Live: US strikes Iran again as Tehran fires kamikaze drones at American bases in Jordan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scrapped his planned trip to the United States scheduled for next week, his office confirmed. The visit had been arranged around the funeral of Graham, which has now been postponed to a later date.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, in a podcast episode hosted by Joe Rogan that went live on Wednesday (July 15, 2026), stated that certain individuals within the Israeli government had attempted to shape American public sentiment against the agreement the U.S. reached to bring its war with Iran to a close. The remarks extended a pattern of public criticism Mr. Vance has directed at Israeli government policy, further deepening what many observers describe as an increasingly open rift between the two countries. Mr. Vance is widely seen as a potential future U.S. presidential candidate. Mr. Vance firmly backed the accord concluded last month to end the Iran conflict, which has faced sharp condemnation from critics in both the United States and Israel. Opponents contend the agreement fails to restrain Iran's missile capabilities, offers no definitive roadmap for eliminating its nuclear infrastructure, and places undue restrictions on Israel's ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Shipping data showed that vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz declined on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 — the opening day of the U.S. naval blockade reimposed on Iranian ports, with both sides intensifying strikes across the Gulf. Kpler data indicated that nine ships made the crossing that day, mostly via the Iranian route, compared with 13 a day earlier. No tankers of the Very Large Crude Carrier category, nor any liquefied natural gas vessels, were recorded transiting the waterway on Wednesday.

Even as conflict persisted for a fifth consecutive night across West Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly welcomed the release of an American citizen held in Iran, characterising it as an act of goodwill. Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, that the American — 'wrongfully detained' during the Biden administration in 2024 — had been permitted to leave Iranian territory. 'She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran,' Trump wrote in the post.

On Thursday (July 16, 2026), Pakistan declared that it would work to persuade both the United States and Iran to cease hostilities and re-engage in talks, acting within the framework of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that Islamabad had helped facilitate the month before. Speaking to the press in Islamabad, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said: "Even though putting the MoU into effect is proving difficult, Pakistan will persist in urging every party to bring violence to a halt and restart technical-level dialogue in accordance with what the MoU lays out." Andrabi added that Pakistan looks forward to an early restoration of calm in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the critical importance of keeping maritime routes in those waters safe, secure, and freely navigable. — AFP

The spokesperson for Iran's supreme military command declared that Tehran will not permit any U.S. meddling in the Strait of Hormuz, branding it an absolute red line. The spokesperson went on to warn that should U.S. President Donald Trump act on his threats to hit Iranian infrastructure, Iran will respond by striking critical infrastructure facilities across the broader region. — Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz held talks with his American counterpart Pete Hegseth in the early hours of Thursday (July 16, 2025), making clear that Israel is firmly resolved to maintain its forces in the 'security zones' it has established inside Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip. A statement from Mr. Katz's office confirmed the pair spoke overnight, with the minister underscoring 'Israel's determination to retain a presence in the security zones across Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, so as to defend the country's borders and border communities from the dangers posed by jihadist forces'. — AFP

The U.S. military's Central Command announced on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) that it had carried out aerial attacks on Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, destroying Iranian defence installations and missile positions located there. Greater Tunb is a small landmass in the Persian Gulf lying close to the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. The island has been under Iranian administration since 1971 and is widely regarded as a position of considerable strategic importance within the strait. Read the full story below Greater Tunb Island, occupying a decisive position in the Strait of Hormuz, is key to controlling the flow of maritime traffic and remains a focal point of regional tensions.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared on Thursday (July 16, 2026) that it had targeted a U.S. air base in Jordan with ballistic missiles, framing the action as retaliation for what the Guards characterised as an American strike in the vicinity of a children's cancer hospital on Iranian soil. A statement published on the IRGC's official website alleged that U.S. forces had been exploiting Jordanian air bases to hit multiple locations inside Iran, with one such strike falling near a paediatric cancer facility. In response, the IRGC's aerospace division carried out two consecutive waves of missile attacks against those same bases in Jordan. — AFP

Jordan's armed forces announced on Thursday (July 16, 2026) that they had successfully intercepted eight missiles launched by Iran at the kingdom. The military conveyed this through the country's state-run Petra news agency. Meanwhile, the United States has widened its aerial campaign against Iran, with strikes now penetrating further north than in previous rounds. American forces additionally moved against a ship that Washington alleged was attempting to slip past its naval blockade imposed on Iran. — AP

Iran's military declared on Thursday (July 16, 2026) that it conducted drone strikes on American bases and facilities across Kuwait and Bahrain, a move taken in response to U.S. strikes against the Islamic republic, state television reported. The Iranian armed forces stated they struck radar infrastructure, a Patriot air defence battery, and fuel depots at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, along with American military premises at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, IRIB said. — AFP

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) that it had given the green light to an arms package worth an estimated $1.96 billion for Saudi Arabia, intended to reinforce the kingdom's air defence infrastructure amid the deepening conflict across West Asia. In its official statement, the State Department said: "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region."

Iran's Army announced on Thursday (July 16, 2026), according to state media, that it had carried out drone strikes against American military facilities in Jordan, taking the action as a direct response to the most recent wave of U.S. strikes on Iran. State broadcaster IRIB quoted the army as saying: "The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that... in response to the enemy aggression, it targeted the communication systems and fuel storage facilities of the U.S. military in Jordan using suicide (kamikaze) drones."

On Thursday morning (July 16, 2026), state media reported that the sounds of air defence systems were heard over various parts of Tehran, while accounts of explosions began emerging from the country's northern and western regions. State news agency IRNA stated that official authorities had yet to confirm any casualties in the capital at the time of reporting. Both IRNA and the Mehr news agency reported that explosions were also heard in the western province of Lorestan as well as in Semnan in the north of the country.

On Wednesday (July 15, 2026), the United States launched a new military offensive against Iran, aimed at degrading Tehran's capacity to endanger vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, President Donald Trump cautioned that the scope of strikes could be broadened if the Islamic republic refused to come back to the negotiating table. U.S. Central Command reported that the offensive began at 19:00 GMT and was directed at Iranian military assets being deployed to intimidate ships navigating the critical waterway. The U.S. military also disclosed that one of its aircraft opened fire on an empty oil tanker and rendered it inoperable after the vessel sought to breach the naval blockade in place around Iran's ports.