Iran's military force called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, fired several ballistic missiles at US military bases across the Middle East on July 29, 2026. Ballistic missiles are powerful weapons that fly high into the sky and then come down on a target. The US military command for the region, called CENTCOM, said all the missiles were stopped before they could hit anything. Jordan's news agency reported five missiles were stopped over Jordan. The IRGC said it had aimed at a US airbase and command center in Jordan (Al Jazeera).

The timing was important. The attacks happened while US President Donald Trump was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Just five days earlier, on July 24, Trump had stopped a planned two-week bombing campaign against Iran. Netanyahu was reportedly planning to talk about a place called Pickaxe Mountain, where Israeli intelligence believes Iran is building a new nuclear facility (Al Jazeera).

Iran said the strike was payback for "illegal and vicious actions by American forces." But Al Jazeera's reporter in Tehran, Resul Serdar, called it a "pre-emptive attack," meaning Iran was acting first to get ahead of a threat, rather than just responding to something the US had already done. Jason Campbell, an expert at the Middle East Institute, said Iran was "trying to retake the initiative and the momentum with these latest attacks." Another Al Jazeera reporter, Alan Fisher, said Iran was "sending a message to Trump that they need to be involved in all discussions" (Al Jazeera).

At the same time, the IRGC also "struck and stopped" three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Tasnim news agency. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strip of water between Iran and Oman. About one-fifth of all the oil traded worldwide passes through it. Think of it as a narrow highway for ships, where any blockage affects oil supplies everywhere. This was not a one-time event. On July 14, Iran's Press TV reported the IRGC Navy struck two large tankers, saying the US had misled them into crossing waters that had mines in them. On July 26, Press TV reported another tanker exploded in the Strait after leaving an Iran-approved route and hitting a naval mine (Press TV).

Iran is also trying to change who controls the Strait. The country of Oman suggested that Iran and Oman manage ship traffic together. Iran said no. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that Iran would not split the routes equally. Instead, Iran proposed it manage shipping on its side, while Oman would manage only part of the other side (Al Jazeera).

Oil markets reacted quickly. US oil prices jumped more than 4 percent to over $82 a barrel. Brent crude, another major oil price measure, rose to over $88 a barrel. However, the news outlet Iran International described the Strait of Hormuz as "unusually subdued" on July 29, meaning fewer ships than usual were passing through, suggesting commercial traffic had already thinned out as companies expected more fighting (Iran International).

The broader context here is a conflict that has been building for weeks. The US had launched a military campaign called Operation "Epic Fury" against Iranian military and nuclear sites. The Pentagon said a US strike on a facility called Fordow, using 30,000-pound bombs designed to break through deep underground bunkers, was "historically successful." US forces also struck nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, causing significant damage (Department of Defense). Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the operation's goals were "laser-focused" (Department of Defense).

The timeline of fighting is intense. Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported IRGC missile strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain on June 6. On July 7, the French newspaper Le Monde reported Trump said a ceasefire between the US and Iran was "over" after strikes in the Strait of Hormuz (Le Monde). IRNA reported Iranian drone and missile attacks on US bases on July 12, with more IRGC strikes on July 13. That same day, CENTCOM completed a five-hour strike mission against Iranian targets. By July 18, the US had carried out its eighth straight night of strikes. On July 20, CENTCOM announced more precision strikes. On July 21, IRNA reported Iran's military attacked US bases in Kuwait again. On July 22, IRNA quoted the IRGC calling strikes on US bases in Jordan a "first stage" (IRNA). Press TV reported on July 8 that Iran had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz completely and strike twice as many targets if the US attacked again (Press TV).

A few things stand out. First, the IRGC called its July 22 strikes a "first stage," which now looks like a sign that the July 29 attacks were planned in advance, not just a quick reaction. Serdar calling the July 29 attack "pre-emptive" supports this idea. Second, Iran's rejection of Oman's plan to share control of the Strait, combined with the tanker attacks, suggests Iran wants to control the waterway on its own. Gharibabadi's proposal would leave part of the opposite shipping lane outside Oman's control, which keeps Iran with power over the whole corridor. Third, when Trump paused the bombing campaign on July 24, Iran used the five-day break to prepare attacks rather than calm things down. Whether the White House responds with more military action or sees an opening for talks will shape what comes next. Campbell's view that Iran wants to "retake the initiative" and Fisher's view that Iran wants a seat at the table may both be right: Iran may be using force to make sure it is included in any deal it was previously left out of. Netanyahu's focus on Pickaxe Mountain adds another layer, because if the US and Israel agree on action against a new Iranian nuclear site, Iran may respond further.

The cost was already real before July 29. A US KC-135 military refueling plane was lost in Iraq earlier in the campaign, and all crew members were confirmed dead as of March 13. A US blockade of Iran had forced 100 ships to change course as of May 23.

What happens next depends on two things: whether Trump starts the bombing campaign again, and whether Iran's step-by-step strikes from "first stage" through July 29 mean more stages are coming.