# 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.

- Published: 2026-07-23T05:33:51.693Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-07-23/us-strikes-iran-for-12th-consecutive-day-as-tehran-hits-amer
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/22/world/iran-war-strikes-trump-hormuz), [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-us-war-live-updates-military-strike-us-central-command-strait-of-hormuz-donald-trump-netanyhau-khamenei/article71256441.ece), [IRNA](https://www.irna.ir/news/86217070/), [Ynet](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rjhewgybzx)

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](https://www.irna.ir/news/86217070/). 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](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rjhewgybzx). The New York Times reported that Iran said it had struck American targets in Kuwait, [in its live coverage](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/22/world/iran-war-strikes-trump-hormuz).

Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said the country would adopt an "eye for an eye" defense doctrine, [The Hindu reported](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-us-war-live-updates-military-strike-us-central-command-strait-of-hormuz-donald-trump-netanyhau-khamenei/article71256441.ece). 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.

## 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

- Whether Trump carries out his threat to hit Iranian power plants or bridges, the threshold Tehran has named as the trigger for striking Gulf oil and electricity facilities.
- Kuwait's response to repeated Iranian drone attacks on bases on its soil, because a Gulf state's public break with the US campaign would strain the coalition.