Trump Orders Iran Strikes as Tehran Attacks Gulf States

President Donald Trump directed a series of airstrikes against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on July 19, 2026, targeting coastal surveillance, air defense facilities, and the Darkhovin nuclear power plant construction site. U.S. Central Command stated the operations were designed to punish the IRGC for an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed two service members and left one missing, while also degrading Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities reported at least 50 deaths and over 500 wounded from the assaults.

Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks against U.S. assets and Gulf states. The Kuwaiti military intercepted four waves of attacks targeting power plants, desalination facilities, and U.S. bases including Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base. Bahrain and Jordan also reported destroying Iranian aerial threats, while Iranian state media claimed targets were hit in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah Province.

This escalation follows the collapse of a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 intended to end a conflict initiated in February. Iranian officials, including Ebrahim Azizi, claim the U.S. violated the agreement by reinstating a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that the U.S. would suffer "unforgettable lessons," while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the situation as a "reckless war of choice."