US launches new Iran strikes after two soldiers killed: What’s the latest?

What Happened

US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched airstrikes on Iranian military targets in southern Iran on Saturday night, marking the eighth consecutive night of US attacks on Iran. CENTCOM stated at 03:30 GMT on Sunday that it hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strikes were in retaliation for an Iranian attack on a US military position in Jordan on Friday that killed two US service members, according to CENTCOM. Al Jazeera correspondents reported that the strikes targeted bridges, railways, tunnels, airports, and roads in southern Iran, aiming to isolate the region and degrade IRGC control over the Strait of Hormuz. Explosions were reported in Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and near Shadegan in Khuzestan province. Simultaneously, Iran’s army launched a large-scale drone attack on two US military facilities in Kuwait—an ammunition depot at Camp al-Adiri and air defence radars at Ali Al Salem airbase—and triggered air raid sirens in Bahrain, according to Iranian and local military statements.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in direct US-Iran hostilities, expanding the conflict beyond proxy battlegrounds to direct strikes on each other's territory and military assets in Gulf Arab states. The US strategy of targeting dual-use infrastructure in southern Iran aims to physically isolate the region and weaken IRGC control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit chokepoint. Iran's retaliation against US facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain signals its willingness to widen the conflict and strike US-aligned Gulf states. The violence is eroding fragile ceasefire negotiations and raising the risk of a broader regional war.

Watch For

Monitor for further Iranian retaliation against US assets or partners in the Gulf; any disruption to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz or impact on global oil markets; diplomatic responses from Kuwait, Bahrain, and other Gulf Cooperation Council states; potential emergency UN Security Council sessions; and statements from Israel and Iraqi militias that could indicate a widening of the conflict.