Black smoke rises following explosions near a military base hosting U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, Friday, July 24, 2026. Yonhap
IRBIL, Iraq — Drones carrying explosives targeted a city in northern Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed, and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran .
The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. pounded Iran while Tehran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.
The strait, which is a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the center of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks can effectively shut the waterway, sending fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil. The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, making good on a threat to cut off an alternative route for the region’s oil.
Despite the war's unpopularity — and its widespread damage to Iran and the global economy — the latest round of fighting has no clear off-ramp. Iran’s Health Ministry said 55 people have been killed and over 600 wounded in strikes in recent weeks.
