US renews strikes on Iran, Tehran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait

DUBAI, July 19: The United States carried out its eighth consecutive night of strikes on Iran on Saturday, intensifying a conflict that has escalated since an interim ceasefire agreement collapsed last week. The renewed fighting comes after Washington announced that two US service members were killed and another was missing following an Iranian attack on a military base in Jordan.

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest wave of airstrikes began at 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) on Saturday under the direction of President Donald Trump. The strikes targeted Iranian coastal surveillance systems, air defence facilities and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions, aiming to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate for attacks on US forces in Jordan.

Iranian media reported that US strikes hit areas near Sirik in southern Iran and Shadegan near the Iraqi border. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran also condemned an attack on the Darkhovin nuclear power plant under construction, though no casualties or significant infrastructure damage were reported.

In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks against US military assets in Kuwait, targeting Camp Udairi (Al-Adiri) and Ali Al Salem Air Base. Iranian state media described the strikes as retaliation for American attacks on Iranian territory.

Kuwait and Bahrain also came under renewed Iranian attacks on Sunday. Kuwait said Iranian missiles and drones struck a power and water distillation plant, causing a fire and damaging several power generation units, marking the third attack on critical energy infrastructure in as many days. Authorities activated emergency protocols and urged residents to reduce electricity consumption as the country's power network came under increasing strain. An oil facility had also been hit on Saturday.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, reported intercepting Iranian aerial attacks and accused Tehran of targeting civilian sites. Air raid sirens sounded across Manama, and explosions were heard in the northern part of the country. Both Kuwait and Bahrain said their air defence systems intercepted multiple missiles and drones, with no immediate reports of casualties.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard also claimed that four vessels attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz using what it described as an "unsafe route" backed by the United States after ignoring Iranian warnings. Tehran said two vessels abandoned the attempt while the other two were involved in an unspecified "accident."

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Jordan announced that Aqaba's international airport and seaport had been evacuated due to what it described as a "specific and credible threat," although Jordanian authorities later said they had detected no imminent danger and had not ordered any evacuation.

CENTCOM confirmed that the two US service members were killed on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, with another service member still missing in action. The latest casualties bring the number of US military personnel killed since the conflict began to 16, while more than 420 have been wounded. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X that the fallen troops' "sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."

Iran's Health Ministry said US strikes over the past three weeks had killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear and missile programmes and weakening its regional proxy forces. Since then, both sides have increasingly targeted military installations, energy infrastructure and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass, raising fears of wider regional instability and disruptions to global energy markets.

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei accused the United States of acting in bad faith and warned Washington of "even heavier costs and further humiliation." The White House did not immediately respond to the remarks.�"AGENCIES