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// DOSSIER — us-conducts-strikes-iran-widening-regional-conflict
US Conducts 11th Night of Strikes on Iran Amid Widening Regional Conflict and Escalating Costs
REL_TIME: 22 Jul 2026 05:42Z · LANG: EN
The United States military has completed its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian military targets, aiming to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has rapidly expanded, with Iran retaliating against US-linked facilities and military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, and its Houthi allies declaring a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. Amidst these escalating hostilities, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the war's cost has reached $37.5 billion, while diplomatic efforts to salvage a collapsed ceasefire deal falter.
// Background
The conflict began on February 28, 2026. An interim ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan collapsed after Iran resumed attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy transit corridor. The US and Iran are now locked in a direct military confrontation, with the US attempting to degrade Iran's maritime and missile capabilities while Iran targets US regional bases and allies.
// Key Developments
- US Central Command completed an 11th consecutive night of precision airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, including drone storage and operations centers across Tehran, Tabriz, and southern provinces.
- Iran retaliated by launching drone and missile strikes against US military bases and logistics facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, including an attack on Amazon infrastructure in Bahrain.
- The Pentagon identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad as the 18th US service member killed since the war began on February 28, following a July 17 strike in Jordan.
- Yemen's Houthi rebels declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, forcing Saudi crude tankers to reroute in the Red Sea and threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified that the war has cost the US $37.5 billion so far, up from $29 billion in mid-May.
- President Donald Trump threatened to heavily strike 'Pickaxe Mountain,' a fortified underground Iranian nuclear site, prompting Iranian warnings of a regional war expansion.
// Timeline
-
The US-Iran war officially begins.
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An Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan kills three US soldiers, including Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad.
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Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni arrives in Pakistan to meet with senior officials in an attempt to salvage diplomatic channels.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies to Congress that the war has cost $37.5 billion; President Trump threatens to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site.
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US forces conduct their 11th consecutive night of airstrikes across Iran; Iran retaliates with drone and missile strikes on US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
// Perspectives
[United States (Trump Administration)]
Demands Iran show serious commitment to talks before meeting, vows to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and threatens heavy strikes on suspected nuclear sites if provoked.
[Iran (IRGC and Government)]
Vows to continue operations, retaliates against US bases in neighboring Gulf states, and warns that any strike on its nuclear facilities will trigger a full-scale regional expansion of the war.
[Yemen's Houthi Rebels]
Supporting Iran by declaring a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and threatening international shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
[Pakistan and Regional Mediators]
Expressing deep concern over the escalation and actively working to bring both sides back to the negotiating table to salvage the collapsed interim ceasefire.
// Quotes
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and blow up your ships if you don't pay, we have created a very dangerous precedent...”
“The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion.”
“And until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting.”
“...if the invading and terrorist military of that country enters such a phase, we will regard it as an expansion of the war across the region...”
