U.S. Missiles Strike Iran After Threats
PHOTO CAPTION: Smoke and flames rise after an explosion in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, Iran, July 24, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS
U.S. missiles struck targets across Iran on Friday, from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian coast, after President Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” over attacks that expanded the regional war into the Red Sea.
Iran responded by firing at U.S. bases in neighboring Arab countries and warning civilians to stay away from buildings allegedly being used by American military personnel.
The escalation came two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce intended to end the nearly five-month conflict.
The Houthis, who control much of northern and western Yemen, said this week that they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has been routing millions of barrels of oil through the Red Sea to avoid Iran’s near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi fighters struck two Saudi tankers Thursday in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, sending oil prices above $100 per barrel for the first time since May. Brent crude later fell below $98 on Friday but remained on track to rise more than 10% for the week.
The attacks forced several tankers to turn around and head north through the Suez Canal. Some vessels could be forced to take the longer and more expensive route around Africa, while shipping insurance costs through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies, sources said.
Only one tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest number since May 7.
Trump said Iran would be held responsible for further attacks by the Houthis.
“Major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump also told Axios that he was considering restarting major combat operations against Iran and was close to making a decision.
“They haven’t received enough pain yet,” Axios quoted him as saying.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded by warning that confiscating frozen Iranian assets could place other countries’ assets at risk.
Iranian media reported U.S. strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Piranshahr near the Iraqi border, Bandar Anzali and a Revolutionary Guards naval headquarters near the Caspian Sea.
Four people were killed and five injured in a U.S. missile strike on Ahvaz, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
Iran’s military said it attacked U.S. facilities in Kuwait, including Camp Buehring, Camp Arifjan and Camp Doha. The Revolutionary Guards also claimed significant damage to a surveillance tower used by the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
The Revolutionary Guards warned Gulf residents to remain at least 500 meters away from locations being used by U.S. military personnel.
The conflict has disrupted global shipping, driven oil prices higher and increased inflation concerns. Coca-Cola has raised the price of Diet Coke in India by more than 10% as disruptions affect supplies of aluminum cans, sources said.
In Washington, the Republican-led House approved legislation directing Trump to halt U.S. military action against Iran. The Senate later blocked a separate measure seeking similar restrictions.
Similar resolutions passed in recent months have not stopped the war.
(Source: Reuters)
