval and military activities.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2026
Earlier in the day, US forces also carried out a separate 90-minute strike operation against coastal defence and cruise missile positions on Greater Tunb Island, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the military action was conducted under the direction of President Trump and formed part of ongoing efforts to hold Iran accountable for actions that Washington says threaten regional security and the free flow of international maritime trade.
⚡️BREAKING: A Children’s Cancer Hospital has been Damaged in U.S. strikes in Southern Iran, and an Evacuation is now underway pic.twitter.com/uYiUf9Jcde
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) July 15, 2026
The US military did not provide details on the extent of the damage inflicted or whether there were any casualties. Iranian authorities had not immediately commented on the latest US strikes.
Iran Claims Retaliatory Strikes
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had launched missile and drone attacks against a US military base in Kuwait, while the Iranian army said it also targeted American military facilities in neighbouring Jordan, according to Iranian state media.
The IRGC said it carried out a combined missile and drone strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait as part of the eighth phase of its “Nasr 2” operation.
In a statement broadcast by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Guard claimed it struck a C-RAM early-warning radar system and an assembly point used by US military personnel at the base.
After the US attack to Ahvaz’s Shahid Baghaei Hospital, Some patients and their families fled the hospital in fear due to the loud blasts and severe shaking.
Only the most critically ill patients remain. pic.twitter.com/cIJ9nVOBxT— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) July 15, 2026
The IRGC also accused the United States of using Kuwaiti territory to launch attacks against Iran and urged Kuwaitis to press for the withdrawal of American forces from the country.
Separately, the Iranian army said it had targeted US military facilities in Jordan using what it described as suicide drones in retaliation for the latest US strikes on Iranian territory.
According to Iranian state television, the operation targeted American military communication systems and fuel storage facilities in Jordan.
There was no immediate confirmation from the United States, Kuwait or Jordan regarding the Iranian claims, and the extent of any damage or casualties could not be independently verified.
The latest exchange of strikes comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a critical flashpoint for global energy supplies and maritime security.
