The US military launched two waves of attacks on Wednesday.Image: keystone
After the new attacks and threats from the USA against Iran, a diplomatic solution seems to have once again become a long way off.
July 16, 2026, 3:05 a.mJuly 16, 2026, 3:05 a.m
The US military launched two waves of attacks on Wednesday and also attacked a ship that is said to have violated the blockade of Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump once again threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure before adopting a conciliatory tone a short time later. Iran has allowed a US citizen taken into custody at the end of 2024 to leave the country, Trump said on Truth Social.
“The United States of America appreciates this goodwill gesture from Iran!” Trump did not give any details about the woman, he only wrote that she was out of the country and safe.
The latest developments in the Middle East.
Two waves of attacks in one day
The US military had previously launched two waves of attacks against Iran on Wednesday alone, the most recent of which began at 3 p.m. US East Coast time (9 p.m. German time), as the US military command responsible for the region (Centcom) announced on the X platform. The attacks are intended to limit Iran’s ability to threaten merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The armed forces initially did not provide any more specific information about the target of the attacks.
The pro-government Iranian news agency Mehr reported three explosions in the port city of Chabahar. There are also said to have been attacks in Rask in the extreme southeast of the country as well as in the area around Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf and in Ahwas in the southwest. The state news agency Irna reported, citing a local official, that four towns on the outskirts of Ahvas were hit.
Sirens are wailing in Bahrain
Shortly after the start of the new wave of attacks by the USA on targets in Iran, sirens and the sounds of explosions were heard again in the Gulf states of Kuwait and Bahrain, which are allies of the USA. The army of the Emirate of Kuwait announced on Platform X that the anti-aircraft defense had been activated due to drone attacks. In Bahrain, the population was called upon to remain calm and seek safety. As in the previous nights, nothing further was known this time, but both countries are repeatedly the target of Iranian retaliatory attacks during the war.
In Kuwait, the armed forces said they intercepted four cruise missiles and 21 drones that had entered the country’s airspace on Wednesday. The US military maintains military bases there as well as in Bahrain and other Arab states in the region.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by the ongoing military escalation in the region. He called on all parties involved to take immediate steps to de-escalate and return to dialogue and diplomacy. If hostilities were to resume in full, there would be “catastrophic consequences,” he warned. Guterres also once again called for free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to be ensured.
UN Secretary General António Guterres.Image: keystone
USA enforces naval blockade – including attacks on tankers
In addition to the mutual attacks, the US naval blockade against Iranian ports is also causing tension, which US armed forces have been enforcing again since Tuesday after a temporary break. Within the first 24 hours, they said they diverted two merchant ships that were trying to break through the blockade.
According to Centcom, the US military also attacked an unloaded oil tanker on Wednesday that was headed for an Iranian port in the Persian Gulf. The ship’s crew ignored various warnings and tried to violate the sea blockade. The ship was traveling in international waters towards the island of Kharg, which is important for Iran’s oil industry. The US military said the chimney of the Curaçao-flagged ship was fired at with rockets and rendered it unable to maneuver.
During the Iran War, the USA had already enforced a naval blockade against ships heading to or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas from mid-April. However, this was then lifted in mid-June as part of the framework agreement with Tehran. During that earlier naval blockade, the US military said it diverted more than 140 ships and disabled nine ships whose crews would not cooperate.
Trump is considering deploying ground troops
The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reports that Trump is leaning toward expanding military action against Iran, but has not yet made a final decision on next steps. Options include expanding air strikes, deploying ground troops to conquer Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz, and bombing an Iranian nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain.” Trump recently threatened an attack on the complex, which is located in Mount Kuh-e Kolang, south of the Natan nuclear facility in central Iran.
The US President had also once again threatened Iran with attacks on civilian infrastructure. When asked by a journalist whether he would give Iran an ultimatum before the US military would begin bombing bridges, Trump said on Wednesday: “I don’t like setting deadlines.”
Trump: Negotiate or “finish the matter”
On Tuesday, Trump told an interview with the US broadcaster Fox News that all power plants and bridges would be destroyed next week “unless they (the Iranians) come to the negotiating table and negotiate.” He also announced violent attacks in the coming nights.
On Wednesday, Trump repeated his claim that Iran “absolutely” wants to reach an agreement to end the fighting. “They don’t like what we’re doing and they actually want to settle the matter,” Trump said. “We’ll see if we can come to an agreement with them or if we can just get the matter over with.” (sda/dpa)