U.S.-Iran Strikes Hit Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq as War Widens — SkimNews
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- Iran struck a Chinese firm's building in northern Kuwait on Thursday morning, killing one worker and severely damaging the structure, according to Kuwait's military
- Jordan's air defenses intercepted five Iranian missiles earlier the same morning with no casualties reported; both Jordan and Kuwait host U.S. military bases
- U.S. Central Command carried out "a heavy wave of strikes" on Iran, hitting "dozens" of IRGC targets including command centers, missile/drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites — the first U.S. strikes in five days
- U.S. and Saudi Arabia jointly struck Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces militias in Iraq on Wednesday, killing at least 20 fighters and 6 Iranian advisers
- Drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port — a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and the Greek-owned GasLog Salem tanker; Houthis denied responsibility, and Egypt had been one of the few Middle East countries spared direct military action
- Iranian attacks have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz (IRNA reported three killed and two wounded on Qeshm island), while Houthi rebels declared a blockade of Saudi shipping through Bab el-Mandeb and Planet Labs imagery showed damage to Aramco's Abqaiq facility, which processes roughly 7 million barrels per day
- Republican approval of Trump's handling of Iran fell to 61% in an AP-NORC poll conducted July 23-27, down from 71% in June; 18 U.S. service members have died since the war began on Feb. 28
Why it matters: The war's geographic spread is dragging in countries that had been diplomatic brokers or bystanders — Egypt, a close U.S. mediator, now faces its first confirmed strikes, and Kuwait lost a worker. The collapse of the June interim agreement and a 10-point drop in GOP approval narrow the political runway for negotiations while the military one widens.
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