Iran war live: US launches 10th night of strikes; Tehran attacks Kuwait

Live updates,

A fresh wave of US strikes has hit multiple locations in Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Chabahar, and Konarak, with reports of explosions across these areas.

The strikes are the latest in a series of US military actions aimed at pressuring Iran over its nuclear program and regional activities.

Published On 21 Jul 2026

• The US is bombing Iran for a 10th consecutive night, with explosions reported near Sirik and in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Chabahar and Konarak.
• US President Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay “many times over” for the deaths of American soldiers after a week in which at least three US personnel were killed.

8 Updates

• 1m ago

   (01:00 GMT)

  Qatar seeks compensation for Iranian attacks

  Reporting from Doha, Qatar

  Qatar has submitted documents to the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General detailing what it claims are repeated Iranian assaults on its territory.

  The letters cite the July 7 attack on the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat and a missile attack on Qatar on July 12, which Doha says its armed forces repelled.

  Qatar says the attacks violated international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. It is seeking compensation for the resulting damage and says it reserves the right to respond.

  Amid ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, UK Maritime Trade Operations has reported another incident near Oman involving a vessel, marking the second such event in roughly 24 hours.

  The vessel was travelling close to what is known as the southern route. Iran says ships using that route without coordinating with Tehran violate the Memorandum of Understanding governing traffic through the strait.

  Tehran accuses the United States and other countries of promoting the route to weaken Iranian control over shipping, keeping the waterway at the centre of the escalating confrontation.

• 16m ago

   (00:45 GMT)

  

  Explosions heard in Iran’s Shiraz

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

  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”.

• 31m ago

   (00:30 GMT)

  Diplomacy ‘takes a back seat’ as US prioritises military strikes on Iran

  Reporting from Washington DC, US

  There are signs of diplomacy, but they are taking a back seat right now to the US’s primary objective. And according to the White House, that objective is making Iran pay – not only for what it calls acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, but also violations of the memorandum of understanding (signed last month).

  The US also says that Iran will pay for the deaths of the three US soldiers who were killed over the weekend.

  In a statement to Al Jazeera, the White House said the strikes will continue until the president decides otherwise. But it ended that statement by saying that diplomatic talks between the two nations are ongoing.

  Earlier on Monday, the US president laid out a policy of retaliation in a post on his Truth Social platform. He said the US will hit any target in Iran 20 times harder, and that retaliation for the deaths of American service members will be many times over.

  The president is making the case that while diplomacy may be happening, the priority right now is security operations, specifically combat operations in Iran.

• 41m ago

   (00:20 GMT)

  

  Israeli forces carry out large demolition in southern Lebanon

  Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that Israeli forces carried out a large demolition in the town of Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon.

  At the same time, intermittent Israeli artillery shelling targeted the nearby town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, it said.

• 51m ago

   (00:10 GMT)

  US forces continue to target Iran’s southern coast

  Reporting from Tehran, Iran

  It has been another night of escalation, with US air strikes continuing to target Iran’s southern coastal cities and islands.

  Explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, which is the largest in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the important port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh.

  In Sirik, which oversees the strait and is strategically vital, explosions were again reported, continuing last night’s pattern. Further explosions were reported in the southeastern Sistan province’s cities of Konarak and Chabahar, and in southwestern Shiraz. In Bushehr, home to a nuclear power plant, sounds of air defence activation were reported.

  For its part, the Iranian side is talking about retaliatory strikes. Iran’s ground forces say they targeted US HIMARS missile systems at Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan, part of what Tehran describes as an ongoing campaign of strikes on US bases and assets across the region.

  And last but not least, Iran’s ambassador to the UN sent a letter condemning the recent attack on one of the country’s nuclear facilities under construction, calling on the international community to respond.

• 55m ago

   (00:06 GMT)

  WATCH: War on Iran resumes 30 days after MoU

  Thirty days into the US-Iran MoU, the worst fighting in months has erupted, with US air strikes, Iranian retaliation, and renewed attacks across the Gulf threatening to unravel the ceasefire.

  As tensions over the Strait of Hormuz intensify and oil markets react, has the agreement effectively collapsed, and what happens next?

  We break it down below:

• 58m ago

   (00:03 GMT)

  A recap of recent developments

  • The US is bombing Iran for a 10th consecutive night, with explosions reported near Sirik and in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Chabahar and Konarak.
  • US President Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay “many times over” for the deaths of American soldiers, after a week in which at least three US personnel were killed.
  • Iran continues retaliatory attacks across the Gulf, with the Iranian army saying it targeted US missile systems at Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan in recent hours. Another tanker is also hit off the coast of Oman.
  • Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen declare a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, threatening to further disrupt global energy supplies.
  • Israel’s military says a pilot programme to establish “safe zones” in southern Lebanon has begun in coordination with the US and Lebanese army. This comes as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun prepares to meet Trump in Washington, DC.
  • Qatar has sent letters to both the UN and the Security Council, condemning recent Iranian attacks on the country and calling for compensation from Tehran for all damages caused.

• 1h ago

   (00:00 GMT)

  Welcome to our coverage

  Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, as well as Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.

  Stay with us for the latest news and analysis from across the Middle East and beyond.

  You can find our updates from Monday, July 20, here.

  

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The escalation underscores the fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments. Qatar's appeals to the UN highlight the broader regional instability, as neighboring states grapple with the fallout from the conflict. The coming days will be critical in determining whether diplomatic channels can ease tensions or if further military action is inevitable.