US Launches Heavy Strikes on Iran After Jordan Base Attack

The United States military launched a heavy wave of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on July 30, 2026. Authorized by President Donald Trump, the two-hour operation targeted dozens of sites across Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance, and maritime capabilities. The strikes followed Iranian ballistic missile attacks on American personnel in Jordan and ships in the Strait of Hormuz. While Jordanian air defenses intercepted five missiles, the U.S. retaliation resulted in civilian casualties on Qeshm Island, where a strike on a residential building killed three family members, including a two-year-old child.

Concurrent with the strikes in Iran, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia conducted joint air strikes against Iran-backed militants and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and several Iranian advisers. This escalation coincides with Iranian military operations targeting U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as drone strikes on natural gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta Port.

In response, the IRGC announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it as their territory and stating it will remain closed until the U.S. ceases regional interference. The United States Central Command refuted these claims, asserting the strait is an international waterway and implementing a naval blockade against Iranian ports. These developments, alongside Houthi rebel attacks on Saudi oil facilities, have caused significant volatility in global oil prices and disrupted diplomatic efforts between Donald Trump and Iranian leadership.