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Iran war: Tehran warns of wider disruption amid US strikes
Iran war: US hits bridges as Tehran retaliates across region
Wesley Dockery | Dharvi Vaid | Kieran Burke | Ramisha Ali with AFP, AP, DPA, ReutersPublished 07/17/2026Published July 17, 2026last updated 07/18/2026last updated July 18, 2026The US launched a seventh night of strikes on Iran. Tehran has said earlier attacks on bridges killed several people. Iran has fired retaliatory strikes on US targets across the region.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HGSxWhat you need to know
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Here are some of the main headlines from the war between the US and Iran from Friday, July 17.
- US launches a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran
- US airstrikes on bridges in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Khamir kill at least seven people, Iranian state media says
- Iran fires missiles and drones at US-linked targets in neighboring countries, with Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan intercepting attacks
- Kuwait desalination, electricity plant hit in Iranian attack
- Tehran reportedly tells Houthis to be ready to disrupt Red Sea shipping
- Donald Trump hails the release of a US citizen; Iran denies any American prisoner was freed
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Skip next section US military says it ended seventh night of strikes on Iran07/18/2026July 18, 2026US military says it ended seventh night of strikes on Iran
The US military finished its seventh night in a row of strikes on Iran, US Central Command said.
It said it again targeted Iranian military logistics infrastructure and other sites.
"More than 50,000 American service members are operating across the Middle East and remain vigilant, lethal, and ready," CENTCOM wrote in a statement.
CENTCOM also called an Iranian statement that two ships were on fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz "false."
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLMKSkip next section Iran accuses the US of a 'blatant war crime'07/18/2026July 18, 2026Iran accuses the US of a 'blatant war crime'
US attacks on Hormozgan killed eight civilians, including two disabled people, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.
Baqaei accused the US of committing a "blatant war crime."
"The Iranian people are now more determined and united than ever, fully resolved to make their savage enemies bitterly regret this criminal aggression against their beloved homeland," he said in the English-language post.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLLxSkip next section Iran hits US targets in Kuwait and Jordan, state TV says07/18/2026July 18, 2026
Iran hits US targets in Kuwait and Jordan, state TV says
Iran’s military claims to have struck US military installations in Kuwait and Jordan following US attacks on Iran.
According to a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster, the Iranian troops hit ammunition depots, headquarters buildings and communication bridges in Kuwait. Separately, the Kuwaiti military reported engaging with an Iranian drone attack.
In Jordan, Iranian forces bombed fuel tanks at the strategic Al-Azraq base, which is also used by US forces and Germany’s Bundeswehr.
Meanwhile, residents of Bahrain reported hearing sirens overnight, with the Gulf country’s Interior Ministry urging people to remain calm and seek shelter.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLLnSkip next section Iran reports deaths after ‘enemy attacks’ near Hormuz Strait07/18/2026July 18, 2026Iran reports deaths after ‘enemy attacks’ near Hormuz Strait
At least three people were killed and eight injured following “enemy attacks” in the Iranian province of Hormozgan, just north of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported on Saturday morning.
Hormozgan officials urged residents to refrain from non-essential travel due to the danger of new attacks.
Meanwhile, the US military Central Command confirmed it was launching new strikes against Iran, aiming to “continue degrading Iranian military capabilities” at the “direction” of US President Donald Trump.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLJqSkip next section IRGC says they stopped four 'violating' tankers07/18/2026July 18, 2026IRGC says they stopped four 'violating' tankers
Iran's Revolutionary Guards used missile strikes to confront oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC said on Saturday.
"In the past hours, four violating ships with the support of the terrorist US army were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and all four ships were stopped in place during a combined missile and drone operation," they said in a statement.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are a powerful paramilitary organization tasked with protecting the Iranian regime. They are viewed as a terror group by the US, the EU, and others.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLHkSkip next section Kpler: Strait of Hormuz traffic drops to lowest in weeks07/18/2026July 18, 2026Kpler: Strait of Hormuz traffic drops to lowest in weeks
Only eight ships were confirmed to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking the lowest number of crossings in three weeks, according to the analytics platform Kpler.
The firm had reported 15 confirmed crossings on Wednesday.
On an average day before the US-Iran war, over 100 vessels would sail through the Strait of Hormuz.
But the US-Israeli strikes in February triggered a prolonged disruption in one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.
Tensions had eased somewhat due to the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran, with 48 crossings reported two weeks ago.
However, the US has since renewed its strikes in response to Iran seeking to establish full control over the waterway.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLHYSkip next section Two oil tankers explode near Strait of Hormuz — report07/18/2026July 18, 2026Two oil tankers explode near Strait of Hormuz — report
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers caught fire following explosions after traveling through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz.
The ships, according to the Revolutionary Guards, were trying to navigate "by deceptive American intelligence agencies."
"To protect their capital and, more importantly, their lives, the sailors should not be deceived and enter the minefield," they said.
The IRGC statement was cited by Iran's state television early on Saturday.
The latest bout of fighting between the US and Iran was triggered by the dispute over the control of maritime traffic in the key trade waterway.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLHBSkip next section Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they have attacked US depot in Bahrain07/17/2026July 17, 2026Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they have attacked US depot in Bahrain
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that it has attacked a depot of US unmanned aerial vehicles in Bahrain.
In the same statement, the IRGC said it destroyed "Bahrain's main artificial intelligence centre" using missiles and drones.
The US Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain and has been targeted by Iran in recent days.
The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) and the US military have not yet commented on the latest claim of an attack.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLGmSkip next section US military announces fresh strikes on Iran07/17/2026July 17, 2026US military announces fresh strikes on Iran
US Central Command has announced yet another round of strikes on Iran, "for the seventh consecutive night."
"The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction," USCENTCOM said in a statement on X.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLG3Skip next section Iranian media report confrontation with Thai-flagged ship in Strait of Hormuz07/17/2026July 17, 2026Iranian media report confrontation with Thai-flagged ship in Strait of Hormuz
The Tasnim news agency cited what it called an informed source as saying that a ship was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
The source alleged that the Thai-flagged ship ignored warnings and attempted to pass through the Strait without permission from Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy.
The source said the vessel was confronted and "targeted" by the IRGC navy. It did not give further details or clarify what targeting or confronting might entail.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations monitoring center (UKMTO) did issue two reports earlier on Friday pertaining to incidents in the Gulf, but neither appeared to correlate entirely with the Iranian report.
One took place in the Strait of Hormuz, but much nearer Oman's coastline than Iran's, and spoke of a ship being hit by "an unknown projectile" and sustaining minor structural damage.
The other was located in the Persian or Arabian Gulf northwest of the Strait, but closer to Iran's coastline. It was reported on Friday but was said to have taken place on July 16.
That incident report spoke of a case involving a merchant vessel and "military forces in the Arabian Gulf," saying a "tanker was subject to interactions as part of ongoing military activity in the region."
The UKMTO also did not elaborate on what type of interactions or identify the military in question.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLBGSkip next section US military says key port surveillance tower destroyed 07/17/2026July 17, 2026US military says key port surveillance tower destroyed
The US military said that it had destroyed the Chabahar Shahid Kalantari Port surveillance tower in southeastern Iran on Thursday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the surveillance tower was hit on July 16 and described it as being "part of a maritime surveillance network along Iran’s Gulf of Oman coastline."
CENTCOM said it has been used for decades by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "to track and target commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
The US military said that the destruction of the tower "degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members."
https://p.dw.com/p/5HKZASkip next section IN DEPTH: Iran's oil supply threat extends beyond Strait of Hormuz07/17/2026July 17, 2026IN DEPTH: Iran's oil supply threat extends beyond Strait of Hormuz
Timothy RooksOil and gas producers in the Gulf are seeking alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz as traffic again comes under fire. But is Iran also turning its attention to the pipelines meant to bypass the waterway?
Read the full story here
https://p.dw.com/p/5HK3LSkip next section Iran urges citizens to conserve electricity after US attacks07/17/2026July 17, 2026Iran urges citizens to conserve electricity after US attacks
Iran's Energy Ministry called on its citizens to save electricity due to US attacks on energy infrastructure in southern Iran.
The ministry urged citizens to switch off air conditioners in peak hours "to help ensure a stable electricity supply in the southern province, which are currently facing extreme heat and attacks on electricity supply facilities."
It is the first time since the US-Israel war against Iran began on February 28 that Iran has acknowledged attacks on its electricity infrastructure.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HJG9Skip next section Ship boarded by 'unauthorized personnel' off Yemen, UK maritime agency says Published 07/17/2026Published July 17, 2026last updated 07/17/2026last updated July 17, 2026Ship boarded by 'unauthorized personnel' off Yemen, UK maritime agency says
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel was "boarded by unauthorized personnel" 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen.
The maritime agency said the ship was "transiting east in the Gulf of Aden" and that "authorities are investigating."
The statement added that "vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."
It was not immediately clear who had boarded the vessel.
Reuters reported, based on maritime security sources, that the incident is believed to be related to Somali piracy. The vessel is now believed to be heading toward the Somali port of Bosaso.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HIe6Skip next section Iranian attack damages power and desalination station in Kuwait 07/17/2026July 17, 2026Iranian attack damages power and desalination station in Kuwait
The Kuwaiti government said an Iranian attack damaged a power and desalination station.
Kuwait's Electricity Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said the attack ignited a fire and damaged "a large number of electricity generation units." The Kuwaiti government said it has since extinguished the blaze.
About 90% of Kuwait's water supply is derived from desalination.
Kuwaiti authorities have urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption to maintain the stability of the nation's power grid.
Iran has previously targeted Kuwait's power and desalination plants during the war, along with other civilian infrastructure such as Kuwait International Airport.
How does a desalination plant work?
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