US, Iran exchange fresh waves of military strikes across Middle East

United States forces have launched a fresh wave of airstrikes against military targets inside Iran, prompting Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to retaliate with drone and missile strikes on US bases across the Middle East.

The escalatory spiral, confirmed by both United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and Iranian state media on Friday, July 17, represents a significant tightening of regional tensions.

According to a statement issued by CENTCOM, the latest American precision strikes focused heavily on degrading Iran's defensive and monitoring capabilities. The targeted installations included coastal surveillance sites, air defence networks, logistical infrastructure, and naval facilities.

Shortly after the American bombardment, the IRGC announced it had initiated a broad retaliatory campaign against US military infrastructure in the region.

In Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, the IRGC claimed its drones successfully struck an airbase hosting American helicopters and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Iranian state media further asserted that retaliatory strikes had been successfully executed against US military positions in Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq.

As the regional tit-for-tat unfolded, reports emerged of a subsequent US strike targeting a maritime observation tower in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar, suggesting that the exchange of hostilities remains highly active.

By Tamilla Hasanova