The United States has completed its latest wave of military strikes against Iran, marking a third consecutive night of attacks as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate and the conflict expands beyond Iran’s borders.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out a five-hour operation targeting military sites across Iran, including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas. The strikes were launched at the direction of President Donald Trump.
The latest operation comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Tehran following Iran’s announcement over the weekend that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Trump has also said the United States is reinstating a blockade of Iranian shipping while proposing a 20% fee to safeguard maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
Smoke rises from a port, near Strait of Hormuz, following a U.S. strike in Kuhestak, Hormozgan Province, Iran, July 8, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. NEWS USE ONLY. Verification line: Reuters confirmed the location by matching the port layout visible in the video with satellite imagery. The coordinates are 26.801109802855272, 57.02121784040872. The date the video was filmed was verified through a report from Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, which reported explosions early on July 8 at multiple locations along the Gulf coast, including Kuhestak. Aftermath photographs shared online on July 8 also showed damage at the same location. No earlier versions of the footage or photographs posted before July 8 were found.
Iran’s top joint military command rejected the U.S. position, saying Washington had no authority to determine the future of the Strait of Hormuz and would not be allowed to intervene.
Trump threatens new strike on Pickaxe Mountain
Hours before the latest military operation, Trump warned that another high-profile Iranian target could soon come under attack.
Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt Show, the U.S. president said Washington would “take out Pickaxe Mountain” and warned Iran to “be ready.”
A projectile approaches a target at an unknown location, during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 12, 2026. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. OVERLAY AND MASKING AT SOURCE. VERIFICATION: – Reuters was not able to independently verify the location and the date when the video was filmed. – No earlier version of the video found posted online before July 12. REFILE – CORRECTING TIMELINE OF THE STRIKES
Trump said the site was being closely monitored and suggested further military action was imminent.
Pickaxe Mountain, located near Iran’s heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, contains deeply buried tunnel complexes that experts assess are beyond the reach of even the most powerful U.S. bunker-buster bombs.
The president also vowed that the United States would continue striking Iran over the coming days, saying: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow.”
A projectile is fired during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said was a third round of strikes this week against Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 11, 2026. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. VERIFICATION: – Location and date could not be verified. – No earlier version of the video found posted online before Saturday (July 11). TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Conflict spreads across the region
As fighting between Washington and Tehran intensified, the conflict appeared to spill further across the region after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched missiles at Saudi Arabia, ending years of relative calm between the two sides.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted missiles fired toward its southern region, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted Abha International Airport in the kingdom’s southwest.
The attack marked the first missile strike claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since an informal truce took effect in March 2022 following earlier attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
The Houthis said the strikes were retaliation for attacks earlier on Monday against Sanaa International Airport, which they blamed on Saudi Arabia. They described the operation as “blatant aggression” and declared that the period of de-escalation had ended.
However, the strikes on Sanaa airport were claimed by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which said the runway had been targeted to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing in violation of Yemen’s sovereignty.
Yemen’s defense ministry said government forces would respond to any hostile aircraft entering the country’s airspace “by all available means” and held Iran responsible. An armed forces spokesperson later said the aircraft landed instead at Houthi-controlled Hodeidah airport.
The Houthis also warned airlines against using Saudi airspace until what they described as the “siege” on Sanaa airport was lifted.
The renewed exchanges raise the prospect of a broader conflict on Saudi Arabia’s southern border, potentially adding another front to a war that has already destabilized the Gulf, disrupted shipping and driven oil prices higher.
