US military hits Iran in push to degrade regime’s ability to target ships in Strait of Hormuz

The militaries of Bahrain and Kuwait said Tuesday they are defending their countries against fresh attacks by Iran. 

The Bahrain Defence Force said it “confronted, intercepted, and destroyed a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks” on Tuesday, and that “Iran continues its systematic hostile approach through its sinful attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain.” 

Kuwait’s Army said in a statement on X that “Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks, following the sinful Iranian aggression.” 

“The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of the air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks,” it added. 

The State Department warned Americans worldwide to “exercise increased caution” as Iran may target U.S. interests overseas. 

“Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the State Department said in a message on Monday. 

“U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world,” it added. 

The State Department also said Americans that are currently in the Middle East “should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” and those who are not “should reconsider travel to and through the region.” 

The Army on Tuesday identified Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old air defense soldier from Fayetteville, North Carolina, as the U.S. service member killed while troops attempted to destroy a downed Iranian attack drone at an air base in Iraq.

Swinton was killed in action July 19 during a controlled detonation of the one-way unmanned aerial system at Erbil Air Base, the Department of War said. The incident remains under investigation.

His death brought the number of U.S. service members killed during the conflict with Iran to 17. The toll includes deaths from Iranian attacks as well as crashes and other incidents connected to American military operations in the region.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) announced Tuesday that a ship was hit by an “unknown projectile” near the Strait of Hormuz. 

“The Master of a vessel reports being struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the steering gear,” the UKMTO said, noting that the incident happened on Sunday. “All the crew are reported as safe. There is no environmental impact.” 

The UKMTO said Monday that a tanker reported being hit by an “unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.” 

That incident forced the tanker’s crew to abandon vessel and enter a lifeboat, it added.

Jordan’s military intercepted three Iranian missiles and five drones on Tuesday, according to multiple reports from its state-run Petra news agency. 

A military source told Petra that the three Iranian missiles were targeting Jordanian territory on Tuesday afternoon local time and that the interceptions resulted in no casualties or material damage.  

Another source said Jordanian air defense systems neutralized five unmanned drones that originated from Iran overnight and Tuesday morning. 

The incidents come days after U.S. Central Command said two U.S. service members in Jordan were killed in action on July 17 as CENTCOM and partner forces “defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.” 

The fallen soldiers were later identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.   

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this post.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House as the U.S. has been mediating talks between Israel and Lebanon. 

Talks in June led to a signed trilateral framework agreement between the United States, Israel and Lebanon. It set a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Aoun on Sunday, where according to the State Department, he “commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun’s leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace.” 

“The Secretary reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to supporting the successful implementation of the Trilateral Framework and to backing the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to deliver peace, economic recovery, and a better future for the Lebanese people,” State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott added. 

The State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details on what that entailed. Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, according to The Associated Press. 

The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops to the area Tuesday. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had completed another round of new strikes against Iran at 9 p.m. ET on Monday.

The command said it struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems to "degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial vessels flowing through the Strait of Hormuz." 

"Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue," CENTCOM said in a post shared on X. 

"Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil," it added before stating that U.S. forces are "postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait."

Overthrowing Iran's regime has returned to the agenda in parts of the Trump administration after diplomatic efforts appeared to have failed, the Financial Times reported Monday. 

"Elements of the Trump administration are once again flirting with Plan A — which is to topple the Iranian regime," the newspaper said. 

In its analysis, the Financial Times also said efforts to encourage an internal uprising in Iran were back on Washington's agenda. 

The report added that an earlier Israeli proposal to arm Kurdish groups opposed to Tehran was rejected by the administration but could now be revived as policymakers search for alternative options.

Yesterday's Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the war with Iran.