US launches devastating strikes on Iran twice in one day

Around 16 July 2026, the United States struck Iran for a sixth consecutive night, in what Washington Examiner called the heaviest bombing rate since the start of the war. Reported targets included Qeshm island, areas around Bandar Abbas, northern Iran, five bridges, an airport and a rail hub. One person was killed and eight wounded in a US strike on a residential area of Bandar Abbas, according to APA. US forces also disabled a ship they said tried to run the blockade and fired at an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran launched drone strikes on US military sites in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, and Al Jazeera reported Iranian strikes on the Gulf. Video and reports said 211 chemotherapy patients were evacuated after US missiles hit near a children's cancer hospital in Iran. Separately, Sky News and CNN reported on an investigation into the bombing of a school in Iran, and Tehran released a US citizen.