Weekend Recap: US-Iran conflict escalates into seventh night of strikes
By Sammy Tisser,
The US and Iran have now traded strikes for seven consecutive nights following the collapse of last month's memorandum of understanding. American forces hit surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities across Iran, according to Central Command, which said it continues to enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports and noted that over 50,000 US troops remain deployed across the region. Explosions were reported early Saturday in Yazd and in several southern provinces, per Iranian state media.
Tehran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Iran has suspended its own commitments under the Islamabad MOU, arguing the US had already violated the deal. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement accusing Washington of repeated breaches and warning that Trump's word carries no weight, while a Revolutionary Guards adviser cautioned that continued US strikes would push Iran into "full-scale offensive operations."
Iran claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile strike on a US base in Saudi Arabia, reportedly the first direct attack on the kingdom in four months. Two American soldiers were killed and one remains missing after an Iranian missile attack on US forces in Jordan on Friday, Central Command confirmed, with four others wounded and since discharged from Jordanian hospitals. Iran's military also claimed strikes on US-linked sites in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, hitting an ammunition depot and headquarters buildings in Kuwait, fuel tanks at a Jordanian base, and aircraft shelters and fuel storage at Bahrain's Sheikh Isa Air Base. The Revolutionary Guards separately claimed to have hit a US drone depot and Bahrain's main artificial intelligence center, though this could not be independently verified.
Gulf states report damage, casualties from Iranian fire
Kuwait's fire service said Iranian attacks sparked fires at two locations, injuring several firefighters and a worker who were taken for treatment, while a fire also broke out at a power generation and desalination plant, forcing several units offline. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said one of its facilities sustained significant damage and some injuries from repeated Iranian strikes. Kuwait International Airport briefly suspended operations before Kuwait Airways rescheduled most flights.
Jordan's army said it intercepted 10 Iranian missiles targeting its territory, with no casualties or damage reported. Bahrain's air defenses said they thwarted a wave of attacks, activating sirens twice as residents were warned to shelter. In Hormozgan province, US strikes reportedly killed three people and wounded eight, according to Iranian state media.
The Gulf Cooperation Council's secretary general condemned the Iranian strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan as amounting to war crimes, calling them "a highly dangerous escalation, a grave violation of international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter."
Strait of Hormuz tensions intensify
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they stopped four ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz in a combined missile and drone operation, and separately claimed two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of the strait, a claim Central Command denied. A Thai-flagged vessel was reportedly targeted after allegedly ignoring warnings and attempting to pass without Guards' permission. Central Command said it redirected four commercial vessels, disabled one, and boarded another during the first three days of its blockade on Iranian ports. Saudi civil defense issued and later lifted brief danger warnings for Al-Kharj and Yanbu without elaborating on the trigger.
US sending more refueling aircraft as Trump weighs wider strikes
The US has reportedly notified Israel that it is sending dozens of additional refueling tankers as Trump considers escalating the bombing campaign against Iran in the coming days, according to Axios, which noted Netanyahu will ultimately have final say on the matter. The military later clarified the additional tankers will be stationed at Israeli airbases rather than Ben Gurion Airport, a decision made in coordination with Israel to preserve civilian aviation capacity. Transportation Minister Miri Regev had already capped the tanker presence at Ben Gurion at 20 amid concerns over summer flight disruptions, after 33 had been parked there. An unsourced Ynet report said the incoming planes would not land at Ben Gurion at all, with five to eight expected daily.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem urged Americans to reconsider travel to the region and specifically avoid northern Israel, Gaza, and the Egyptian border given the volatile security environment.
Reservist detained eight months in Thailand released
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that an IDF reservist, identified only as Aleph, was detained in Thailand for eight months while on his honeymoon before being released following diplomatic efforts. In a phone call with the couple, Netanyahu said "this is the commitment of the State of Israel," adding "we all embrace you." Ynet reported the reservist was stopped after a loaded magazine of bullets was found in his luggage; the Prime Minister's Office did not elaborate on the circumstances, and the case had not previously been reported in Israeli media. Netanyahu thanked hostage pointman Gal Hirsch along with President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and other officials for their role in securing his release.
Lebanon: army redeploys, Aoun heads to Washington
The Lebanese army redeployed forces to the southern towns of Froun and Burj Qalaouiyah under its framework agreement with Israel, both located outside the IDF's buffer zone, meaning no Israeli withdrawal was required. Froun is the first of two pilot zones under the arrangement; the second, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, still has Israeli forces stationed and will require their withdrawal.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun departed Beirut for Washington to meet with American officials following talks between Lebanon and Israel in Italy, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening the ceasefire, particularly in the south, and on Israel's withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.
A Lebanese soldier was killed and two others wounded when a suspicious object exploded in an army vehicle in the southern town of Mansouri; the army said the incident remains under investigation. Separately, the IDF struck and killed a Hezbollah cell operating a drone near Kfar Tebnit after troops from the Commando Brigade spotted it flying over the area close to Israel's security zone. An interceptor missile was also fired at a suspected false identification over southern Lebanon, though the IDF said no actual attack occurred and no sirens sounded.
Gaza strikes kill at least nine
Israeli strikes in Gaza City killed at least nine Palestinians, including three children, according to hospital officials. A strike on an apartment in the Nasr neighborhood killed at least five people, including children between 8 and 18, per Shifa Hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmiya, with six others wounded. The military said it targeted Hamas infrastructure and had identified Hamas terrorists in the area without further detail. A separate strike in the Zeitoun neighborhood killed four and critically wounded another; the military said it targeted a Hamas terrorist and is reviewing the results.
Civilians cross into Syria despite IDF warnings
A group of civilians affiliated with a movement calling itself the Bashan Pioneers illegally crossed into Syria near Majdal Shams on Thursday and spent a full day there before troops located and detained them, handing them to police for questioning. In several separate incidents in the southern Golan Heights, troops stopped additional civilians from crossing and also turned them over to police. The IDF said such crossings have increased in recent weeks and warned that they divert soldiers from operational duties and endanger both civilians and troops, calling the actions a criminal offense and demanding law enforcement act decisively against those involved. The group, which seeks to establish settlements in the area, has drawn support from some coalition lawmakers.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.