Live: West Asia Conflict escalates as American attacks in western Iran claim three lives, state media reports

The Health Ministry in Iran reported that consecutive days of American aerial bombardments have claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals and left 78 others injured. Hossein Kermanpour, representing the Health Ministry as its spokesperson, shared these casualty numbers in a post on X. This update marks the initial comprehensive assessment of casualties published by the Iranian authorities following the military strikes.

Hours before the scheduled start of the funeral procession for Ali Khamenei, the late supreme leader of Iran, in Mashhad, massive crowds of people have already begun assembling at the venue.

Iran's armed forces announced they deployed one-way suicide drones to hit specific targets inside Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain today, as reported by state-run media, as a reprisal for earlier American air strikes. According to a statement from the military, "following up on the operations carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces against American military bases within the region", they launched "a massive quantity of diverse military kamikaze drones" to strike a Patriot air defence system located in Kuwait, a radar early warning installation in Qatar, and petroleum storage facilities in Bahrain.

An aircraft transporting the mortal remains of Ali Khamenei, the deceased supreme leader of Iran, has departed from Najaf Airport just moments ago, headed towards the city of Mashhad.

Train operations connecting Tehran with Mashhad have been put on hold after military strikes by the US, state television reported, just prior to the planned burial of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the sacred city in eastern Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways pointed to "a heinous strike carried out by the American-Israeli adversary" along the rail line and announced that maintenance units had been deployed to fix the destruction, according to the state television network. It also mentioned that alternative bus transit was being set up to help stranded travelers.

US military actions inside western Iran left three individuals dead and multiple others wounded, the state-run news outlet IRNA reported today, citing a regional representative. Valiollah Hayati, serving as the deputy governor of Khuzestan in charge of security and law enforcement, informed journalists that the American strikes targeted the outer areas of Ahvaz, leading to three deaths and multiple injuries, according to IRNA.

Washington and Tehran engaged in a second consecutive day of military exchanges today as they fought for control of the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz. This crucial oil transportation route has become a major flashpoint in the Middle Eastern conflict. Tehran is demanding control over the passage, which had previously been accessible for unhindered transit prior to the joint US-Israeli military operations back in February. Following yesterday's exchange of fire, US President Donald Trump declared that the truce with Tehran had "ended", though he indicated a willingness for further dialogue and suggested the military actions would conclude swiftly. According to American military officials, the recent operations inside Iran were carried out to neutralize "their capacity to jeopardise free shipping within the Strait of Hormuz," pointing to recent attacks targeting merchant ships navigating the passage.

American defense authorities announced that their latest wave of airstrikes hit roughly 90 military assets inside Iran, concentrating on air-defense installations, warehouses for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and related facilities. The United States "carried out another series of operations against Iranian targets on July 8, designed to further limit Iran's capacity to disrupt merchant vessels and harm peaceful civilian sailors in the Strait of Hormuz," as stated in a social media update on X by US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards announced they launched successful strikes against American military facilities situated in Kuwait and Bahrain, while warning of further escalation if hostilities continue.

The lead diplomat representing Iran declared that the Strait of Hormuz will only be reopened if operations follow specific guidelines and systems established by Iran.

Loud blasts reverberated throughout the capital city of Bahrain on Thursday, as reported by an on-ground correspondent in Manama, shortly after emergency sirens went off warning residents of an incoming strike. These explosions occurred shortly after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards issued a stern warning promising to deliver a crushing retaliation in response to the latest American military actions inside Iran.

The US military initiated fresh waves of operations targeting Iran on Wednesday (July 8, 2026), after President Donald Trump pledged to take forceful action in response to Iranian provocations directed at vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz. While directing the punitive actions against Tehran, Mr. Trump remarked that he anticipated the current armed confrontation to resolve rapidly and remained receptive to future diplomatic discussions.