Iran drone attacks hit US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, killing two US soldiers and wounding four

## Overview On 18 July 2026, Iran carried out a coordinated series of drone and missile strikes against US military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The Iranian army, in a statement broadcast by state media, said its "destructive drones" hit an ammunition depot at Camp Al Adiri and struck Patriot missile systems and air defence radar at Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait. In Bahrain, the attacks targeted jet parking areas, a US fuel depot at Sheikh Isa air base in the south of the country, and several bridges. The operation followed the seventh consecutive night of US airstrikes on Iranian military targets, escalating a conflict that reignited a week after a ceasefire collapsed.

Casualties and infrastructure damage

The US Central Command announced on X that two American soldiers were killed in action during the attack in Jordan, with four others wounded and subsequently discharged from hospital. In Kuwait, the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation reported that one of its vital oil sector sites was subjected to "repeated and brutal Iranian attacks," resulting in numerous injuries and significant material losses. The injured received medical care and the site was evacuated. Separately, a fire broke out at a power generation and water desalination plant after the latest wave of strikes. Kuwait's armed forces said air defence systems intercepted hostile missiles and drones, and explosions heard in Kuwait City were the result of these interceptions. The country suspended all flight operations at Kuwait International Airport, with Kuwait Airways informing passengers that most flights would be rescheduled.

Hormuz claims and US denial

Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that two oil tankers caught fire after explosions while attempting to navigate a minefield in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that "the Strait is completely closed." US Central Command dismissed the tanker report on X as false.

The news is false.

Diplomatic and political reactions

Kuwait's foreign ministry issued a sharp condemnation, accusing Iran of a "systematic hostile approach" that deliberately targets civilian sites and endangers lives.

The repeated attacks on these vital infrastructure reveal a systematic hostile approach that targets civilian sites and vital infrastructure, endangering the life and safety of civilians.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement rejecting the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, citing repeated American violations.

The repeated violations of the Great Satan of the memorandum of understanding signed between the presidents of Iran and the United States have once again demonstrated to everyone how useless and without value the signature of the US president is, and that bullying, hegemonic ambitions and barbarism are inseparable elements of the American way and doctrine.

Escalation timeline

The Iranian strikes came after a week of US aerial bombardment of Iranian military sites. Iranian sources reported that US airstrikes killed three people and wounded eight in Hormozgan province. The exchange of fire marks the most serious direct confrontation since the truce unravelled seven days earlier.