US Strikes Tehran for First Time as Five-Day Iran Campaign Escalates

On July 16, 2026, US forces struck Tehran for the first time in a five-day campaign previously limited to coastal and maritime targets. Air defences were heard across the capital. Iranian officials report over 35 killed and 300 wounded from cumulative strikes. The same day, the US disabled an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz with Hellfire missiles after it ignored warnings.