Iran responds by targeting US-allied Kuwait and Qatar and accusing US of striking near its sole nuclear power plant5 min readJul 10, 2026 06:28 AM IST First published on: Jul 10, 2026 at 06:27 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookAn explosion in Iran as seen in a screengrab released by US Central Command. (Photo: X/@CENTCOM)The United States carried out a new round of airstrikes on Iran on Thursday, just hours after President Donald Trump warned he would escalate the conflict unless Tehran halted its attacks on shipping in the strait of Hormuz. Iran hit back by striking targets linked to US allies Kuwait and Qatar, and accused Washington of bombing near its only civilian nuclear plant.The exchange marked the most serious flare-up since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 meant to extend their ceasefire and create room for a lasting peace deal. It unfolded even as Iran buried former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and as Israeli defence minister Israel Katz warned his country was ready to resume military action against Iran “with even greater force” if necessary.A truck carrying the coffins of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family moves through a main avenue lined with thousands of mourners during the final stage of funeral ceremonies in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. (Photo: AP)Strikes hit military basesIranian officials said the US strikes reached the edges of the Bushehr nuclear power complex, along with a military base and a fishing pier in the surrounding province. Deputy governor Ehsan Jahanian said several areas were hit but reported no casualties there so far. Iran also said strikes had damaged two bridges near Mashhad that serve as key trade links with China, calling the move a war crime.IRGC releases footage of this morning's missile strikes on US base infrastructure and key facilitiesWritten on one of the missiles: 'Khamenei's revenge' pic.twitter.com/jEATMx0ZF0— RT (@RT_com) July 9, 2026The Pentagon said it struck roughly 90 targets across Iran, aimed at missile launchers and runways, describing the goal as degrading Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through Hormuz a corridor that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.Trump frames strikes as retaliationTrump declared the ceasefire agreement “over,” citing Iranian strikes on three ships in the strait earlier in the week. After the US strikes, he posted footage of explosions and warned this is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!”Iranian officials pushed back firmly. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote that “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free,” adding a blunt warning that any strike would be met in kind. Iran’s navy separately threatened a “crushing response” to further US action.دکتر قالیباف : آمریکا هنوز یاد نگرفته است که زورگویی و بدعهدی دیگر بی هزینه نیست.شفاف بگویم: بزنید میخورید. pic.twitter.com/RAyI2MY7IL— شبکه هواداران قالیباف (@ghalibaffans) July 9, 2026At least three people were killed in Iran’s Khuzestan province and a firefighter died in a strike on an airport in Iranshahr, with nine Iranian troops reported killed a day earlier. Qatar’s prime minister, a key mediator, spoke with Iran’s foreign minister and condemned Tehran’s strikes on shipping, as regional powers scrambled to keep collapsing talks alive.Story continues below this adOil prices spiked briefly on the news before easing once calm returned. Iran maintains that roughly half of prewar shipping traffic has resumed through Hormuz, though only via routes it designates a key point of friction with Washington, which insists the strait must remain open to all commercial traffic without Iranian tolls. Talks toward a permanent deal had been expected to resume once Khamenei’s funeral rites concluded.Most ReadThe coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried through a crowd as mourners jostle to reach and touch it outside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq. (Photo: AP)CENTCOM details scope of the strikesUS Central Command later confirmed the operation, saying its forces struck more than 80 targets on July 7 as a direct response to Iran’s attacks on shipping in the strait. According to the command, the strikes hit Iranian air defenses, command-and-control networks, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile capability, and over 60 small boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in and around the waterway.https://t.co/fiKJRI9zmE— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 9, 2026CENTCOM identified the three vessels Iran had targeted as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Al Rekayyat, the Saudi-flagged Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged Cyprus Prosperity, calling the attacks a clear breach of the ceasefire. The command said it remains postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable” for any further violations of the agreement.CENTCOM said it carried out another round of strikes on July 8, a night after the first, aimed at further weakening Iran’s ability to threaten shipping and civilian mariners in the strait. The command said roughly 90 Iranian military targets were struck this time, including air defenses, coastal surveillance sites, missile and drone storage facilities, naval assets, and logistics infrastructure along the coast.Taken together, the two nights of strikes hit close to 170 targets, according to CENTCOM’s own tallies about 80 on July 7 and roughly 90 the following night.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogUS-Iran War Live Updates: US strikes 90 Iran targets as Tehran fires at Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar9 minutes agoWeather Live Updates: Red alert in Delhi as capital braces for more rain; flood hits life in Gujarat, Maharashtra9 hours agoIndia News Live Updates; 9 July 2026: Ex-TMC MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Prakash Chik Baraik join BJP12 hours agoCBSE 10th Second Board Result 2026 Live Updates: Websites to check & download results13 hours agoIran alleges US cruise missile attack in northern Golestan, warns of retaliation19 hours ago