US forces launched strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET on July 29, 2026, targeting dozens of IRGC command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM described the strikes as 'a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East.' The strikes follow an Iranian ballistic missile barrage aimed at US forces in Jordan on July 28–29, 2026, which CENTCOM said all missiles were intercepted.
In separate operations, US and Saudi Arabia conducted joint strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Reports differ on whether Iranian advisers were also killed: two sources reported six Iranian advisers dead, while one source reported five. Iran's deputy governor in Markazi province said four Iranian advisers from Tehran were killed.
Jump in oil prices following the strikes.
Brent crude oil jumped 7.3% to over $88 a barrel after the escalation. A drone strike also hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at the Egyptian port of Damietta, and a Greek-owned tanker at the same port was also struck. Egypt's Oil Ministry confirmed a fire at Damietta port but did not mention a drone attack.
We're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them.
President Donald Trump said of the strikes: 'We're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them.' Trump also stated: 'They've already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit,' and added, 'They know it's coming. They asked us not to do it.'
The strikes caused casualties and damage across Iran. A US strike on Qeshm Island injured two people. Explosions and power outages were reported in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province. Explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas, Abu Musa, Kish, Qeshm, and Abadan in southern Iran. A strike hit an uninhabited area near Piranshahr, causing no casualties.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base in Jordan and claimed to have struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC also said it has 'full control' of the Strait and announced plans to collect fees for passage. Jordan intercepted five Iranian missiles. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia accused Iraqi militias of drone attacks on its oil facilities. Israel accused Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire by deploying a drone against an Israeli vehicle in Lebanon.
The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. More than 50,000 US service members are currently deployed across the Middle East. The war, which began in late February 2026, has lasted five months. There was a three-day lull in hostilities before the new strikes.