In brief
Tragedy in Jordan spurred U.S. Central Command to strike Iranian coastal surveillance and air‑defence sites, targeting the Revolutionary Guards linked to the attack. Iran responded with drone strikes on U.S. bases in Kuwait, further inflaming hostilities. The exchanges mark a new chapter of high‑risk tension around the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping artery. As American casualties climb to 16, the fragile balance between deterrence and provocation grows uncertain.
The U.S. has launched another round of air strikes against Iran, hitting coastal surveillance and air‑defence sites overnight, says US Central Command.
Those strikes followed Iran’s deadly assault on two U.S. troops in Jordan, where one service member remains missing. Central Command says it also struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) forces responsible for the Jordan attack.
In response, Iranian officials say drone attacks targeted U.S. bases in Kuwait, citing camps such as Camp Udairi and Ali Al Salem. The strikes are seen by Washington as a swift punishment of the IRGC for that Monday bombing.
These actions come after Washington reimposed a maritime blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, following a brief preliminary ceasefire that collapsed in mid‑July.
With the U.S. death toll rising to 16—after another Navy pilot was declared dead—American officials have called the incidents "stiffening our resolve." Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
For more on the casualties, read this report on two U.S. troops killed and one missing after the Jordan attack.
