A senior Iranian adviser warned on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, that Iran may launch a broader war in the Middle East if U.S. military strikes persist. Major-General Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, stated that Iran would no longer restrict itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses and that "no political border will be safe," according to Iranian news agency IRIB.

The warning follows a seventh consecutive night of U.S. strikes targeting bridges around Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in the Persian Gulf and headquarters of the Iranian Navy. The U.S. also targeted surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.

CENTCOM, the U.S. military command, announced on social platform X that it continues to hold Iran accountable under the direction of the Commander in Chief while enforcing a naval blockade against Iranian ports. More than 50,000 U.S. servicemembers remain deployed in the region, described as "vigilant, lethal, and ready."

Iranian state media released images showing the apparent collapse of one of five bridges struck by U.S. forces near Bandar Abbas. Additionally, the Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported explosions in Sirik and Qeshm Island, cities near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement carried by Tasnim on July 19th, Iran's military said its naval forces targeted a U.S. fleet fuel support pier at Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi Port, a communications center inside Kuwait, the Sheikh Isa air base, and an intelligence data center in southern Bahrain.

These developments come days after President Trump declared the 60-day ceasefire, which began a month earlier, officially "over" and expressed disinterest in further negotiations with Iran. Iranian representative Gharibabadi accused the United States of having "effectively trampled all of its commitments and suspended them," including suspending Iran's commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Sources