Washington initiated its eighth consecutive wave of strikes against Iran overnight on Saturday, July 18th, 2026. The US Central Command announced that the latest attacks specifically targeted Iran's Revolutionary Guard in response to Tehran's killing of two US troops at an airbase in Jordan. Additionally, a third US soldier remains missing in action. This marks the first US military deaths attributed to direct Iranian fire since the onset of the Iran war.

Amid these developments, Iran has continued its attacks on Gulf neighbors. Kuwait accused Tehran of deliberately targeting civilian sites and critical infrastructure within its borders, citing recent assaults on an oil facility and two power and water plants.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayotollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a stern warning of "unforgettable lessons" should US attacks on Iran persist. He also accused Washington of repeatedly violating commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), dismissing the US president's signature on the agreement as "worthless and invalid."

These events underscore escalating tensions in the Middle East, with the US responding militarily to Iranian actions that have resulted in American casualties and regional instability.

Sources