WASHINGTON, July 25 — American air and naval strikes against Iranian military facilities stretched into a 13th consecutive night on Thursday, Pentagon officials confirmed, as Tehran dramatically expanded the scope of its retaliatory attacks to include U.S. military positions in Kuwait, Jordan and western Iraq.
The escalation marks a dangerous new phase in a conflict that has now entered its second week, with neither side showing willingness to step back from the brink despite intensifying diplomatic efforts led by Gulf intermediaries.
U.S. Central Command forces “successfully completed the 13th straight night of strikes against Iran,” the command said in a statement on X. The strikes targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities. According to CENTCOM, the operation began at 6:45 p.m. ET (2245 GMT) Thursday.
Iranian armed-forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani accused Washington of treating Iranian territory as a “weapons testing ground,” while state media broadcast footage of ballistic-missile launches targeting Al Asad airbase in Iraq and unspecified facilities in Kuwait and Jordan. The Iranian military said Friday it carried out drone strikes against several American military facilities and bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait in retaliation for the latest U.S. attacks. The IRGC claimed its forces had struck and completely destroyed a “very large” U.S. ammunition depot at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait with “advanced and ultra-heavy” kamikaze drones. The Iranian military also claimed drone attacks against Jordan, targeting aircraft hangars, aviation maintenance hangars, and a barracks at the Al-Azraq base.
U.S. Central Command acknowledged “incoming indirect fire” at multiple sites. The Pentagon’s reported death toll from the conflict has been subject to revision. As of Wednesday, its data showed that 11 service members were killed in hostilities and seven in accidents related to the war, totaling 18. However, the Pentagon later lowered the reported number from 18 to 14, attributing the change to “temporary data disruption” that it plans to fix.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters late Thursday, said he had not decided on whether to launch major strikes on Iran yet. “We are in negotiations with them. I think they are very serious,” Trump said, while also threatening Tehran with a “heavier dose”. Asked whether he had decided to launch major strikes on Iran, Trump replied: “No, I haven’t”. Iranian Foreign Ministry officials flatly denied any direct negotiations were underway.
The conflicting statements underscore the diplomatic paralysis that has gripped the crisis. Pakistani officials confirmed to regional media that Islamabad had offered to host back-channel talks, but said both Washington and Tehran had placed “non-negotiable preconditions” on the table. Saudi-led coalition forces, meanwhile, conducted parallel strikes against Houthi missile sites in Yemen, fearing Iranian proxies could open a second front along the Red Sea.
Economic fallout is spreading far beyond the battlefield. Brent crude futures settled at $96.78 per barrel on Friday, down 3.88% on the session but still posting a strong weekly gain. Gold traded near $4,050 an ounce. At the New York close on July 24, spot gold rose 0.09% to $4,052.96 per ounce, up 0.89% for the week. COMEX gold futures edged up 0.14%. European purchasing-managers’ indexes showed unexpected resilience this month, but economists warned that sustained elevated oil prices could snuff out the nascent recovery.
Inside Washington, congressional opposition to the war is hardening. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation demanding a 30-day halt to offensive operations pending a classified briefing on U.S. strategic objectives. Anti-war protesters gathered for a fifth consecutive evening outside the White House, chanting slogans referencing Vietnam — a comparison Trump angrily dismissed.
Military analysts warn that the comparison may become less far-fetched if Iran succeeds in drawing neighboring states into the conflict. “The moment American bases in Kuwait and Jordan become routine targets, this stops being a bilateral fight and becomes a regional war,” said Dr. Eleanor Vance of the Brookings Institution. “That is a threshold Washington has spent decades trying not to cross.”