# Trump Weighs Intensifying Iran Strikes as Tehran Says It Hit US Bases in the Gulf

The White House deliberations came days before a planned meeting with Israel's prime minister, while Jordan reported intercepting seven missiles and six drones fired by Iran.

- Published: 2026-07-25T05:15:08.679Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-07-25/trump-weighs-intensifying-iran-strikes-as-tehran-says-it-hit
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/24/world/iran-war-us-strikes-trump-oil), [The Hindu (Iran claims strikes on US bases)](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/west-asia-war-us-strikes-iran-shipping-routes-clashes-strait-of-hormuz-live-updates-july-24-2026/article71260769.ece), [Dawn (bid to mend fences with China's blessing)](https://www.dawn.com/news/2018209)

President Donald Trump met with his cabinet to weigh whether to intensify strikes on Iran. The New York Times reported that the discussions took place [days before a planned meeting](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/24/world/iran-war-us-strikes-trump-oil) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Across the region, Iran and the United States continued to exchange attacks.

Iran's military said it had struck US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Jordan's armed forces reported [intercepting seven missiles and six drones](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/west-asia-war-us-strikes-iran-shipping-routes-clashes-strait-of-hormuz-live-updates-july-24-2026/article71260769.ece) launched by Iran, while the United Nations urged the evacuation of roughly 6,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to kill a member of US forces for every Iranian killed.

The two sides describe the moment differently. Trump called the negotiations with Iran the most serious he has seen, and Dawn reported exploratory contacts pursued [with China's blessing](https://www.dawn.com/news/2018209). Tehran framed its retaliation as a proportional response. Both a military escalation and a diplomatic opening are possible at the same time, and neither has been confirmed as decisive.

## What this means

The conflict sits at the center of the oil price and, through it, global inflation, so the decision on whether to escalate is a market event as much as a military one. Escalation raises crude and pressures every energy importer and central bank, while a pause would release the premium. The exposed actors are Gulf shipping, US forces stationed at bases now under fire, and Washington's regional allies pulled toward costly participation. The path divides between an intensified US campaign and a China-brokered de-escalation, and the Netanyahu meeting is the near-term event that will tilt it.

## What to watch

- The outcome of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, which will signal whether Washington leans toward escalation or restraint.
- Whether Iran's strikes on US bases produce American casualties, the trigger the IRGC named for a wider response.
- The pace of evacuations and traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a direct measure of how much shipping capacity the conflict is removing.