In partnership with
Profit
US-Iran conflIct IntenSIfIeS aS freSh StrIkeS wIden GUlf tenSIonS, threaten reGIonal StabIlIty Monday, 20 July, 2026 | 5 Safar, 1448
g
g
US LAUNCHES NEW WAVE OF STRIKES ON IRANIAN MILITARY SITES AFTER ATTACKS KILL AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS CENTCOM SAYS STRIKES AIMED AT DEGRADING IRAN'S MILITARY CAPABILITIES AND SECURING STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHIPPING
t
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON
STAFF REPORT/AGENCIES
HE United States and Iran exchanged fresh waves of attacks for the eighth consecutive night on Sunday, sharply escalating their military confrontation as Washington announced new strikes on Iranian military infrastructure in retaliation for attacks that killed American service members, while Tehran accused the US of targeting civilian facilities, including an under-construction nuclear power plant, and vowed that its resistance would continue. The latest escalation also spread across the Gulf, with Kuwait saying one of its power generation and water desalination plants had been targeted for the second time in two days, underscoring growing fears that the conflict is expanding beyond the immediate battlefield. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said one US service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday, a day after two American soldiers were killed, another went missing and several others were wounded in an Iranian attack on a US military facility in Jordan. Iranian media reported that areas near Sirik in Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island came under fresh US air strikes on Sunday, marking the eighth straight night of attacks on Iranian territory. The Tasnim news agency also reported that the US military targeted a location near Shadegan in
g
g
IRAN SAYS US TARGETS UNDER-CONSTRUCTION NUCLEAR PLANT, CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND DESALINATION FACILITIES IRGC CLAIMS TO SHOOT DOWN US DRONES AND INTERCEPT CRUISE MISSILE AS BATTLEFIELD EXPANDS
Khuzestan province. There were no immediate reports of casualties. In a statement posted on social media, CENTCOM said the latest strikes were "designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." The command said the operation was also carried out in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile and drone at-
tacks on a US base in Jordan on Friday that killed two American service members. Four others required hospitalization following the attack. CENTCOM later said its forces struck Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. According to US figures, 16 American service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February. Iran launches retaliatory attacks Tasnim reported that Iranian forces targeted US military assets at two bases in Kuwait. According to a statement issued by Iran's military, its forces struck a US ammunition depot at Al-Adiri Camp, along with Patriot radar and air radar installations at Ali Al Salem Air Base, describing the attacks as retaliation for repeated US aggression.
Continued on page 03
dar reviews pakistan’s diplomatic strategy as uS-iran conflict escalates ISLAMABAD
SALEEM JADOON
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday to review Pakistan's diplomatic priorities and preparations for upcoming international engagements as the conflict between the United States and Iran intensified with fresh exchanges of attacks across the Middle East, further heightening regional tensions and concerns over global energy security. According to the Foreign Office, Dar presided over a meeting attended by Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the country's diplomatic agenda and preparations for forthcoming engagements. The meeting took place as the
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had carried out another round of strikes against Iran on Saturday night, targeting Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, as well as missile and drone storage sites. The latest strikes followed the eighth consecutive night of fighting between the United States and Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, warned on Saturday that it would launch a "full-scale offensive" if US attacks continued, saying it had targeted American military sites in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. The conflict, which began on February 28, has spread across the Gulf region, disrupting shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and driving global oil prices higher.
Continued on page 03
g
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 115 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
TEHRAN RETALIATES WITH ATTACKS ON US MILITARY ASSETS IN KUWAIT AND JORDAN, VOWS RESISTANCE AGAINST CONTINUED AGGRESSION