Iran responded to the latest American airstrikes by lobbing missiles at Arab nations that are allied with the United States.
Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan were struck, according to CNN, as Iran claimed it also attacked American-aligned targets in Bahrain, Oman, and Syria.
Iran said it is ready to attack what it called “a network of key ports” in Gulf nations.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2026
Kuwait reported that a power generation and water desalination plant was damaged.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked American radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar on Friday to “punish the aggressor,” according to France24.
“In continuation of last night’s retaliatory operations, the brave fighters of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force… carried out a heavy and surprise attack on the U.S. airbase at al-Udeid, Qatar, to punish the aggressor and the child-killing U.S. military,” the IRGC said in a statement.
Jordan said it shot down three Iranian missiles on Friday. Iran claimed it attacked an American air base there.
Syria, meanwhile, denied that any base came under attack from Iran.
NEW:
Based on preliminary reports, this video captures an Iranian strike on Kuwait’s Shuwaikh power generation and water desalination station at 9:52AM local time, Friday.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption following the attack. https://t.co/QjlnelKmgi pic.twitter.com/GKmOtOJVyq
— Grant Smith Ellis (@GrantSmithEllis) July 17, 2026
The Times of Israel reported that Iran has already informed its allies, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah, to prepare for a wider war.
Citing a Lebanese media report, it said leaders of Iran’s regional “Axis of Resistance” have told allies to be prepared for action.
Hezbollah was instructed to be ready to escalate its attacks, according to the report. Hezbollah and Israel have been dueling over parts of southern Lebanon for weeks.
As Iran and the United States traded attacks, Reuters reported that the U.S. strikes are designed to wipe out targets the military wants destroyed “before executing more complex operations against Iran.”
🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- During the US attack on Chabahar, southern Iran, earlier today, the US has for the third time targeted the Chabahar port control tower, although this time the tower has reportedly collapsed.
Notably, Chabahar is Iran’s only oceanic commercial port that doesn’t require… https://t.co/wynBjGw5PH pic.twitter.com/73cNjSiZ0p
— Rerum Novarum // Intel, Breaking News, and Alerts (@officialrnintel) July 17, 2026
A U.S. official said the recent attacks can be seen as “shaping operations” to prepare the way for the next step.
“This is helping set the stage, if needed,” the official said.
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