Iran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. military targets in Gulf states, warning President Donald Trump of a "crushing response" if American attacks continue. The strikes targeted U.S. Patriot systems in Kuwait, an early-warning site in Qatar, and a U.S. Army fuel depot in Bahrain.
Kuwait reported engaging a cruise missile, three ballistic missiles, and 10 drones in its airspace, with one person injured by falling shrapnel. Sirens also sounded in Jordan after missiles launched from Iran were detected and intercepted, with no reported injuries or damage. The Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for firing 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan's Azraq military base, used by U.S. forces, and a U.S. military control center in the Middle East.
These actions come after the U.S. military conducted strikes on approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems and missile storage sites. U.S. Central Command stated these retaliatory strikes were aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, following Iranian attacks on three tankers in the region. President Trump asserted on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. strikes were in retribution for Iran's actions and threatened further escalation if such attacks occurred again.
However, Trump, attending a NATO summit, also indicated he did not believe the latest exchanges would escalate into a full-fledged conflict. He told reporters that "anything that happens is going to be over very quickly... and will only make it safer, including for oil." He had previously stated he believed the interim ceasefire with Iran was "over."
The Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of global oil supplies before the conflict, has seen increased Iranian control. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy stated that U.S. attacks and intervention were disrupting the waterway's reopening, with vessel transits under Iranian supervision recovering to about 50% of pre-war levels. Iran has indicated the strait will reopen only under its arrangements, not U.S. threats.
Analysts suggest Iran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations. Oil prices initially spiked amid concerns over supply disruptions but later fell as investors assessed the situation. Iranian officials reported that U.S. attacks on July 8 and 9 killed 14 people and injured 78 across five provinces. One reported U.S. strike hit a rail bridge used for trade with Russia and China.
Explosions were heard in Iran's Bushehr province and Bandar Abbas. A local official stated a U.S. projectile hit the perimeter area of a Russian-built nuclear power plant in Bushehr, a site that had been previously struck before an April 8 ceasefire. In response to the U.S. strikes, Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, wrote on X that "The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through US threats."
Qatar, which hosts a significant U.S. base and has mediated between Washington and Tehran, condemned the attacks on commercial shipping while calling for a return to diplomacy. The foreign ministers of Turkey and Oman, as well as the army chief of Pakistan, have stressed the need to avoid further military escalation and condemned U.S. "warmongering policies."
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz stated his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if necessary, vowing to do so "with even greater force."
The incidents occurred as Iran buried its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike on February 28. Khamenei's funeral processions and rallies had taken place throughout the preceding week.