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THE United States has carried out fresh military strikes against Iran after confirming that two American service members were killed and another remains missing following an Iranian attack in Jordan, marking another sharp escalation in the rapidly expanding regional conflict.
The latest operation, ordered by President Donald Trump, began at 6 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT), according to U.S. Central Command, which said the strikes were intended to weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces responsible for attacks on U.S. personnel in Jordan.
"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night," Reuters reported Central Command saying on Sunday.
Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that a U.S. strike took place near Sirik in southern Iran, adding that there were no reported casualties or damage to infrastructure.
The renewed military action follows the collapse last week of an interim ceasefire agreement reached a month ago, fuelling fears that the United States and Iran are sliding back towards full-scale war after weeks of intensifying hostilities.
Before the latest U.S. strikes, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned that Washington would face consequences for what he described as escalating the conflict.
In a statement carried by official Iranian media and his social media accounts, Khamenei declared that U.S. actions had demonstrated President Trump's signature was "utterly worthless and devoid of credibility."
The statement further warned of "even heavier costs and further humiliation" for the United States.
The White House did not immediately respond to the remarks.
The Pentagon said the latest casualties occurred on Friday, bringing the total number of U.S. service members killed since the conflict began to 16, while more than 420 have been wounded.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth paid tribute to the fallen personnel, posting on X: "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
The confrontation expanded significantly on Saturday as Iran appeared to broaden its military response beyond direct U.S. targets.
Kuwait reported coming under sustained missile and drone attacks, with its armed forces saying they intercepted multiple Iranian projectiles. Firefighters and oil sector personnel were reportedly injured while responding to the attacks.
Iran's IRGC claimed responsibility for striking the U.S. military support facility at Camp Arifjan and destroying a radar installation at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation later confirmed that one of its oil facilities had sustained significant damage following repeated attacks, according to the state news agency.
Iranian state media also reported that IRGC forces targeted Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, where U.S. combat aircraft are stationed, along with an intelligence data centre.
Separately, Iranian state television claimed missile and drone attacks had destroyed at least two U.S. fighter aircraft and three additional aircraft at the U.S. military base in Al Azraq, Jordan.
Reuters said it could not independently verify those claims.
Saudi Arabia also appeared to have come under threat, with the country's early warning system issuing alerts for residents in Al-Kharj and Yanbu to seek shelter.
Al-Kharj hosts a military installation used by U.S. forces, while Yanbu is home to one of Saudi Arabia's principal Red Sea oil export terminals.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the warnings were triggered by an Iranian missile attack, marking the first reported strike against Saudi Arabia in more than three months.
The Saudi government did not immediately comment, while the IRGC made no reference to any attack on the kingdom.
Amid mounting regional instability, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel advisory for American citizens, warning that escalating tensions across the Middle East could lead to flight cancellations, airspace closures and broader travel disruptions.
Earlier on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said its forces had struck Iranian surveillance facilities, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons depots and maritime capabilities.
Iranian state television reported that U.S. strikes in Hormozgan province killed three people and injured eight others, while damaging two bridges and a road tunnel near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Health Ministry said U.S. military operations over the past three weeks had killed 50 people and wounded more than 500 others.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of attempting to establish control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.
Both countries continue to accuse each other of threatening international shipping, with the United States saying it is enforcing a naval blockade while Iran insists it is targeting vessels that violate its navigation rules within the strategic waterway.
The growing threat to one of the world's most important energy corridors prompted a joint call from the European Union and Gulf states for Iran to immediately cease attacks and interference with maritime navigation and to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open without conditions or restrictions. - July 19, 2026
