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Morning Edition · Thursday, July 23, 2026Published at 1:33 AM EDT · New York
US Strikes Iran for 12th Consecutive Day as Tehran Hits American Bases in Kuwait
Washington deployed a B-1 bomber for the first time since fighting resumed, and Iran's foreign minister declared an "eye for an eye" doctrine.
The United States said it struck Iran for a 12th straight day, while Iran's military said it launched a new round of attacks on American bases in the Gulf. The two sides now openly threaten each other's civilian infrastructure, a widening of the conflict that both governments describe as deterrence.
Iran's official news agency IRNA said the army, in the 23rd stage of what it calls Operation Saeqe, targeted US forces at the Al-Doha, Ali al-Salem and Arifjan bases in Kuwait with a heavy drone assault, according to IRNA's Farsi report. Israel's Ynet reported that a US B-1 bomber, capable of carrying dozens of tons of ordnance, took part in the American strikes for the first time since the fighting resumed, though the intended target was not clear, Ynet said. The New York Times reported that Iran said it had struck American targets in Kuwait, in its live coverage.
Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said the country would adopt an "eye for an eye" defense doctrine, The Hindu reported. President Donald Trump said Iran was not ready for a deal but would be "soon," while Tehran warned that any American strike on its power stations would prompt it to cut electricity to Washington's regional allies. Each side accuses the other of targeting civilians, and neither claim can be independently verified.
Part of a tracked trend
Fragile US-Iran Detente
The US-Iran settlement is a managed, reversible arrangement rather than a durable peace, so repeated rounds of brinkmanship and renegotiation will keep regional risk live and intermittently price back into energy markets.
Veracity: Corroborated
76/100- If true, who benefits
Both governments, each using battle-damage claims for domestic deterrence messaging, and defense and energy sellers who profit as the target list expands from military to civilian infrastructure.
- The nuance
The count of consecutive strikes, the Kuwait base damage, the first B-1 sortie and the "eye for an eye" doctrine come from each side's own outlets (IRNA, Ynet, The Hindu) and are not independently verified.
An open-source-intelligence read of how likely this story is true with its real nuance, not a judgment of any outlet. It assesses the claim, weighing independent and adversarial reporting. How we label confidence.
What this means
This is a managed and reversible conflict rather than an open-ended war, but that reversibility keeps the risk active because either side can escalate on short notice. The exposed parties are Gulf states hosting American bases, whose territory is now a site of attacks, and the global energy market, which reprices every time the target list expands from military to civilian infrastructure. As long as negotiations are offered without a settlement, each round of strikes resets the risk premium higher.
What to watch
Synthesized from: The New York Times · The Hindu · IRNA · Ynet
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