US strikes Iran again as Kuwait intercepts drones and UAE condemn missile attacks
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Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz an "unbreakable red line," warning it will never allow the US to interfere with the strategic waterway as Washington expands its military campaign in the Gulf and considers broader strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's central military command, said Tehran would act decisively against any attempt by the United States to challenge its position in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy corridors. "Under no circumstances will we permit the United States to interfere with the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran's unbreakable red line," Zolfaghari said in televised remarks.
He also warned that Iran's armed forces would target "all infrastructure throughout the region" if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to strike Iranian civilian or energy infrastructure.
The warning comes as the US has intensified military operations against Iran, conducting near-daily strikes on missile sites, radar installations and IRGC positions around Hormuz while enforcing a naval blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.
Oil prices edged lower Friday as traders paused after weeks of heightened volatility, weighing the risk of further escalation in the US-Iran conflict against signs that global crude supplies remain sufficient to prevent a sustained price spike.
Market data showed Brent crude, the international benchmark, trading at $84.69 a barrel, down 31 cents (0.31%), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 11 cents (0.14%) to $79.49, as of 10.55am Tokyo on Friday (July 17).
Murban crude, the benchmark produced by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and widely used by Asian refiners, posted the steepest decline, falling 4.13% to $78.55. U.S. natural gas futures also slipped 0.62% to $2.906 per million British thermal units.
The modest pullback comes despite continued military tensions in the Middle East, where the United States has expanded operations against Iran, including reported strikes on transport infrastructure and the enforcement of a naval blockade aimed at restricting Iranian oil exports.
US President Donald Trump remains "open to diplomacy" with Iran, the White House said, adding that Washington was still talking to Tehran despite the renewal of hostilities.
"The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Qatar’s Interior Ministry raised the national security threat level to “high” on Friday, urging residents to remain indoors or in safe locations and avoid windows, glass facades and exposed areas. The precautionary alert, issued early Friday morning via state media, was framed as a measure to protect public safety amid unspecified risks. No immediate details on the nature of the threat were provided in the initial announcement.
Kuwaiti air defences intercepted hostile missiles and drones early Friday amid what the military described as Iranian aggression, officials said, urging residents to follow safety protocols as explosions echoed in parts of the country.
In a statement posted on X, the Kuwait Army General Staff Headquarters said its air defences were actively responding to "hostile missile and drone attacks" following the "Iranian aggression."
A US military strike reportedly destroyed a key road bridge near Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas, severing a major transportation link across the Shur River, according to reports circulating on social media and regional monitoring accounts.
The reports claimed the bridge, which connects Bandar Abbas with inland cities, collapsed into the river after being struck. At least two people were reportedly killed and four others injured.
Localised power outages were also reported in the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported late early on Friday that a location near Iranshahr in southeastern Iran was struck by what it described as an “American enemy projectile,” adding to a series of military exchanges that have kept the region on edge in recent weeks.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news service, stated that preliminary assessments were underway and that further details would be released.
Iranian state media reported explosions and US strikes in locations across the south on Thursday night, as hostilities between the two foes rekindled.
State TV reported two explosions in the city of Bushehr — home to Iran's only civilian nuclear plant — in a "continuation of the American enemy aggression", as well as a series of unattributed explosions in coastal Bandar Abbas.
The official news agency IRNA also reported "American enemy attacks on areas around Ahvaz", where fearful residents told AFP they had heard intense strikes for a second night in a row.
Seven people were injured in a US strike on the “Talleh Allah Akbar” neighbourhood of the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency. The agency said emergency medical teams were treating the wounded, while all rescue and healthcare units affiliated with Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences had been placed on maximum alert.
Iranian state media also aired footage it said showed the aftermath of the US attack in Bandar Abbas. Mehr reported that a telecommunications tower appeared to have been among the possible targets, although there has been no official confirmation of the intended target or the extent of the damage. Separately, Iranian state television reported eight new explosions around the village of Masan on Qeshm Island following what it described as a US aerial attack.
