Last Updated on 1 week ago by TodayWhy Editorial
Update, July 20, 2026: What began as a single retaliatory strike on July 8 has become nine consecutive nights of US-Iran strikes, with dozens killed on both sides and the ceasefire now effectively abandoned by both governments. The sections below have been rewritten to cover the full two-week escalation; the original reporting on the July 8 Kuwait and Bahrain strikes is preserved further down.
Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain and Kuwait in early July 2026 after Iran said it struck “85 US military installations” in both countries. Two weeks later, that single round of strikes has turned into the most sustained fighting since the war’s opening phase in February, with both the ceasefire and the memorandum of understanding that followed it now in tatters.
How the ceasefire fully collapsed
The breakdown traces back to July 6-7, when at least three commercial tankers, including Qatari- and Saudi-linked vessels, were struck by missiles or unidentified projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The US Treasury Department responded by revoking the license that had allowed Iran to sell oil under the memorandum of understanding signed in June, calling Iran’s actions in the strait “wholly unacceptable.” CENTCOM struck more than 80 targets in Iran that evening, and Iran retaliated the next morning against US-linked sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran’s government now describes the ceasefire framework as suspended outright. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said “the US has violated and suspended all its commitments” under the agreement, following through on earlier warnings from Iran’s negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that “the era of bullying and extortion is over, and we don’t fold.” US officials have not declared the ceasefire dead, but Washington’s own actions — reimposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and continuing nightly strikes — have made the practical answer clear.
Nine nights of strikes, and rising casualties on both sides
What started as a single tit-for-tat exchange has become a sustained nightly campaign. By July 19, the US had carried out nine consecutive nights of strikes on Iran, with President Trump saying Iran had been hit “very hard” and vowing to “swiftly punish” Iran over American casualties.
Those casualties have mounted on both sides. Iran’s Health Ministry reported at least 50 people killed and more than 500 injured by US strikes since July 6. In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Iranian strikes killed at least eight opposition fighters, according to a Kurdish Iranian opposition group. On the American side, US Central Command has confirmed the deaths of at least three service members since July 17 alone: two killed and one left missing in action after an Iranian strike on a base in Jordan, and another killed in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. Iran claims to have destroyed multiple US Black Hawk helicopters and damaged base infrastructure, though the Pentagon hasn’t confirmed equipment losses.
Civilian infrastructure is now a target
Both sides have hit water and power infrastructure directly. A US strike destroyed a seawater pumping station and power transformer at a desalination plant in Jask, in Iran’s Hormozgan province, leaving 20 villages and roughly 10,000 people without water, according to local officials. Iran, in turn, struck two power-generation and water-desalination plants in Kuwait, sparking a fire and prompting Kuwait to briefly close its airspace. Al Jazeera has characterized Iran’s strikes on civilian infrastructure as a potential violation of international humanitarian law.
The economic fallout: oil, gas and blockades
The US reimposed its naval blockade of Iranian ports partway through the escalation, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — which carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply — has fallen sharply as a result, with some vessels rerouting along the Omani coastline instead. Brent crude has climbed to roughly $90.78 a barrel and US crude to about $84.85, both up around 3% in a single day as the tit-for-tat strikes stretched past a week. The US national average gas price is just under $4 a gallon, about 34% higher than before the war resumed.
Why Israel is watching closely
Israel has stayed out of this latest round of strikes but has repeatedly signaled it won’t stay out if Iran turns its fire toward Israeli territory. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel “will respond and strike back without any dependence or conditions” if Iran attacks, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Kamir said the military is “prepared to immediately resume combat” against anyone who harms Israel.
Original report, July 8: Why Iran Struck Kuwait and Bahrain
Iran says the strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain were retaliation for new US airstrikes on its own coast. On July 7, US Central Command said it hit more than 80 targets in Iran, including port facilities and air defense sites in Hormozgan province. CENTCOM stated that “U.S. forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran” after Iranian forces attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s response, a day later, was to target US-linked military sites in the two Gulf states that host American forces.
Why Kuwait and Bahrain specifically
Both countries host major US military infrastructure. Bahrain is home to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which Iran targeted for months during the earlier war. Kuwait hosts several American installations, including Camp Arifjan and the Ali Al Salem air base, both previously hit during earlier phases of the conflict. Striking these two countries lets Iran retaliate against the US military presence in the Gulf without hitting American soil directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the US-Iran ceasefire still in place?
Iran’s government now says the memorandum of understanding is suspended. The US hasn’t formally declared it dead, but has reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and continued nightly strikes for over a week.
How many people have been killed in this latest phase of the war?
Iran’s Health Ministry reported at least 50 killed and 500+ injured from US strikes since July 6. The US has confirmed at least three service members killed since July 17, with more wounded.
Why did the ceasefire break down?
Commercial tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz on July 6-7. The US revoked Iran’s oil-sale license in response and launched strikes on Iranian targets, which Iran answered with strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain — triggering a cycle that has continued nightly since.
Is Israel involved in this round of fighting?
Not directly, but Israeli officials have warned they will respond immediately if Iran strikes Israeli territory.
What is happening to oil prices?
Brent crude has risen to around $90.78 a barrel amid reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and US gas prices are roughly 34% higher than before the war resumed.
Sources: CNN live coverage, July 20, 2026; Al Jazeera, July 18, 2026; NPR, July 18–20, 2026.