Iranian missiles after launch. Photo: X
Explosions were reported in Iran’s Bushehr city on Wednesday, July 8, while fresh blasts were heard in Bahrain after air raid sirens sounded for the third time, as tensions escalated following US strikes on military targets in southern Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on American military facilities across the Gulf.
The escalation came on the 21st day after Washington and Tehran signed their memorandum of understanding and 130 days since the outbreak of the war.
Two military bases in Iran’s southern Bushehr province came under attack on Wednesday morning, a provincial official told Fars News Agency.
The official said there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said one of its personnel was killed in what it described as a US drone attack on Bandar Mahshahr on Wednesday morning.
The force said the serviceman was killed during what it called American “retaliatory” strikes, while Iranian state media reported the incident without immediately providing further details on the attack.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday reiterated its warning to neighbouring countries not to allow their territory to be used by the United States to launch attacks on Iran.
The ministry condemned what it described as a “blatant violation” of the interim agreement with Washington, saying alleged violations of Iran’s arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon were undermining the deal and rendering it ineffective.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported hearing several explosions in the city of Bushehr and surrounding areas as tensions continued to rise following the US military operation.
The agency also dismissed reports of explosions on Kharg Island, saying those claims were false.
Fresh explosions were heard in Bahrain on Wednesday after air raid sirens sounded for the third time warning of attacks, according to AFP.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation was launched after three civilian-crewed commercial vessels were struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in waters off Oman.
According to CENTCOM, US forces targeted more than 80 sites, including air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar installations and anti-ship missile capabilities. The military also said more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats were hit during the operation.
Iranian state media reported explosions in Sirik, Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Kharg Island. State broadcaster IRIB claimed several of the strikes hit civilian areas, saying shrapnel from a projectile at the Sirik commercial pier wounded several people.
Hours before launching the military operation, Washington increased economic pressure on Tehran by revoking a temporary sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil exports.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that General License X, issued on June 21, was revoked with effect from July 7 and replaced by General License X1.
The new licence permits only the wind-down of transactions previously authorised under General License X until 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 17. It does not authorise any new production, purchases, sales, deliveries or loading of Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum products or petrochemical products from July 7 onwards.
The waiver had been introduced in June as a temporary confidence-building measure during negotiations between Washington and Tehran. US officials quoted by Reuters said attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz made the decision to restore sanctions necessary.
In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the US Treasury Department’s decision to revoke the temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil exports, calling it a “clear and material” breach of Article 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. The ministry accused Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement since it was signed on June 18 and warned that Iran would take all necessary measures to safeguard the country’s national interests and security.
Tehran accused Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding, saying the renewed sanctions and military operation undermined the agreement reached between the two sides.
In a post on X, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the United States breached the agreement by reinstating oil sanctions, attacking southern Iran, threatening further military action, interfering in the Strait of Hormuz and supporting continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
Taking to X, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also condemned the revocation of the waiver and the strikes, describing them as violations of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. He warned that Iran would take decisive measures to safeguard the country’s national interests and security.
Meanwhile, the Khatam-al-Anbiya Central Headquarters condemned the US strikes as a “blatant act of aggression” and warned that Iran’s military would deliver a “crushing response”. The command also said the Islamic Republic would not allow foreign interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that commercial ships and oil tankers should use routes designated by Iran.
Hours later, the IRGC announced a coordinated missile and drone operation targeting 85 sites linked to US military infrastructure.
The force said the strikes targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, describing the operation as an initial response to US attacks on military and non-military sites in Hormozgan province and Mahshahr.
The IRGC also claimed its air defence systems shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Khormuj in Bushehr province, alleging the aircraft had entered Iranian airspace during the confrontation.
The exchange prompted heightened security measures across the region.
Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location, while Kuwait activated air raid sirens nationwide.
The Kuwaiti military said it intercepted hostile missiles and drones, adding that explosions heard across the country were the result of successful interceptions. Authorities urged residents to follow official safety instructions.
The latest escalation coincided with the arrival of the coffin of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Najaf Airport ahead of funeral prayers in Iraq before returning to Iran for burial on Thursday, July 9.
Iranian officials criticised the timing of the US strikes, saying they took place during one of the country’s most significant state ceremonies. During the funeral events, mourners repeatedly chanted slogans calling for the deaths of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Negotiators had been expected to resume discussions on a permanent settlement after Khamenei’s burial, with talks expected to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
This post was last modified on July 8, 2026 1:22 pm