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The US-Iran conflict has escalated dramatically, with both sides conducting strikes in and around the Persian Gulf.

For the tenth night in a row, the United States launched attacks on Iran, with operations extending beyond the southern region.

By Sarah Shamim

Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026

The United States continued to attack Iran for a tenth consecutive night early on Tuesday, hitting military command centres. Explosions were reported in Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

In retaliation, Iran struck US military assets in the Gulf, including targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that 'massive fires' had broken out on two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Here is a recap of what happened on Monday night and Tuesday.

Where was Iran attacked?

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it completed another round of strikes against Iran at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday. This marks the tenth consecutive night of US strikes against Iran.

CENTCOM said it hit Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defence systems.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Assidi reported from the Iranian capital Tehran on Tuesday that explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh.

Explosions were heard in the southwestern city of Shiraz at about 1am local time (21:30 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster reported.

It said a location in the east of the city and another in the west “were attacked by the enemy”.

IRIB also cited the deputy governor of Isfahan province as saying there was no “enemy aggression or explosions” in the city of Isfahan or the wider province, denying an earlier report from the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The governor of Bushehr, meanwhile, told IRIB that the sounds of explosions in the province were “related to the activity of defence systems”.

The Mehr News Agency said on Tuesday that several explosions were in the city of Abdanan in Iran’s western Ilam province, citing Abdanan Governor Behzad Nourmohammadi.

Where was the Gulf attacked?

Bahrain: The IRGC said on Tuesday that it destroyed a US air defence system and radar in Bahrain’s Muharraq area during its latest military operation. In a statement carried by the IRIB broadcaster, the IRGC also claimed that a coordinated missile and drone attack destroyed a US Patriot air defence system in Bahrain’s Al-Riffa. The IRGC said the strikes were intended to clear the way for further operations. In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC claimed its aerospace force had destroyed Amazon’s central data infrastructure using cruise missiles.

Kuwait: The IRGC says it targeted and destroyed several US military assets in Kuwait during a recent strike. In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said the strikes hit a long-range radar site, a telecommunications centre, satellite receiving systems and a missile defence radar of the US military in Kuwait. The group also claimed to have struck an MQ-9 drone hangar at the Ali Al Salem airbase, destroying or severely damaging several unmanned aircraft.

What have leaders of either side said?

Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said the White House told Al Jazeera in a statement that the strikes would continue until the president decides otherwise. But it ended that statement by saying that diplomatic talks between the two nations are ongoing.

Iran’s IRGC said on Tuesday that “massive fires” had broken out on two oil tankers that attempted to “pass through the unsafe southern route in the Strait of Hormuz” following an explosion.

In a statement carried by the IRIB state broadcaster, the IRGC said rescue teams were evacuating the crews of the vessels.

It again warned shipping companies to safeguard the health of their crews, not to trust “false information from the US military”, and to avoid routes it described as dangerous.

“It is obvious that as long as America’s evils continue in the region, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed, and not even a drop of oil, gas, or a package of chemical fertiliser will be exported from the region,” it added.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for global oil trade, and any disruption there could have significant economic repercussions. The involvement of Bahrain and Kuwait suggests the conflict is drawing in US allies in the region. The situation remains fluid, and further escalations are possible as both nations continue their military operations.