The United States and Iran exchanged drone and missile strikes on Friday as a senior Iranian military adviser warned Tehran could escalate to full-scale offensive operations if U.S. attacks continue. U.S. Central Command said in a post on X that American forces struck Iran for the seventh consecutive night in strikes intended to “continue degrading Iranian military capabilities.” Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said Tehran would resume full-scale operations if strikes persist for another two or three days.
Iran accused U.S. forces of hitting civilian infrastructure — including an airport, a railway station and two bridges — and said it had struck U.S. assets across the wider region. There was no confirmation from U.S. authorities that American forces had targeted Iranian infrastructure, though U.S. President Donald Trump had previously threatened such action.
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by the escalation and called attacks on civilian infrastructure “unacceptable.” Rezaei, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB, warned that “Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like‑for‑like responses…and no political border will be safe.”
The current round of fighting traces back to a February 28 offensive of deadly U.S.‑Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on Israeli and American interests across the Gulf. Majid Mousavi, commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace force, said “targeted strikes from across Iran against the enemy will continue” until the United States ends operations against Iran’s coastal facilities.
Iran’s energy ministry urged citizens to reduce electricity use and switch off air conditioners during peak hours after the power grid came under strain, which Tehran attributed to U.S. strikes on energy installations. Iranian forces then launched widespread strikes across the region.
Regional reports say Iranian attacks damaged a power and water plant in Kuwait and wounded several Kuwaiti troops after drone strikes on bases. Iran’s Guards said they targeted U.S. radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar, which reported intercepting a missile; residents described explosions and air alerts. Tehran also claimed strikes on radar sites in Oman and on the Al‑Tanf base in Syria, though a Syrian source denied an attack and U.S. forces said they had withdrawn from Al‑Tanf earlier this year.
Jordan reported shooting down three missiles. Bahrain said Tehran targeted helicopters and aircraft at a base and urged civilians to take shelter. In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, drone and rocket strikes killed nine members of the exiled Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, which blamed Iran.
Iran’s health ministry put the domestic toll since fighting resumed at at least 38 dead and more than 400 wounded. Mediators, and states including China and Pakistan, have urged both sides to stop fighting and resume talks. The United States has reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports, and attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have continued, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reporting a tanker was struck off the coast of Oman overnight.
Analysts warn the conflict is drawing an expanding range of strategic infrastructure into the fighting. David Khalfa of the Jean‑Jaurès Foundation said the paradox is that, while escalation harms both sides, neither wants to be seen as capitulating — a dynamic that risks prolonged regional spillover.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-strikes-iran-again-now-7-nights-in-a-row-11786666#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-07-18 03:13:00
