Iran Attacks U.S. Military Bases Directly, Crossing a New Threshold

In late July 2026, Iran attacked U.S. military bases head-on instead of using ally militias to do its fighting. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia struck back together on July 29, bombing Iran-backed militia groups in eastern Iraq. Those groups called the response a "dangerous escalation," raising fears that nations themselves may now trade blows in cycles of revenge.