Iran's government said on July 30, 2026, that its military force called the IRGC (short for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) destroyed three US F-35 fighter jets and killed American troops in Jordan IRNA. The same day, Iran said a US missile hit a home on Iran's Qeshm Island, killing a child and his parents and wounding his two siblings IRNA.

These attacks are part of a larger war happening across several countries. On July 26, the IRGC released a list of US military equipment it said it had damaged over 15 days of operations starting July 8 IRNA. Earlier in July, Iran said it had targeted US facilities in countries bordering the Persian Gulf Reuters. Iranian strikes have since hit US embassies and military bases in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq Britannica. Around July 13, cargo ships were also attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman where about a fifth of the world's oil passes through Reuters.

The US has also been striking targets inside Iran, causing deaths. Iran reported on July 15 that a US missile attack on an Iranian Army base killed seven people and injured thirteen IRNA. On July 23, the US attacked two Iranian rescue boats, including one called Naji-15 IRNA. By July 24, Reuters reported that the US had not struck Iran for the first time in two weeks Reuters.

Other countries are getting pulled in. On July 29, a drone attack started a fire on two ships at Egypt's Damietta Port. Egypt's government confirmed the drone was the cause, and 28 people died Egyptian Gazette. The port authority said the port was back to normal after the fire was put out Egyptian Gazette.

Saudi Arabia has joined the fighting. The country said it took part in joint attacks with US forces against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers AP News New York Times. At the same time, Saudi Arabia condemned what it called blatant Israeli aggression against Iran, in an official statement on July 26 SPA. A group called the Houthis, who are allied with Iran and control much of Yemen, announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20. Around July 24, they fired on Saudi oil facilities and damaged an oil depot Reuters.

President Trump said he would punish Iran after the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Reuters reported on July 24 Reuters.

The broader picture is that this war has grown beyond just the US and Iran. Iran is attacking American embassies and military bases across the Gulf, hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and saying it took out advanced US jets in Jordan. The US is striking targets inside Iran, both military bases and boats. Saudi Arabia is in a tricky spot: it is fighting alongside the US against Iran-backed militias in Iraq while also criticizing Israel's actions against Iran. On top of that, the Houthis have blockaded Saudi ports and hit its oil sites. The drone strike on Egypt's port shows the conflict is now disrupting shipping as far away as the Eastern Mediterranean. There is also a question about the timeline: Reuters said the US paused its strikes on July 24, but Iran's news agency later reported US missile attacks on Qeshm Island and an Iranian Army base. That means either the strikes resumed or the reports do not line up, which is worth watching closely.