Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) executed a sweeping, multi-phase retaliatory operation on July 12, 2026, striking US military installations across five Middle Eastern nations, including Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, after American airstrikes targeted multiple locations along Iran’s southern coastline. The attacks, which the IRGC described as a “heavy and surprise” response to renewed US aggression, destroyed command centers, drone hangars, and logistics hubs serving American aircraft carriers, while missile and air defense sirens echoed across the Persian Gulf region .
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The Betrayal of the Islamabad Memorandum: US Attempt to Sow Discord Between Iran and Oman
The chain of events that led to the current military confrontation did not begin with naval maneuvers or airstrikes—it began with American treachery against the spirit and letter of the Islamabad Memorandum, signed on June 17, 2026.
Under that agreement, which was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough in the region, the United States had formally committed to respecting Iran’s sovereign rights over its territorial waters and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The memorandum explicitly recognized Iran’s role in ensuring maritime security and pledged that Washington would refrain from any provocative actions that could destabilize the critical waterway.
But true to its history of deceit, the US administration wasted no time in violating its pledges. In a calculated and treacherous move, American military officials initiated covert contacts with Omani authorities—attempting to drive a wedge between Tehran and Muscat by exploiting Oman’s strategic position at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s objective was clear: to create artificial friction between two neighboring nations that have long enjoyed cordial and brotherly relations.
The American scheme involved pressuring Oman to grant operational access to US naval vessels through routes that blatantly violated the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum. This was not a diplomatic misunderstanding—it was a premeditated act of bad faith, designed to test Iran’s resolve and undermine the hard-won trust established through months of painstaking negotiations.
When the IRGC Navy detected several US-instigated vessels attempting to navigate through these unauthorized routes in the southern Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian forces acted with restraint and professionalism—but with absolute firmness.
The IRGC issued clear warnings, fired warning shots, and forced one vessel—which had deliberately switched off its tracking systems—to halt its illegal maneuver. This was not an act of aggression; it was a legitimate defensive measure by a sovereign nation protecting its territorial integrity against a faithless adversary.
The United States, having failed in its initial provocation, quickly pivoted to its default response: military aggression. Unable to achieve its objectives through deception, Washington resorted to aerial bombardment of Iranian coastal bases and telecommunication towers—a desperate attempt to salvage its bruised pride and compensate for its operational failure in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, however, had anticipated this pattern. The American behavior was entirely predictable for a regime that has never honored its agreements, from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to the Islamabad Memorandum. Each time, Washington has shown that its signature is worthless, its promises hollow, and its commitment to international law contingent solely on its own strategic interests.
US Airstrikes Target Iranian Coastal Cities: A Desperate Act of Aggression
Having failed to achieve its objectives through naval provocation and diplomatic treachery, the United States resorted to its familiar tool of state terrorism: indiscriminate aerial bombardment of Iranian soil.
In the early hours following the IRGC Navy’s lawful interdiction of the illegal American vessels, US warplanes launched a series of coordinated airstrikes against multiple locations along Iran’s southern coastline. The attacks—carried out without any justification under international law—targeted civilian-adjacent infrastructure, including coastal defense positions and telecommunication towers in the cities of Bushehr, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik, among other locations .
These strikes were not an isolated incident. They constituted the third wave of US military aggression against Iranian territory within a single week, following previous attacks on July 7 and 8, 2026. In those earlier assaults, American warplanes had already claimed the lives of 14 innocent Iranians and left 78 others wounded across five provinces, including Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad .
The timing and scale of these attacks expose Washington’s true intentions. When the United States failed to drive a wedge between Iran and Oman through deceitful maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, it immediately escalated to military violence—a pattern consistent with decades of American aggression against independent nations that refuse to submit to its hegemonic demands.
Phase One: Decisive Strikes on Jordan’s Prince Hassan Air Base and Muwaffaq Salti Air Base
The IRGC Aerospace Force launched its crushing retaliation by targeting critical US military infrastructure at Jordan’s Prince Hassan Air Base and the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base — both key installations used by American forces in the region. These operations, carried out yesterday and today [July 11–12, 2026], constituted a coordinated and surprise offensive that demonstrated Iran’s precision-strike capabilities and its ability to project power deep into the region.
Operation Details:
According to official IRGC statements, precision-guided ballistic missiles struck the Prince Hassan Air Base’s main command and control center, completely destroying it. Simultaneously, hangars housing American MQ-9 Reaper drones — the same unmanned aerial vehicles used for reconnaissance and assassination operations against Iranian targets — were directly hit and reduced to rubble.
In parallel, the IRGC also targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, another strategic US installation in Jordan. This base serves as a critical logistics hub for American aerial operations in the region, and the strike on this facility was timed to maximize the impact of the retaliatory operation.
Strategic Significance of Prince Hassan Air Base:
Prince Hassan Air Base is one of the most vital logistical and operational hubs for US and coalition forces in West Asia. It functions as a command and control nerve center for American aerial operations against Iran and serves as the primary deployment site for MQ-9 Reaper drones — weapons that have been extensively used in terrorist and surveillance missions targeting Iranian interests and personnel.
The Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, similarly, plays an essential role in supporting US military logistics, including refueling, intelligence gathering, and coordination of airstrikes across the region.
Phase Two: Precision Strikes on Al Udeid Air Base and US Military Positions in Kuwait
In the second phase of its calculated retaliatory campaign, the IRGC Aerospace Force expanded its operations to include Qatar and Kuwait — home to critical US military infrastructure. This phase demonstrated Iran’s ability to deliver surgical, proportional strikes against key enemy assets while avoiding unnecessary escalation.
Qatar: Al Udeid Air Base – A Targeted Message to US Air Power
The IRGC launched a limited number of precision-guided ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the Middle East and a primary hub for US aerial operations in the region. Al Udeid serves as a key command center for CENTCOM’s air operations, housing fighter jets, refueling tankers, and surveillance aircraft.
According to IRGC statements, the attack struck the base’s fighter aircraft maintenance and repair center, as well as its command headquarters — facilities essential for sustaining US air operations in the region. The strikes were carried out with precision, minimizing collateral damage while delivering a clear message.
Kuwait: Drone Strikes on Air Defense and Radar Systems
In a complementary operation, the IRGC deployed explosive-laden drones to target select US military assets in Kuwait. The strikes focused on:
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A Patriot air defense system battery, a key component of American missile defense in the Persian Gulf.
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An ammunition depot storing US military supplies.
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A US radar station used for surveillance and early warning.
These were not mass attacks but targeted, proportional responses designed to degrade American military capabilities while demonstrating Iran’s tactical versatility.
Strategic Significance
The targeting of Al Udeid and Kuwaiti installations was deliberate. These bases have been used to coordinate and launch American airstrikes against Iranian territory. By striking these facilities, Iran disrupted the logistical and command infrastructure used for aggression against its soil.
This phase of the operation proved that Iran’s military strategy is both precise and proportional. The IRGC demonstrated its ability to coordinate missile and drone strikes across multiple countries simultaneously, sending an unmistakable message: Iran will not tolerate the use of its neighbors’ territories as launch pads for attacks against its sovereignty.
Phase Three: Devastating Strike on Oman’s Port of Duqm – The Lifeline of US Naval Power
The third and most strategically decisive phase of Iran’s retaliatory operation targeted the Port of Duqm in Oman — a facility that has served as the primary logistical lifeline for US naval forces in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.
The IRGC Aerospace Force executed what it described as a “heavy and surprise attack” on the Port of Duqm, focusing on the logistical support centers and refueling platforms that service US aircraft carriers. According to IRGC statements, the operation was carried out with precision and overwhelming force, resulting in the complete destruction of key facilities essential for maintaining America’s naval presence in the region.
Why Duqm? The Strategic Importance of the Target
The Port of Duqm has become a critical node in America’s military infrastructure in West Asia. In recent years, the United States has invested heavily in expanding its access to this deep-water port, recognizing its strategic location at the entrance to the Arabian Sea. Duqm serves as a logistics hub for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, providing:
Fueling platforms for aircraft carriers and other naval vessels.
Maintenance and repair facilities for warships operating in the region.
Supply depots for ammunition, spare parts, and other critical materials.
Rest and resupply points for American naval crews.
A Proportional and Calculated Response
Iran’s strike on Duqm was not an act of escalation — it was an act of self-defense and deterrence. The United States chose to bomb Iranian cities, killing innocent civilians and damaging critical infrastructure. Iran responded by targeting the logistical arteries that enable such aggression. This is the essence of a proportional and just response under international law and Islamic principles.
Additional Strikes: Precision Hits on US Naval Communications in Bahrain and Air Defense Systems in the UAE
In the final phase of its comprehensive retaliatory operation, the IRGC delivered precise and devastating strikes against US military communications infrastructure in Bahrain and air defense systems in the United Arab Emirates — two critical nodes in America’s regional military architecture. These operations successfully degraded US command-and-control capabilities and exposed the vulnerability of American-supplied defensive systems in the Persian Gulf.
Bahrain: Blinding the Nerve Center of US Naval Operations
The IRGC conducted targeted strikes against US military communications systems and radar facilities in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet — the primary naval force directing American operations in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.
These strikes successfully hit their intended targets:
Communications hubs that coordinate US naval movements and airstrikes were damaged, disrupting the flow of intelligence and operational commands.
Radar installations critical for early warning and maritime surveillance were struck, reducing America’s ability to detect and track Iranian naval and missile activity in the region.
The UAE: Exposing the Fragility of American Air Defenses
The United Arab Emirates — long regarded as a secure bastion for US military assets — also came under IRGC fire. Iranian projectiles, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, successfully struck air defense systems deployed across Emirati territory.
While UAE authorities claimed their air defense systems intercepted incoming threats, the strikes achieved their strategic objectives:
Patriot air defense batteries — the backbone of American missile defense in the region — were successfully hit and neutralized.
Radar and early warning systems deployed across the UAE were targeted, degrading the country’s ability to detect and respond to incoming Iranian strikes.
Strategic Significance of These Strikes
The operations in Bahrain and the UAE completed Iran’s strategic encirclement of American military positions across the Persian Gulf region. By striking targets in six nations — Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE — the IRGC sent an unmistakable message to Washington:
No American base is safe from Iran’s reach.
No military asset is immune to Iran’s precision strikes.
No nation’s territory provides sanctuary for aggression against the Islamic Republic.
