US service member killed, another wounded, CENTCOM says

17 U.S. service members have been killed since the war in Iran began.

Last Updated: July 19, 2026, 10:21 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange relatively limited strikes despite the signing of the memorandum and amid the continuation of peace talks, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.

Jul 16, 2026, 9:14 PM EDT

Alerts issued in Kuwait, Bahrain

The Kuwait Army issued alerts Friday morning local time for "hostile missile and drone attacks."

"The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks," the Kuwait Army said.

Alerts were also issued in Bahrain.

"We urge citizens and residents to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels," Bahrain Interior Ministry said in a statement.

-ABC News' William Gretsky

Jul 16, 2026, 3:11 PM EDT

Iran 'continues to talk' with US despite strikes, White House says

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Iran still wants to talk when pressed about the current state of talks on Thursday.

"Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and expressed that they want to make a deal with us because they are suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military," Leavitt said.

Leavitt confirmed that thousands of U.S. servicemembers are positioned in the region to continue enforcing the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports and ships.

“More than 10,000 U.S. sailors, Marines, and airmen, along with two aircraft carriers and more than 20 warships and dozens of aircraft, are executing the blockade mission as we speak,” she said.

“US CENTCOM has redirected two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel. So, look, the strait is open for ships that are not traveling to and from Iranian ports,” she said.

Jul 16, 2026, 2:33 PM EDT

US hits Iran with another wave of attacks, CENTCOM says

U.S. forces hit Iran with another round of strikes on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command.

"At 2 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night to further degrade Iranian military capabilities," CENTCOM said in a statement.

Jul 16, 2026, 1:25 PM EDT

Iran says that Hormuz is a 'red line,' it will not allow US to interfere

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a warning Thursday, saying it will not "allow" the U.S. to destabilize the region.

"We once again stress that under no circumstances and in no way will we allow the United States, as a foreign and extra-regional country, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran's inviolable red line," IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfqari said Thursday.

The IRGC warned that if the U.S. carries out its threat to target Iranian infrastructure, Iran would respond with "strikes that will be more severe, more extensive and more devastating than ever before."

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