US-Iran conflict: Gulf faces fresh attacks as Trump signals diplomacy

Strikes in Iraq's Kurdistan region killed nine members of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group on Friday, the exiled party said, blaming the attack on Iran.

The new attacks come against the backdrop of renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran, Iraq's main allies.

Idriss Kohlwazi from the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan told AFP that "the Iranian regime attacked at 04:30 am (0130 GMT) with drones and rockets a camp" belonging to the party and its vicinity near the city of Sulaimaniyah in the early morning.

He said that the toll has risen to nine members killed after initially reporting eight. Two others were wounded in the attack.

Later Friday, a strike hit another camp belonging to Kurdish rebels, wounding two fighters, according to Komala's Amjad Panahi.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday that they had targeted US radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar to "punish the aggressor" following overnight US strikes on Iran.

"In continuation of last night's retaliatory operations, the brave fighters of the IRGC's Aerospace Force... carried out a heavy and surprise attack on the US airbase at al-Udeid, Qatar, to punish the aggressor and the child-killing US military," the IRGC said in a statement.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted the US air base at Al-Udeid in Qatar during the 15th wave of attacks, Iran’s IRIB news agency reported.

The IRGC claimed the strikes destroyed a long-range radar system and several US strategic refuelling aircraft at the base.

The force warned that further attacks would follow if the US continued what it described as strikes against people and civilian infrastructure, saying future responses would be “more crushing”.

A Syrian military source denied to AFP on Friday that Iran had bombed the Al Tanf base near Syria's southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq, after Tehran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted the facility in response to US strikes.

"We deny any Iranian bombardment targeting the Al-Tanf area," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. US forces said they withdrew from the base earlier this year after troops were stationed there as part of a US-led anti-jihadist coalition.

The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile attacks by Iran targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with missiles and drones.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability.

The Ministry reiterated the UAE’s full solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding their security and stability.

Iran's energy ministry called on citizens to reduce electricity use on Friday after the power grid came under strain following US strikes on energy infrastructure in the south.

The ministry in a statement urged people to switch off air conditioners in peak hours "to help ensure a stable electricity supply in the southern provinces, which are currently facing extreme heat and attacks on electricity supply facilities".

Unidentified armed men are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off Yemen’s southern coast in the Gulf of Aden on Friday and taken control of the vessel, Reuters reported, citing maritime security sources.

The small tanker, which has no confirmed flag, was heading towards Somalia’s Bosaso port, according to ship tracking data.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it carried out attacks on several locations in Kuwait, claiming to have destroyed High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platforms and missiles.

The IRGC said the targets included sites where US forces and Israeli-backed fighters were stationed, adding that the “tit-for-tat operations are ongoing”.

Kuwait said that Iran attacked a power and water desalination plant, causing widespread damage to the station.

In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination -- and any disruption can threaten life in the small, desert nation.

Kuwait's Electricity Water and Renewable Energy Ministry announced the attack, saying it sparked a fire and "damage to a large number of electricity generation units."

Kuwait said it extinguished the blaze and was working to assess the damage and get the station working again.

• Tanker hit off Oman: Vessel struck by an unknown projectile; crew safe, minor damage reported.

• Iran death toll rises: Tehran says 38 people killed and more than 400 injured in US strikes since June 22.

• Gulf states targeted: Jordan intercepted three Iranian missiles with no casualties or damage. Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar also reported missile or drone attacks; Qatar said a child was injured by falling debris.

• US launches new strikes: American forces carry out sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran.

• Iran claims US targets hit: IRGC says it destroyed US radar sites in Oman and attacked Syria’s Al Tanf base.

• Ship incidents reported: Drone strikes vessel near Iraq’s Basra port; US forces board ship in Gulf of Oman.

• Iran infrastructure hit: Explosions reported in Bushehr; strikes reported on Bandar Abbas airport and railway.

• Diplomatic calls grow: China and Pakistan urge Washington and Tehran to return to talks.

• Trump keeps door open: White House says diplomacy with Iran remains possible.

A woman was killed and her one-year-old child was critically injured by shrapnel wounds following US attacks on Iran’s southern city of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

The strike hit the Tappeh Allah Akbar neighbourhood of Bandar Abbas, killing the woman and injuring eight others, according to the report.

Iran has restricted passenger train departures from Bandar Abbas station following US attacks on a railway facility in the Hormozgan region, the country’s Tasnim news agency reported.

The Hormozgan Railways Administration has instructed passengers to travel by intercity bus to Fin station, where they can board their scheduled trains.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it targeted US fighter jets stationed in Jordan, Iranian state television reported.

There has been no immediate official confirmation from Jordan or the United States regarding the claim.

Earlier, Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles targeting the country.

Only three commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest daily traffic since May, according to shipping data.

Kpler data showed that Miraan, a sanctioned fuel oil tanker, and Norita, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, exited the strait via the Iranian route on Thursday before stopping in the Gulf of Oman, where the US blockade is in effect.

Arolia, a bunkering tanker carrying Iraqi fuel oil for refuelling ships at sea, initially exited the strait early on Friday but later reversed course and returned to the Gulf, according to LSEG shipping data.

Key highlights:

• Only 3 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the lowest level since May.

• Two ships exited through the Iranian route but stopped in the Gulf of Oman.

• Bunkering tanker Arolia turned back after briefly exiting the strait.

Bahrain's Defence Force said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian aerial threats on Friday, accusing Iran of continuing attacks targeting civilians.

The military said all units remain on high alert, urged the public to avoid suspicious debris and report it immediately, and condemned the attacks as a violation of international humanitarian law.

Strikes in Iraq's Kurdistan region killed eight members of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group on Friday, the exiled party said, blaming the attack on Iran.

Idriss Kohlwazi from the Komala party told AFP that "the Iranian regime attacked with drones and rockets a camp" belonging to the party and its vicinity near the city of Sulaimaniyah in the early morning, resulting in the "martyrdom of eight of our members and wounding others".

US forces intercept eight explosive drones over Iraq’s Erbil

US coalition forces shot down eight explosive drones over Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Kurdish counterterrorism forces said, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). No casualties were reported in the incident.

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile on Thursday while sailing about 19 nautical miles (35km) east of Khasab, Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The vessel’s crew was reported safe, and there were no reports of environmental impact, UKMTO said.

The agency is monitoring the incident and advised vessels operating in the area to remain vigilant.

Iran's health ministry said Friday that at least 38 people had been killed and more than 400 injured in the country since fighting resumed with the United States.

"The number of injured from US attacks has exceeded 400, and 38 compatriots have been martyred" since June 22, ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour posted on X. "Among them are 22 injured women, three martyred women, nine injured under the age of 18, and one martyr under 18."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has struck US long-range radar installations in Oman, marking what would be one of the conflict's most significant expansions beyond the Strait of Hormuz if confirmed. In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the IRGC Navy claimed it destroyed an FPS long-range air surveillance radar and a maritime detection radar in the Sultanate of Oman using coordinated missile and drone strikes.

The group also said it targeted US military facilities in Juffair, Bahrain, as part of its latest retaliation against continued American military operations, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The US has not confirmed Iran's claims, and Omani authorities have not publicly verified that the radar installations were struck.

The announcement comes as fighting between Washington and Tehran enters another phase of escalation, with both sides exchanging daily military strikes across the Gulf. Over the past week, US forces have intensified attacks on Iranian coastal radar stations, missile batteries, drone facilities and IRGC positions around the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.

China and Pakistan's foreign ministers on Friday called on the United States and Iran to end fighting and return to the negotiating table, after they met in Shanghai, according to a government statement.

China's Wang Yi and Pakistan's Ishaq Dar jointly "expressed concern over the deterioration of the current situation, calling on the involved parties to immediately cease hostilities... (and) return to dialogue", the statement by Beijing's foreign ministry said.

Jordan’s army said its air defence systems intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles that were targeting the country.

The incident caused no casualties, while teams from Jordan’s Royal Engineering Corps responded to and dealt with falling missile debris.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they had attacked the Al-Tanf military base in Syria.

"The IRGC announces a surprise attack on the enemy's Special Operations Command Center in Syria's Al-Tanf region in retaliation for the blood of the martyred Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr," the state broadcaster wrote on Telegram.

Four loud explosions were heard in Iraq’s northern city of Sulaimaniyah, according to Kurdish news platform Rudaw.

The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear. Further details on possible damage or casualties were not immediately available.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that a US missile strike hit the maritime control tower at Chabahar port.

The agency said the strike marked the third time the facility had been targeted by US forces in the past week.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior sounded an emergency siren and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.

In a statement shared on social media, the ministry advised people to follow safety instructions as regional tensions continue to rise.

A child was injured after an Iranian attack on Qatar on Friday morning, the country’s Interior Ministry said.

The child was hurt by falling shrapnel from an intercepted missile strike and is receiving medical treatment, the ministry said.

The incident came after Qatar’s air defence systems intercepted the attack, amid rising regional tensions linked to the escalating US-Iran conflict.

The US military has completed another major wave of strikes against Iran, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying the operation was carried out successfully.

According to CENTCOM, US fighter jets, drones and warships launched precision strikes on dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defence sites, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.

The operation marked the sixth consecutive night of US strikes on Iran.

CENTCOM said the strikes were conducted under the direction of US President Donald Trump to further weaken Iran's military capabilities and respond to recent attacks on commercial shipping.

The command also said more than 50,000 US service members remain deployed across the Middle East and are "vigilant, lethal and ready".

Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz an "unbreakable red line," warning it will never allow the US to interfere with the strategic waterway as Washington expands its military campaign in the Gulf and considers broader strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's central military command, said Tehran would act decisively against any attempt by the United States to challenge its position in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy corridors. "Under no circumstances will we permit the United States to interfere with the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran's unbreakable red line," Zolfaghari said in televised remarks.

He also warned that Iran's armed forces would target "all infrastructure throughout the region" if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to strike Iranian civilian or energy infrastructure.

The warning comes as the US has intensified military operations against Iran, conducting near-daily strikes on missile sites, radar installations and IRGC positions around Hormuz while enforcing a naval blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Oil prices edged lower Friday as traders paused after weeks of heightened volatility, weighing the risk of further escalation in the US-Iran conflict against signs that global crude supplies remain sufficient to prevent a sustained price spike.

Market data showed Brent crude, the international benchmark, trading at $84.69 a barrel, down 31 cents (0.31%), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 11 cents (0.14%) to $79.49, as of 10.55am Tokyo on Friday (July 17).

Murban crude, the benchmark produced by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and widely used by Asian refiners, posted the steepest decline, falling 4.13% to $78.55. U.S. natural gas futures also slipped 0.62% to $2.906 per million British thermal units.

The modest pullback comes despite continued military tensions in the Middle East, where the United States has expanded operations against Iran, including reported strikes on transport infrastructure and the enforcement of a naval blockade aimed at restricting Iranian oil exports.

US President Donald Trump remains "open to diplomacy" with Iran, the White House said, adding that Washington was still talking to Tehran despite the renewal of hostilities.

"The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Qatar’s Interior Ministry raised the national security threat level to “high” on Friday, urging residents to remain indoors or in safe locations and avoid windows, glass facades and exposed areas. The precautionary alert, issued early Friday morning via state media, was framed as a measure to protect public safety amid unspecified risks. No immediate details on the nature of the threat were provided in the initial announcement.

Kuwaiti air defences intercepted hostile missiles and drones early Friday amid what the military described as Iranian aggression, officials said, urging residents to follow safety protocols as explosions echoed in parts of the country.

In a statement posted on X, the Kuwait Army General Staff Headquarters said its air defences were actively responding to "hostile missile and drone attacks" following the "Iranian aggression."

A US military strike reportedly destroyed a key road bridge near Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas, severing a major transportation link across the Shur River, according to reports circulating on social media and regional monitoring accounts.

The reports claimed the bridge, which connects Bandar Abbas with inland cities, collapsed into the river after being struck. At least two people were reportedly killed and four others injured.

Localised power outages were also reported in the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported late early on Friday that a location near Iranshahr in southeastern Iran was struck by what it described as an “American enemy projectile,” adding to a series of military exchanges that have kept the region on edge in recent weeks.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news service, stated that preliminary assessments were underway and that further details would be released.

Iranian state media reported explosions and US strikes in locations across the south on Thursday night, as hostilities between the two foes rekindled.

State TV reported two explosions in the city of Bushehr —  home to Iran's only civilian nuclear plant —  in a "continuation of the American enemy aggression", as well as a series of unattributed explosions in coastal Bandar Abbas.

The official news agency IRNA also reported "American enemy attacks on areas around Ahvaz", where fearful residents told AFP they had heard intense strikes for a second night in a row.

Seven people were injured in a US strike on the “Talleh Allah Akbar” neighbourhood of the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency. The agency said emergency medical teams were treating the wounded, while all rescue and healthcare units affiliated with Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences had been placed on maximum alert.

Iranian state media also aired footage it said showed the aftermath of the US attack in Bandar Abbas. Mehr reported that a telecommunications tower appeared to have been among the possible targets, although there has been no official confirmation of the intended target or the extent of the damage. Separately, Iranian state television reported eight new explosions around the village of Masan on Qeshm Island following what it described as a US aerial attack.

Kuwait’s armed forces intercepted 32 hostile drones that entered the country’s airspace from dawn on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence’s official spokesperson, Colonel Staff Saud Abdulaziz Al Otaibi, said.

He added that what he described as an “Iranian aggression” targeted several vital facilities across the country.

Debris from the intercepted drones fell in a number of residential areas, causing material damage but no casualties, he said.

US forces launched strikes against Iran for a 6th night in a row on Thursday, the US military said.

The strikes - which began at 1800 GMT - were carried out to "further degrade Iranian military capabilities," US Central Command said in a post on X.

Day 137: Dubai rebuts false explosion reports

Day 137: Iran says it is no longer bound by parts of US ceasefire deal

Day 136: 2 UAE tankers hit, US to resume Iran blockade

Day 135: US military launches another round of Iran strikes

Day 134: Strait of Hormuz tensions flare after ship attack

Day 133: US swaps strikes with Iran while keeping nuclear talks alive

Day 132: Israel vows stronger military action against Iran

Day 131: Trump tempers fury to end NATO summit on high note

Day 130: Iran reports explosions on sites around Hormuz Strait

Day 129: Body of Khamenei arrives in Qom ahead of procession

Day 128: Massive turnout at Khamenei funeral