US Resumes Heavy Strikes on Iran, War Spreads to Egypt

The United States military resumed heavy airstrikes against Iran in the early hours of Thursday, July 30, ending a brief ceasefire that had been in place since July 24. The strikes came in response to an Iranian attack on U.S. forces in Jordan on Tuesday. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets over a two-hour period. The targets included military command centers, drone and missile production facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime defense positions. Iranian state media reported that U.S. strikes hit three cities in southern Bushehr province, including the city of Bushehr which houses Iran's only civilian nuclear power station. Strikes also targeted multiple cities in southwestern Khuzestan province and Qeshm Island. Iranian media reported that a family of three was killed on Qeshm Island. President Donald Trump had warned before the strikes that he would retaliate against Iranian attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, threatening to "strike hard" against Iran. The conflict expanded to Egypt for the first time. Hours before the U.S. resumed airstrikes, two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers anchored at Egypt's Damietta port on the Mediterranean coast were hit by drone attacks and caught fire. One vessel was Greek-owned and Bermuda-flagged; the other was U.S.-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged. No casualties were reported. No group claimed responsibility, but two Iranian sources told The New York Times the attack was meant to demonstrate that Iran could disrupt global shipping and energy supplies if it chose to escalate. Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, said the attacks were carried out by drones. Trump told reporters he had been briefed on the port explosions and suggested Iran was responsible, calling the incident "the same old trick". The Iranian military claimed it launched ballistic missiles on Thursday morning, again striking the U.S. airbase in