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US air raids Gulf; Iran fires missiles, oil spikes.

7/18/2026

50 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

U.S. air raids on July 18 hit bridges, a railway station and a port tower, marking the seventh night of strikes.
Iran retaliated with missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Gulf and struck civilian facilities in Qatar and Kuwait.
Strait of Hormuz traffic fell to a three-week low, pushing oil above $86 a barrel.
President Donald Trump said the campaign was succeeding and results would appear soon.

History

Historical Context

After the Shah fled Iran and entered U.S. hospitals in October 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urged the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line to storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979, seizing 52 diplomats for 444 days. The crisis, resolved by the Algiers Accords on 19 January 1981, entrenched U.S.–Iran hostility, shaping today’s reciprocal air strikes.

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Story summary

U.S. air raids on July 18 hit bridges, a railway station and a port tower, marking the seventh night of strikes.
Iran retaliated with missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Gulf and struck civilian facilities in Qatar and Kuwait.
Strait of Hormuz traffic fell to a three-week low, pushing oil above $86 a barrel.
President Donald Trump said the campaign was succeeding and results would appear soon.

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