A large banner displaying symbolic portraits of Iran’s past and present Supreme Leaders, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on an avenue in Tehran, Iran, on July 16, 2026, amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States.
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Iran on Friday said it had targeted US forces in Syria and Bahrain, ramping up its offensive in the region as the US concluded its sixth consecutive night of airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
The growing tensions come as the fragile accord signed by the US and Iran last month showed further signs of unraveling. The interim agreement was aimed at reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz and ending hostilities.
The US Central Command said overnight it had completed its largest wave of strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of military targets, including air defenses, transport infrastructure and maritime capabilities.
In a social media post, Centcom said more than 50,000 service members are operating across the Middle East, adding that they are “alert, lethal and ready.”
Iranian media said overnight US airstrikes killed eight people and wounded 20, with US strikes reportedly hitting civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a train station and an airport. CNBC could not independently verify the report.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked a US military base in the al-Tanf region of Syria, according to the media. There was no immediate comment from the US military or the Syrian government.
The U.S. military said in February it had completed the withdrawal of troops from the al-Tanf military base, which is near Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan.
Syria has tried to avoid getting involved in regional conflicts, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa telling a Chatham House event in March that the country will “stay out” of the conflict unless it is directly attacked.
Air strikes were fired at Bahrain overnight, and the country’s Defense Forces say they have repelled multiple airstrikes from Iran. The warning follows Iran’s claim that it targeted US jets at Sakhir airport in Bahrain.
Elsewhere, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said it was responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks. Jordan and Qatar both claim to have intercepted Iranian missiles.
Trump: ‘We also win a lot in Iran’
US President Donald Trump insisted that the war with Iran is going well, saying Thursday in his first speech to the American public: “We are also winning a lot in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that work very soon.”
The US president has threatened to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants next week if the country refuses to return to the negotiating table.
US President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026.
Saul Loebe | Afp | Getty Images
Oil prices were higher on Friday morning, firmly on track to register big weekly gains.
International Brent crude futures for September delivery advanced 0.5% to trade at $84.67 a barrel, covering gains from earlier in the session.
In the US West Texas Intermediate Futures for August delivery gained 0.9% to trade at $79.66, settling at their highest level since June 15 on Thursday.
Both oil contracts are up more than 11% so far this week and are on track for their best weekly performance since late April.
