Middle East

US renews strikes on Iran after two military personnel killed by Iranian attack

IDF strikes Hezbollah drone • Khamenei reportedly warns of additional full-scale retaliation if US strikes continue • Iran attacks US bases in Saudi Arabia

A heavily-damaged bridge which was hit by a US strike is pictured along the road connecting Roudan and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on July 18, 2026.

State Department urges caution for all US travelers in light of Middle East tensions

People enter the State Department Building in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017.

Strait of Hormuz seeing less traffic as threat from Iran increases to commercial sailors - report

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 26, 2026.

CENTCOM completes eighth wave of strikes against Iran in retaliation for death of US soldiers

(Illustrative) A projectile is fired during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said was a third round of strikes this week against Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 11, 2026.

Damascus calls Hezbollah ‘terrorist militia’, partners with Iraq to stop arms smuggling

The ministry said specialized security units intercepted a suspicious vehicle near the Syrian-Iraqi border and discovered a cache of long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles, and drones.

JULY 19, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE

Drones displayed by Syria's Interior Ministry after authorities said they were seized during an operation that foiled an alleged cross-border weapons smuggling attempt near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq, July 16, 2026.

Two US service members killed, one missing in action after Iran strikes base in Jordan

United States Central Command announced that two service members were killed in action, one is missing in action, and four were injured Friday in Jordan in a post on X/Twitter.

JULY 18, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

US Marine soldiers from 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Battalion landing team deployed from Okinawa, Japan, participate in the U.S. and South Korean Marines joint landing operation at Pohang seashore on March 29, 2012 in Pohang, South Korea.

Khamenei says Trump's signature on MoU is 'worthless' as US, Iran continue strikes

Khamenei threatened that "the noble Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have unforgettable lessons in store" for the US Army.

JULY 18, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

A MAN holds a flag with a picture of late leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, during a rally in Tehran, in April 2026.

From forced conversion to genocide: How Yazidis carry centuries of persecution into exile

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: The Islamic interpretation of the Yazidi faith is what members of ISIS used to justify the enslavement of over 6,000 women and children and the murder of more than 5,000 people.

JULY 18, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

A Yazidi woman holds a flame during the Charshama Sor Red New Year ceremony at the Lalish temple in Iraq in April. For a community repeatedly driven from its ancestral homes and subjected to forced conversions, religious tradition has become an enduring expression of survival and continuity.

Why did Iran claim to attack an abandoned US garrison in Syria? - analysis

Iran is likely trying to send a message to Syria. Iran wants weapons to continue to flow to Hezbollah via Syria.

JULY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A satellite image shows the al-Tanf Base, in Syria, in this image taken July 20, 2025.

Iran claims coordinated attacks on US military sites in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain

Sirens, missile interceptions, and reported damage followed as Iran claimed attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain.

JULY 18, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

A satellite view shows the Ali Al Salem Base, after Iranian strikes, near Al Jahra, Kuwait, March 1, 2026.

Will Mahmoud Abbas actually let Palestinians vote? Critics say he's testing the waters first

PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS: The PA president wants to remove any Israeli claim that Palestinians are not a partner for peace,’ said one Palestinian analyst, after the election announcement.

JULY 18, 2026ByDANA BEN-SHIMON

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech during the Eighth General Conference of Fatah, in Ramallah in May. Abbas pledged to press ahead with reforms within the PA, saying he was prepared to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections, set for November.

Iran attacks US bases in Gulf as CENTCOM completes seventh consecutive round of strikes

IDF strikes Hezbollah drone • Khamenei reportedly warns of additional full-scale retaliation if US strikes continue • Iran attacks US bases in Saudi Arabia

JULY 18, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

A US Air Force fighter pilot performs pre-flight checks on an F-16 fighter jet.

Iran claims to have struck US military assets in Kuwait, Jordan with missiles, drones - report

According to Iranian state media, drones targeted US ammunition stores and communication assets at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base and US military assets at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

JULY 17, 2026ByAARON GLICK, GOLDIE KATZ

Smoke rises following a strike on the Bapco Oil Refinery, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, on Sitra Island Bahrain, March 9, 2026; Illustrative.

US CENTCOM concludes seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military sites

According to CENTCOM, US forces struck Iranian surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and naval capabilities using fighter jets, drones, and warships.

JULY 17, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ, JERUSALEM POST STAFF