US and Iran Exchange Strikes Across Middle East

The United States Central Command launched a heavy wave of strikes against dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran on July 29 and 30, 2026. The operation targeted military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal defense sites. A specific strike in the Chah Tangu neighborhood of Qeshm Island destroyed several residential homes, killing a taxi driver, his wife, and their two-year-old son. Iranian officials characterized the Qeshm strike as a war crime and part of a pattern of atrocities including previous attacks in Minab and Lamerd.

In retaliation, the IRGC and the Iranian Army launched a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes across the region. These attacks targeted the Al-Azraq and Muwaffaq Salti air bases in Jordan, the Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain, and the Ahmed Al-Jaber air base in Kuwait. The IRGC claimed to have destroyed three U.S. F-35 fighter jets in Jordan, though U.S. Central Command denied any aircraft losses, stating all projectiles were intercepted. Iranian drones also struck gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port and a building owned by a Chinese company in northern Kuwait, killing a Nepali driver.

President Donald Trump approved the U.S. strikes despite reports that Tehran had requested no retaliation. The escalation has caused crude oil prices to rise and prompted Saudi Arabia to form a 14-nation maritime defense alliance to protect shipping lanes. Meanwhile, the Government of Pakistan has attempted to mediate the conflict to restore the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.