U.S. Unleashes Ninth Straight Night of Attacks Against Iran

President Trump: “We hit [Iran] very hard again tonight” in honor of the three U.S. service members killed in the Middle East

.@POTUS: "We hit [Iran] very hard again tonight" in honor of the three U.S. service members killed in the Middle East. 🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xYNWzmo91Y

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 20, 2026

U.S. military:

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET.

CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction. CENTCOM forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”

U.S. military:

"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET.

CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities,… pic.twitter.com/lgqsLHmZEC

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 20, 2026

Over the weekend recap:

U.S. unleashes ninth straight night of attacks against Iran

The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in X.

By: John Solomon, July 20, 2026:

The U.S. military on Sunday night unleashed a ninth straight night of punishing aerial strikes on Iran, seeking to degrade Tehran’s military capabilities after its attacks on American troops and ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes began around 7 p.m. and media reports indicated a large swath of Iran was under a barrage.

“The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in X.

Weekend recap:

Two Servicemembers Killed in Jordan, One Killed in Iraq

A sober weekend for our servicemen and women. In Jordan: Two U.S. servicemembers were killed and several were wounded in an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan, further escalating a weeklong exchange of fire where both sides have been striking increasingly sensitive targets…. Four servicemembers were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged, according to Centcom. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have been returned to duty, Centcom added (Wall Street Journal).

In Iraq: The American soldier in northern Iraq died following “a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone,” CENTCOM said in a statement. Another service member was wounded and received medical treatment for a minor injury (CBS).

Trump responds: President Trump on Saturday said the deaths of U.S. service members in Jordan are “a very sad thing.” “We hate to see it happen. They were in service of our country. And they, every one of them will never allow, they’ll fight to the death. But never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said when asked about the deaths of the service members by NewsNation’s Hannah Brandt (The Hill).

US Hardens Strikes on Iran in Ninth Straight Night of Attacks

Iran International: US Central Command said it began a new wave of strikes against Iran at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, marking the ninth consecutive night of attacks. CENTCOM said the operation would continue targeting Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz (Iran International).

Saturday night’s attacks were directly retaliatory: the U.S. specifically targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces who were believed to have launched Iran’s attack Friday on a Jordanian military base that killed at least two U.S. soldiers, the Pentagon said (CBS).

More from New York Sun: The United States aimed at “military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites but also hit a nuclear site at Darkhovin in southwestern Iran along the border with Iraq.  The International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Sunday that it is trying to discuss with Iranian officials any potential risks following the attack on the site (New York Sun).

Iran Strikes Desalination Plant in Kuwait

Kuwaiti officials say the power plant and desalination had been hit for the second time in two days: The ministry says that a fire resulting from the attack on the power station has affected a large number of power generation units (Al Arabiya).

Iran is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure: Instead of concentrating on military bases, Iranian missile and drone strikes hit a vital power and water desalination plant in Kuwait —part of the system that produce roughly 90 percent of the country’s drinking water. Unlike past fragments by Iran strikes that inadvertently hit desalination plants earlier, there is no question this plant was directly targeted. The fire was contained and emergency crews are restoring stability, but the strategic message is unmistakable: civilian survival infrastructure is now becoming a direct battlefield target (Escalation).

Report: Mojtaba Khamenei Has Fled Iran

\The last year has demonstrated that he cares little for the lives of the people of his own nation. For his own life, he seems to taking special care. Israel Hayom: According to an Israeli security official, Iran’s new supreme leader is no longer in the country, while Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi and other senior officials are drafting statements in his name. The official also claimed the US does not want Israel to participate in offensive operations, even if the Iranian regime attacks it. Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath reported Sunday, citing an Israeli security official, that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not in Iran. According to the report, the new leader’s complete disconnection from events on the ground means that all statements and written messages recently issued in his name are fake. The official said the messages were actually being drafted by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi and other senior figures in the organization, who were attempting to create a false impression of control and continuity (Israel Hayom).