Iran’s Army has launched a new wave of drone strikes against US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, intensifying its ongoing “Operation Lightning” after the United States carried out its thirteenth consecutive night of attacks on Iranian territory.

Iranian state media reported that the strikes were conducted during the 24th and 25th phases of the operation. The 25th phase targeted equipment warehouses at Al-Adiri camp, the location of American military personnel at the Doha barracks, and enemy forces at Arifjan camp in Kuwait. Arash attack drones were used in these operations.

In the 24th phase, the Iranian Army claimed to have struck US facilities at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa base. The targets included fuel tanks, equipment warehouses and accommodation areas. Arash drones were again deployed for these strikes.

Iran also stated that it had attacked the Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan. Aircraft hangars, maintenance facilities and accommodation used by US personnel were listed among the intended targets.

The Iranian Army declared that it would continue drone and missile operations. It warned that any further US military action would be met with additional retaliatory strikes. It also cautioned that attempts to open “a new front” against Iran would be a strategic mistake with consequences for regional security and the interests of US-aligned states.

The escalation follows the United States Central Command’s announcement that its forces had “successfully completed” another round of strikes against Iran on Thursday night. This marked the thirteenth consecutive night of operations. At least two people were injured in the Bandar Abbas region.

CENTCOM said the latest strikes were carried out at 9 pm ET on 23 July. Targets included Iranian military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities.

The US military stated that the purpose of the strikes was to diminish threats posed by Iran to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM emphasised that the international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Commercial shipping continues under US military protection. CENTCOM reiterated that vessels are freely navigating the strait with American support.

The confrontation highlights the growing risk of a wider regional conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global energy supplies passes. The repeated cycles of strikes underscore the collapse of diplomatic efforts and the intensification of military exchanges between Washington and Tehran.

ANI