Live: US launches strikes to 'swiftly punish' Iran after two service members killed

Recap

The US has launched new strikes on Iran after two American service members were killed in an Iranian attack on Jordan.

US Central Command said the strikes were designed to further degrade Iran's ability to restrict the traffic of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Minutes before the announcement, Iran's supreme leader warned of "unforgettable lessons" if the US kept attacking the Islamic Republic.

Several gulf states have reported Iranian missile attacks on US air bases.

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Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 9:13am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 9:13am

'No exit plan' for Trump, foreign policy expert says

"You have a war of choice right now which has failed to accomplish any of the goals the administration set out to accomplish, and right now there is no exit plan for this president; he is stuck," US foreign policy expert Aaron David Miller from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told ABC News Channel.

"And Iranians frankly have shown no inclination to believe the time is not on their side, so we are off now, tragically, unfortunately, for more escalation," he said.

Miller said there was a need for serious negotiation, not a performative one.

"If the president wants to deploy his best friend and his son-in-law physically to negotiate three of the most difficult conflicts in the international system: Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza and US-Iran, the results are going to be predictable," he said.

He said the Vice President JD Vance was "not skilled in these matters", and this would be a tough task even for the best American negotiators.

"So what you have now is an escalatory cycle. The prospects of an exit ramp for the United States, I think, are slim to none right now."

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:46am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:46am

The US has 'unforgettable lessons in store for it', says Iran supreme leader

By Georgie Hewson

In a written statement carried by the official social media accounts of Iran's supreme leader and Iranian state media, Mojtaba Khamenei said repeated US breaches of the interim deal had shown that President Donald Trump's signature was "utterly worthless and devoid of credibility".

"Now that the American enemy is seeking to escalate the conflict thereby incurring even heavier costs and further humiliation, it should know that the noble nation of Iran and the Resistance Front have unforgettable lessons in store for it," the statement said.

Khamenei's whereabouts remain a mystery.

Key Event

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:40am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:40am

Strikes reported in Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia

By Georgie Hewson

Reporting with Reuters

On Saturday, Kuwait came under sustained attack, with the armed forces saying they had intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and that some firefighters and oil sector workers had been injured while responding to the attacks.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck a US military support centre at Kuwait's Camp Arifjan and destroyed a radar facility at Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation later said one of its oil facilities had been hit in "repeated Iranian attacks", causing significant damage and some injuries, according to the state news agency.

As well as hitting Kuwait, the IRGC targeted a site in Bahrain where US combat aircraft were gathered at Sheikh Isa Air Base and an intelligence data centre, Iranian media said.

The IRGC also destroyed at least two US fighter aircraft and three other aircraft during a missile and drone attack early on Saturday on the US base in Al Azraq, Jordan, according to Iranian state TV.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Saudi Arabia's early warning system issued alerts early on Saturday urging residents of Al-Kharj and Yanbu to seek shelter. Al-Kharj, east of Riyadh, is home to a military base that hosts US troops, while Yanbu, on the Red Sea, has a key oil export terminal.

Key Event

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:35am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:35am

US launches fresh strikes on Iran

By Georgie Hewson

The US military said that it had launched new air strikes against Iran in response to an attack on Jordan that killed two American service members, left one more missing and four requiring hospitalisation.

"US forces began launching new airstrikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction," US CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

"The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night."

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:30am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 8:30am

Welcome to our live coverage

By Georgie Hewson

Good morning.

The US says it is launching a fresh wave of air strikes on Iran to "swiftly punish" the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after the death of two US troops in Jordan.

The US and Iran have intensified attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war.

Stay with us as we keep you updated.