US Conducts Nine Consecutive Days of Airstrikes in Iran Amid Rising Regional Tensions, US Soldier Killed
The US military has maintained continuous airstrikes for nine days targeting Iranian military centers, missile sites, and communication networks. The US President has stated that the military action aims to completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear missile development capabilities. Following retaliatory strikes by Iran on American sites in the Gulf, another US soldier has died, increasing the risk of a regional conflict. On July 20, Kathmandu.
On Monday night, the US military continued its ninth consecutive day of airstrikes against Iran. According to the US Central Command, targets include Iranian command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, maritime assets, and communication networks. Airstrikes were conducted in southwestern Iranian cities such as Khurmoj, Bushehr, Hormozgan, as well as the northwestern city of Tabriz. Strategic port cities including Chabahar and Bandar Imam were also targeted.
Reports indicate that a fire broke out at the Tabriz missile field in northwestern Iran following the attacks. Local residents reported a blaze at this missile center immediately after the US strikes. This missile facility is operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force. US Secretary of State Mark Rubio accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool to exert war pressure and appealed to other nations worldwide to provide equipment or funding for the security of this crucial waterway. US President Donald Trump stated that the current military operations aim to entirely dismantle Iran’s potential for nuclear missile production.
Meanwhile, in northern Iraq, an American soldier died and another was injured during the controlled destruction of an Iranian drone that had crashed without detonating. Following this incident, the total number of US soldiers killed in this conflict has reached 17. The IRGC claimed responsibility for multiple significant retaliatory attacks on US military posts in countries including Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman, and issued warnings that the campaign will continue. Kuwait has experienced attacks on its electricity generation and water treatment facilities for the second consecutive day.
The Kuwaiti government reported that these attacks caused fires at several power generation units and rescue efforts are underway. The IRGC claimed that a drone strike targeted Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem Air Base, destroying radar systems and a hangar housing US MQ-9 drones. In Bahrain, air raid sirens were sounded and the US embassy issued security alerts urging American citizens to remain vigilant due to potential Iranian attacks in central Manama.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran accused the US of attacking the site of the under-construction Darkhovin Nuclear Power Plant in Khuzestan Province. The attacks combined with extreme heat have exacerbated the electricity crisis in Iran. Load shedding continues daily in many areas, including the capital Tehran, adversely affecting public life and education. Iraq is advancing plans to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports by constructing a new pipeline extending from Basra through Turkey to Syria.
Former US defense official Michael Muller commented that both the US and Iran are escalating military operations to force the other into negotiations. While the US targets Iranian infrastructure to break its economic backbone, Iran is striking back against American bases in the Gulf, regarding the conflict as a fight for survival even at the cost of deteriorating its relations with Gulf nations.
