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

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.