US launches daytime strikes, IRGC claims targeting of US bases
President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran on February 28; There were massive joint US-Israeli attacks targeting military, government and infrastructure facilities.
Delegations from the United States and Iran started negotiations in June aiming for an agreement to end the war, based on the memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
Despite the signing of the memorandum and at a time when peace talks were ongoing, the United States and Iran continued to conduct relatively limited attacks on each other, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz as the primary flashpoint.
More than 30 people were killed in “recent” attacks on southern parts of Iran, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a social media post on Wednesday morning.
Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Health, said in a separate social media post early Wednesday that more than 260 people were injured across the country in the latest wave of attacks, but without specifying how many were killed.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
He began launching “a wave of attacks” against Iran around 6 a.m. Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
“The attacks are designed to further weaken the military capabilities used by Iranian forces to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the post said.
-ABC News’ Lauren Minore
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have targeted US military bases and assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in attacks launched early on Wednesday.
Bahrain reported that alarm sirens had been activated, while Kuwait reported that its air defenses had captured six missiles and 33 UAVs. Jordan said its air defenses intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles.
-/SEPAHNEWS.COM/AFP via Getty Imag – PHOTO: This screenshot taken on July 15, 2026, from video footage published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Sepah News website on July 14, 2026, allegedly shows missiles being launched towards Bahrain and Kuwait from an undisclosed location.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor and Guy Davies
The Jordan News Agency reported that the country’s military intercepted three ballistic missiles that entered the national airspace from Iranian territory early on Wednesday morning.
According to the news, citing a source from the General Command of the Armed Forces, he stated that the army did not report any damage or loss of life.
US forces have completed a new round of strikes against Iran, US Central Command said late Tuesday night.
The statement said the US struck “dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and coastal areas of Iran” during what it described as a “seven-hour wave of attacks” to “further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial ships and civilian crews.”
CENTCOM said the attacks occurred on the same day the United States reimposed a naval blockade against ships heading to or arriving from Iranian ports.
CENTCOM – PHOTO: A still image taken from video footage released on July 14, 2026, shows U.S. Central Command forces striking targets across Iran.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said U.S. attacks on Iran will continue until “enough is enough” and threatened to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants “next week.” The president also did not rule out the possibility of a ground operation against Iran.
During the interview, Trump gave mixed messages about the status of negotiations with Iran, saying “I don’t want to negotiate” but also saying attacks would continue unless Iran “negotiates.” Trump also claimed that US negotiators contacted Iran in the afternoon and demanded a deal from them.
Regarding the US attacks and what will come after the war, Trump said: “They will continue until I say enough is enough… You know, the word the military likes to use is humiliate. They have been brought down to a very low level.”
When Trump was asked if his goals could be achieved with just an air campaign, he claimed that his goals were already “completed.”
But moments later, Trump did not particularly rule out the ground campaign.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst asked: “Are you ruling out a limited-capacity ground operation?”
Trump responded: “I don’t want to say that either. But if I thought it was appropriate, I would say no. Sometimes you need ground operations, but there are other people who will do ground operations for us.”
US Central Command Chief Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran attacked seven commercial ships last week.
The attacks resulted in about a dozen civilian crew members being killed, injured or missing, Cooper said in a statement posted on social media.
“Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles into neighboring Gulf countries,” Cooper said in his statement. “US forces hold Iran responsible for unwarranted attacks that continue to endanger innocent lives.”
The United States has launched several rounds of retaliatory strikes in response to Iran’s attacks, U.S. officials said.
The Trump administration is increasing financial pressure on Iran by imposing new sanctions on an Iranian oil tycoon and more than 50 individuals, vessels and companies linked to him on Tuesday.
The new sanctions target “more than 50 individuals, entities, and vessels that enable Shamkhani and the Iranian regime to continue to profit,” according to the Treasury Department.
“The Iranian regime survives through deception, and the Shamkhani network is one of its most profitable engines. Treasury is shutting down the financial infrastructure that allows the regime to continue its threats to U.S. national security and global shipping,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release Tuesday. he said.
As the US blockade of Iranian shipping is reimposed, the action targets at least eight oil tankers that the Treasury says are linked to Iran’s oil businesses.
The action also targets individuals and firms that the government says support financial services that allow Iranian institutions to evade sanctions.
US Central Command announced that US forces have resumed a naval blockade of ships traveling to and from Iranian ports. The blockade came into force again as of 16:00
A US official has confirmed that US forces are currently conducting airstrikes in Iran.
The airstrikes have been continuing for the last few hours, the official said.
At 3:00 PM ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran in an effort to continue weakening the capabilities Iran uses to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks come as American forces prepare to resume a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade will come into force at 16:00.
