Middle East — 2026-07-23

Iran Strikes US Bases in Kuwait and Jordan as Rubio Warns Price Will Get Higher Every Night

BLUFAbsent any visible diplomatic channel after twelve consecutive nights of exchanges, direct US-Iran strikes will likely continue past August 6, compressing Gulf partners' room to avoid choosing sides.

Iran's army and IRGC said in separate statements on Thursday that they struck US bases at Camp Doha, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Camp Arifjan, and Camp Udairi in Kuwait, plus a telecommunications tower, following a twelfth consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian targets 123. The IRGC separately claimed a strike on a US base in Jordan hitting a THAAD radar, a Patriot system, a C-RAM radar, fuel storage, and a helicopter hangar 12. Kuwait's military said it intercepted drone threats, and Jordan's army said it shot down four missiles and four drones, with no US, Jordanian, or Kuwaiti confirmation of Iran's damage claims 23. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Manila, said Iran "will pay a very heavy price" for its actions and declined to comment on reports of Russian assistance to Iran's targeting 3. Iranian state media reported US strikes killed two people at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq and hit Bushehr, site of Iran's civilian nuclear plant 23.

Analysis
Persistent absence of independent confirmation from US, Jordanian, or Kuwaiti authorities on any of Tehran's claimed strikes signals a deliberate host-nation posture of downplaying damage to avoid pressure for retaliation escalation or basing concessions. Direct US-Iran strikes will likely continue past August 6 without a negotiated ceasefire. Low confidence reflects the complete absence of any named ceasefire channel or intermediary despite twelve consecutive nights of exchanges, and reliance on self-interested Iranian state media for damage claims that no allied government has corroborated. Rubio's refusal to rule out further escalation, paired with his deflection on Russian targeting assistance, indicates Washington sees no near-term off-ramp. The widening geographic footprint, now spanning Kuwait, Jordan, and the Iraq border, comes alongside the Houthi Red Sea tanker strikes, which extend Iran-aligned interdiction to a second chokepoint independent of the direct exchange and compound the oil-price and shipping-lane pressure on Gulf partners.
5 sources
  1. Iran Claims New Attacks on US Bases in Jordan and Kuwait - IranWire
  2. Iran Claims Strikes on U.S. Bases in Jordan and Kuwait - Kurdistan24
  3. Rubio Warns Tehran As Iran Hits Kuwait Bases, Houthis Strike Tankers - Shabtabnews
  4. Iran live updates: Iran will 'pay a price,' Rubio says when asked if US will escalate - ABC News
  5. IRGC Statement No. 44 and Army statements on strikes against U.S. bases in Kuwait and Jordan - Tasnim News Agency / IRGC Public Relations Office

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