The US has completed another large-scale series of air strikes against Iran, targeting key military and critical infrastructure. The situation in the Middle East remains extremely dynamic to 4:55 a.m. Bulgarian time on July 17, 2026, after the previous ceasefire finally collapsed and Washington tightened the renewed naval blockade in the region.
Timeline of the strikes: What was hit in Iran?
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) officially announced the end of the sixth consecutive wave of air strikes. The aim of the operation, according to statements by the US military, is to permanently weaken Tehran's capacity to threaten international commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian state media (including IRIB and the IRNA agency), quoted in international exchanges by media such as Al-Jazeera and France Presse (AFP), tonight's strikes caused serious damage:
- Iranshahr Airport: The runway and service buildings in the southeast of the country were hit.
- Bandar Abbas Railway Station: The key transport hub in the major port has been directly attacked.
- Strategic Bridges: Bandar-e Hamir Bridge in Hormozgan Province Destroyed.
- Power Grid: Attacks Cause Massive Power Outages in Southern Iran.
- Military sites: Targets on Qeshm Island were bombed, as well as positions around the Bushehr nuclear center.
Iran's response: Missile and drone strikes against Washington's allies
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) immediately announced a massive retaliatory strike, defining the clash as an “existential war“ against American aggression. Iranian forces attacked US military sites in neighboring countries:
- Kuwait: The “Ali Al Salem“ was attacked by over 30 drones. Kuwait's Ministry of Defense confirmed material damage to vital facilities.
- Bahrain: Air raid sirens sounded, Tehran claims responsibility for shooting down Patriot radar systems.
- Jordan: Local armed forces announced the successful interception of 8 Iranian ballistic missiles.
- Iraq: Drone attacks have been recorded in the Erbil area, near the US consulate.
Meanwhile, according to reports by Reuters and CNN, US Marines have officially begun boarding commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman to enforce strict compliance with President Donald Trump's total naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Political reactions and the fate of diplomacy
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said in an official briefing that the US holds Tehran responsible for violating the memorandum of understanding signed last month. Washington claims that Iran was the first to renew attacks on tankers. Donald Trump made an address to the nation, in which he emphasized that “the United States is gaining a lot in Iran“, but added that the door to diplomacy is not completely closed.
At the same time, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf countered that the Islamic Republic has no intention of negotiating under the pressure of the blockade. The International Energy Agency (IEA), through its head Fatih Birol, expressed deep concern that if the situation in the Strait of Hormuz does not normalize in the coming weeks, global energy security will be put at serious risk.