Iran & Middle East
Reporting on Iran, the Iranian regime, IRGC operations, Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah dynamics, the Houthi corridor, GCC alignments, and the wider Middle East security picture.
Iran Denies IAEA Access to Bombed Nuclear Sites, Stockpile Unaccounted
Iran's parliament has barred IAEA inspectors from bombed nuclear sites, leaving roughly 440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium unverified and undermining the Islamabad MOU.
IRGC Threatens Full-Scale Offensive as Iran Declares Peace Deal Void
Iran's top military adviser warned the US of 'full-scale offensive operations' within 48-72 hours, as Tehran formally declared its June ceasefire memorandum void.
Iranian Strike Damages Kuwait Desalination Plant, AP Reports
AP reports an Iranian strike damaged a Kuwait desalination plant, identifying the first named civilian water facility hit in the current US-Iran exchange and exposing Gulf water vulnerability.
Iran Strikes US Bases in Seven Countries Overnight, IRGC Claims
Iran's IRGC claimed missile and drone strikes on US military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Qatar overnight, expanding retaliation across the region.
US Strikes Hit Bridges, Port Tower in Southern Iran; Marines Board Tanker
US warplanes struck five bridges and a port tower in southern Iran on Thursday, Iranian state media said, as Marines boarded a tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
US Strikes Southern Iran Near Qeshm Island on Sixth Consecutive Night
US forces struck locations near Qeshm Island in southern Iran on Thursday night, CENTCOM and Iranian state media confirmed — the sixth consecutive night of American strikes and a new front near the Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait Confirms Material Damage to Vital Facilities From Iranian Strikes
Kuwait's defence ministry said Iranian strikes hit a number of vital facilities and caused material damage, Reuters reported Thursday — the first on-record Gulf-government damage confirmation of the current exchange.
IRGC Says It Struck US Bases in Jordan, Kuwait as Bombardment Continues
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Thursday it targeted US soldiers and communications systems in Jordan and Kuwait, as Iranian fire also hit Bahrain during a widening exchange with US forces.
US Strikes Expand Into Northern Iran, Hit Closer to Tehran
US strikes have expanded into northern Iran and hit closer to Tehran for the first time in the current wave, AP and Al Jazeera reported Thursday as Iran counter-fired at Gulf states.
US Sanctions Network That Armed IRGC Through Italy and Russia
Washington targeted a covert procurement network that used aviation and logistics companies in Iran, Italy, and Russia to source arms and drone components for the IRGC.
US Fires Hellfires on Oil Tanker Bound for Iran's Kharg Island
The US disabled an unladen oil tanker with Hellfire missiles as it tried to reach Iran's Kharg Island terminal, the Guardian reported, as fresh strikes hit Tehran.
US Hits Iran in Fresh Evening Wave; Kuwait Intercepts Missiles
US forces struck Iranian air defense, coastal radar and missile-drone sites in a fresh Wednesday-evening wave as Kuwait intercepted Iranian missiles and drones and blasts sounded near the US consulate in Erbil.
Iran Says More Than 30 Civilians Killed in Recent US Strikes
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday that more than 30 civilians have died in recent US strikes on southern Iran, per Tehran Times.
US Launches New Wednesday Strike Wave on Iran's Hormuz Positions
CENTCOM said Wednesday it hit Iranian capabilities used to attack Strait of Hormuz shipping, with Al Jazeera reporting a strike on a marine control tower and The Hill citing an island target.
Iran Says Seven Killed in US Strike on Bampur Army Base
Iran's army said at least seven personnel were killed in overnight US strikes on a military base in Bampur, according to Tasnim — the first named Iranian casualty count of the current campaign.
CENTCOM Confirms 'Dozens' of Iranian Targets Hit in New Strike Wave
US Central Command said it completed an additional round of strikes on 'dozens' of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's coastal region at 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
IRGC Says It Struck US Forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday it attacked US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, as reports emerged of explosions in Kuwait and drone strikes on US troops in Jordan.
US Strikes Iran for Fourth Day; Qeshm Island Reported Hit
US forces struck Iran for a fourth consecutive day Tuesday, targeting what a US official called "emerging threats," as Iranian state TV reported an American strike on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.
Iran's Hormuz Gamble: Muscle Over Diplomacy as Trump Deal Unravels
Tehran chose to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and strike U.S. allies rather than hold to its MOU with Washington — analysts say the nuclear clock may now be running faster.
US Strikes Iran for Third Night; Bushehr, Bandar Abbas Hit
US Central Command hit Iranian port cities Bushehr and Bandar Abbas in a third consecutive night of strikes, killing three, as Iran widened retaliation to Bahrain and Jordan.
Brent Surges Past $86 After Iran Strikes UAE Tankers in Hormuz
Oil prices jumped 3% to a one-month high after Iranian forces struck two UAE-flagged tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one sailor dead and eight wounded.
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missile in Apparent Retaliation Strike
Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi missile launched in apparent retaliation for earlier strikes, the Jerusalem Post reported. No casualties or damage were reported.
UAE Says Iranian Missiles Struck Oil Tankers in Strait of Hormuz, Sailor Killed
The UAE Defense Ministry confirmed Iranian missiles hit oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one sailor, in the first confirmed vessel strikes of the current US-Iran escalation.
Senators Demand Pentagon Release Findings From Iran School Strike Probe
Democratic lawmakers pressed the Defense Department Monday to make public its investigation into a February strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed civilians.
Trump Orders Hormuz Blockade; U.S. Strikes Iran a Third Night
President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to reinstate a Strait of Hormuz naval blockade and charge ships for passage, hours before U.S. forces launched a third consecutive night of strikes on Iran.
U.S. Strikes Hit Iran's Oil City Abadan; Two Killed at Three Sites
U.S. missiles struck three locations in the Iranian oil-refining hub of Abadan on Monday, killing at least two people and wounding three others, Iranian officials said.
US Strikes Dozens of Iran Sites; Iran Hits Bahrain, Kuwait Bases
U.S. forces struck dozens of Iranian sites Monday, killing one and wounding seven in Isfahan. Iran's IRGC retaliated by hitting American facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.
CENTCOM Launches New Wave of Strikes on Iran; Tehran Calls Diplomacy Futile
US Central Command says a fresh wave of strikes on Iran began at 2100 GMT Sunday, targeting Hormuz-facing systems. Tehran says the attacks render diplomacy futile.
Oman Summons Iran Envoy Over Drone Strikes on Musandam, Batinah
Muscat formally protested Iranian drone strikes on Omani territory in the Musandam exclave and al-Batinah governorate, state media reported Sunday, marking a sharp break with Tehran.
US Strikes Target Iran Missile Systems Near Hormuz; Trump Reveals Near-Deal
American forces struck Iranian missile systems around the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday as Trump disclosed the two nations had nearly reached a diplomatic agreement before hostilities escalated.