US strikes Iran again as Tehran launches retaliatory drone attacks

The United States carried out a new wave of strikes on Iran late Tuesday, hitting military sites Washington linked to threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran reported retaliatory drone attacks on U.S. facilities in the region soon after. U.S. Central Command confirmed the operation in a statement issued Thursday.

Did the US strike Iran today?

Yes. U.S. Central Command said an evening wave of strikes on Iran ended at 9 p.m. ET on July 15. Forces hit Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities. The goal, CENTCOM said, was to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

What did the strikes on Iran target?

CENTCOM said precision munitions struck targets in multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas. Earlier the same day, U.S. forces carried out a separate 90-minute wave of strikes against coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island. The military said the operations were conducted at the direction of the commander in chief.

Did Iran attack the US with a drone?

Iranian state media reported that Iran's army launched drones at U.S. military facilities in Jordan following the latest strikes. State broadcaster IRIB said the army targeted communication systems and fuel storage facilities used by American forces there, describing the weapons as suicide drones. Iran's Revolutionary Guards separately said they targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and air raid sirens sounded there as incoming attacks were intercepted.

Jordan's armed forces said they shot down three missiles launched from Iran. Kuwait said it was responding to hostile drone attacks and reported that one naval vessel was hit, wounding four crew members. In Iraq, Kurdish forces said the U.S.-led coalition downed eight explosive-laden drones over Erbil, and AFP journalists reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the U.S. consulate there, though no casualties were reported.

Iranian state media also reported explosions in several cities, including Bandar Abbas, Rask and Chabahar, with earlier blasts reported near Qeshm and Bandar Imam Khomeini. State media later reported fresh U.S. strikes in Bushehr, home to Iran's only civilian nuclear power plant.

Is the Iran ceasefire over?

The latest escalation comes nearly a month after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict. Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, questioned the future of that agreement, saying it would only remain meaningful if its provisions were implemented. Despite the renewed fighting, mediated talks between the two sides have not formally ended.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the renewed U.S. blockade of Iranian ports had effectively undermined last month's agreement.

What is happening in the Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the confrontation. Iran blockaded the waterway after the conflict began and briefly reopened it following last month's agreement, before later saying it would again remain closed until U.S. military actions ceased. Since the conflict began, Iran has asserted control over the strait and fired on vessels it said were using unauthorized routes.

Maritime tracker Kpler reported 21 transits through the strait on Tuesday, while oil prices rose following the latest escalation. A Norwegian tanker was struck by an explosion off the coast of Oman early Tuesday, according to crisis response company MTI Network.

What has Trump said about further strikes on Iran?

President Donald Trump warned Iran of further military action unless it returned to negotiations. "Next week it gets really bad for them," Trump told Fox News, threatening strikes on power plants and bridges. Trump also said Wednesday that American citizen Dena Karari had left Iran after being detained there since December 2024, writing on Truth Social that the U.S. appreciated the gesture.

How many people have died in the recent Iran strikes?

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said renewed U.S. attacks since last week had killed at least 30 people in Iran. Iran's military separately said seven personnel were killed in strikes on the country's southeast on Wednesday. State media reported that a hospital in Ahvaz was evacuated after U.S. airstrikes in the area, with patients transferred to other medical centers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacked the country, although Israel has not rejoined the conflict.