By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
The United States has renewed strikes against Iran after two American service members were killed in Jordan. Tehran is also extending its attacks across Gulf states hosting U.S. forces, while Israel and Lebanon are preparing technical work on limited withdrawal zones in the south.
US Strikes Iran after American Troops Killed in Jordan
The United States launched a new wave of attacks against Iran after an Iranian missile and drone operation killed two American service members at a military base in Jordan.
A third U.S. service member remained missing and four others were injured. The deaths raised the number of American military personnel killed during the wider conflict to 16, according to U.S. figures.
U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defences, missile facilities, surveillance systems and military infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump authorised the operation to punish those responsible for the attack in Jordan and reduce Iran's ability to obstruct commercial shipping through the waterway.
The campaign included targets around Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik and Hajiabad in southern Iran. Iranian authorities reported damage to transport, electricity and water infrastructure and said the attacks had caused civilian casualties.
Iran disputed parts of the American operational account and warned that further attacks would bring a wider response. Tehran also suspended its participation in the interim arrangement that had sought to limit the latest cycle of U.S.-Iran hostilities.
Commercial traffic through Hormuz remained severely restricted. The United States has restored its naval blockade of Iranian oil exports, while Iran continues to stop or threaten vessels it accuses of violating its restrictions.
The deaths in Jordan connect the shipping confrontation directly to American military losses. Washington is now pursuing freedom of navigation in Hormuz alongside an expanding retaliatory campaign against Iranian territory.
Iran Extends Attacks across Gulf States
Iran expanded its missile and drone campaign against U.S. positions and infrastructure in Gulf states hosting American forces.
Kuwait reported attacks against military facilities, energy infrastructure and a desalination plant, disrupting water and electricity services. Bahrain activated air defences against new aerial threats, while Jordan intercepted missiles and drones approaching military sites.
Iranian forces also claimed attacks against American-linked targets in Saudi Arabia. The operational claims and reported damage have not all been independently verified.
Nearly every Gulf Arab state has now been attacked or directly threatened during the latest escalation. The United Arab Emirates had not reported a confirmed Iranian strike, but Iran's Fars news agency warned that it could become a target.
Gulf governments have called on Iran to halt attacks against their territory and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf Cooperation Council accused Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure and endangering regional water and energy systems.
Iran appears to be increasing the cost of the American campaign for the states that host U.S. bases, aircraft, naval forces and logistics facilities. The attacks also reduce the Gulf's ability to serve as a stable alternative network while commercial traffic through Hormuz remains restricted.
Israel and Lebanon Prepare Work on Pilot Withdrawal Zones
Israel and Lebanon are preparing technical discussions on limited areas in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces could withdraw and the Lebanese army would assume control.
The two sides concluded U.S.-mediated talks in Rome on Wednesday. Officials said they had made progress on the structure of two pilot zones, but no withdrawal or transfer of territory has been confirmed.
The proposed mechanism would place the areas under Lebanese military control and exclude Hezbollah and other armed groups. Israel has demanded security guarantees before withdrawing, while Lebanon is seeking a timetable for the removal of Israeli forces from all territory occupied during the latest war.
Hezbollah has rejected the wider U.S.-brokered framework and said the Lebanese government cannot negotiate the group's disarmament while Israeli forces remain inside Lebanon.
Earlier claims that the first Israeli withdrawal had begun were denied by both governments. The current process therefore remains at the technical and political negotiation stage.
The pilot zones could provide the first test of whether the Lebanese army can replace Israeli forces without allowing Hezbollah to return. Disagreement over the sequence of withdrawal, deployment and disarmament remains unresolved.
Strategic Take
The deaths of American service members in Jordan have moved the U.S.-Iran confrontation beyond the earlier struggle over ships, blockades and access to the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington is now combining attacks intended to reopen commercial navigation with direct retaliation for Iranian strikes against U.S. forces. Iran is answering by widening the number of Gulf states exposed to missile and drone attacks and by targeting infrastructure that supports their populations and economies.
The Gulf escalation is also narrowing the space for mediation. States that previously hosted negotiations or maintained communication with Tehran are increasingly occupied with defending their own airspace, bases and infrastructure.
The Israel-Lebanon pilot-zone process offers a limited diplomatic track on the conflict's western front. It has not yet produced an Israeli withdrawal, and any implementation will depend on whether the Lebanese army can take control without triggering a new confrontation with Hezbollah.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, U.S. Central Command, Gulf state authorities, Bosphorus News review and reporting.
Read Yesterday's brief: Eastern Mediterranean Strategic Brief | July 18, 2026.