Iran’s regime launched a new wave of missile attacks against countries in the Persian Gulf that host U.S. military facilities. Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq reported intercepting several projectiles and condemned the Iranian strikes in the early hours of Thursday.
Late Wednesday, the United States carried out another round of strikes against Iranian territory aimed at reducing Tehran’s capacity to “threaten the innocent mariners aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
The new offensive followed Washington’s confirmation that it had reestablished a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coasts, and that two commercial vessels had been diverted after, according to the Pentagon, they attempted to evade U.S.-imposed restrictions.
President Donald Trump hardened his stance toward Tehran and warned that the military campaign in the Middle East could expand in the coming days if the Iranian regime does not agree to return to the negotiating table. “Next week the situation will be very bad for them,” he said.
Below is the minute-by-minute coverage:
Pakistan urged Iran and the U.S. to resume peace talks to stop the war in the Middle East
On Thursday Pakistan said it will encourage the United States and Iran to halt the violence and resume dialogue under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month.
“While implementing the Memorandum of Understanding faces challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all parties to end the violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding,” said Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, to the press in Islamabad.
“We expressed our hope that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will normalize soon and emphasized the importance of ensuring the security and freedom of maritime navigation,” he added.
Oil prices fall
Oil prices fell in the early hours of Thursday, though they remain elevated amid an intensification of U.S. strikes against Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.5% to $84.57 per barrel. At the end of February, before the conflict began, it was trading near $72 per barrel. The U.S. benchmark dropped 0.2% to $79.43 per barrel.
/america/mundo/2026/07/16/el-fmi-advirtio-que-la-oferta-de-petroleo-tardara-hasta-tres-meses-en-normalizarse-una-vez-que-ormuz-se-reabra-completamente/
Tehran threatened regional infrastructure if the United States attacks Iran
On Thursday Tehran warned it would strike the regional infrastructure of countries allied with the United States if Washington follows through on warnings to attack Iranian facilities.
The spokesman for Iran’s military headquarters said that, if those warnings were carried out, “the entire infrastructure of the region would be crushed under the steel blows of the Iranian armed forces.”
Israel told the Pentagon it will keep troops in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, informed his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that the Israeli military will maintain its forces in the “security zones” established in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement released on Thursday, the two officials spoke overnight and Katz “stressed Israel’s determination to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon to protect its borders and nearby communities from threats posed by jihadist forces.”
Fire and smoke seen in Chabahar, Iran, after reports of an explosion
Jordan intercepted eight Iranian missiles during the night
Jordan’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed eight Iranian missiles aimed at the country in the early hours of Thursday, the Jordanian military reported. No casualties or material damage were reported. Engineering teams secured the areas where debris fell, and the armed forces remain on high alert for possible further threats.
Iran’s military said its drones struck communications systems, fuel depots and a fixed radar station at Al Azraq air base in Jordan, identified by Tehran as a U.S. military base. The statement, carried by official Iranian media, said the offensive was the ninth phase of “Operation Saeqeh” (Lightning) and was launched in response to recent U.S. attacks on Iran, including a strike on a military barracks in Sistan and Baluchestan province that Tehran says killed seven soldiers.
/america/mundo/2026/07/16/el-regimen-de-iran-lanzo-ataques-contra-bases-e-instalaciones-militares-de-estados-unidos-en-jordania-kuwait-e-irak/
Iraq’s prime minister condemned the “drone attack” on Erbil on Thursday
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, condemned a “drone attack” that violated Erbil’s airspace in the Kurdistan region after several drones were shot down, his office said.
Al-Zaidi said security agencies, in coordination with regional forces, have been ordered to take all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of these attacks and to protect the security of Iraqi society.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, the capital
State media in Iran reported that air defense alarms were activated in several areas of Tehran on Thursday morning and that explosions were heard in the north and west of the country.
The state news agency IRNA reported that, so far, no casualties have been recorded in Tehran. Additional explosions were reported in Lorestan province and in Semnan in the north, according to IRNA and the Mehr news agency.