Iran launched drone and missile strikes against U. S.
military installations in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain on July 9, 2026, escalating regional tensions as the country prepared to bury its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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The attacks followed heavy U. S.
airstrikes that killed 14 people and injured 78 others across five Iranian provinces between July 8 and July 9, according to Iranian state media.
Multiple explosions were reported Thursday morning in Bushehr province, home to a Russian-built nuclear power plant, the semi-official Mehr news agency said.
Iranian Military Operations
An official statement from the Iranian army confirmed that its forces used drones to target U. S.
Patriot systems in Kuwait, an early warning satellite antenna site in Qatar, and a U. S.
military fuel storage facility in Bahrain.
Kuwaiti officials reported that their military engaged a cruise missile, three ballistic missiles, and 10 drones, with falling shrapnel injuring one person.
Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, issued a warning on social media platform X.
"The U. S.
has yet to learn that bullying and breaking its commitments no longer come without a cost.
Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck back," Qalibaf wrote.
Qalibaf asserted that control over the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane would remain under local jurisdiction.
"The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through U. S.
threats," he added.
U. S.
