# [FLASH] Reports: US Airstrikes Hit Iran as Erbil and Hormuz Threat Theater Explodes *Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 11:29 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk* **Detected**: 2026-07-18T23:29:43.640Z (12h ago) **Tags**: US, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, StraitOfHormuz, Oil, MiddleEast, Drones **Sources**: OSINT **Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/alerts/15302.md **Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries --- **Summary**: At 22:00 UTC, US Central Command confirmed a new wave of strikes on Iranian IRGC assets tied to threats in the Strait of Hormuz, while multiple reports point to fresh explosions in Ahvaz, Kish, Sirik and possibly Bandar Abbas. At the same time, Iranian drones and missiles are again targeting US-linked sites around Erbil and Kurdish energy infrastructure, sharpening the risk of a broader regional war and direct disruption to Gulf oil and shipping. ## Detail US–Iran confrontation entered a more dangerous phase on 18 July as the US launched a new wave of strikes on Iran while Iranian forces continued attacking US-linked targets in Iraq and sustaining pressure after a lethal strike on a Jordanian airbase. At 22:19–22:22 UTC, multiple accounts, including a summarized CENTCOM statement (Reports 25, 40), said the US conducted airstrikes on Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) capabilities starting at 18:00 ET (22:00 UTC). The stated aims: degrade Iran’s threat to the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate for the ballistic missile attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan that killed at least two US servicemembers and severely wounded others (Reports 26, 46, 50). Open-source posts from 22:29–22:43 UTC (Reports 8, 9, 23, 24) describe US strikes near Sirik and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran—both areas close to key Hormuz-adjacent facilities. Other posts report explosions in Ahvaz and on Kish Island (Reports 5, 6, 23), and alleged airstrikes on an armored division and Ahvaz airport. Iran’s Mehr News has denied strikes on Bandar-e Lengeh (Report 21), indicating an active information battle and incomplete clarity on target sets. Concurrently, northern Iraq has come under renewed fire. From 22:10–23:03 UTC, multiple Kurdish and regional feeds report Iranian drones and at least eight missiles being intercepted over Erbil, with both C‑RAM and Patriot systems active (Reports 16, 18, 20, 17, 19). Separate posts describe a “new wave of attacks” on the US base near Erbil International Airport (Reports 12, 14), explosions in Sulaymaniyah (Reports 10, 13) and Mosul (Report 1), and attempts to down a drone approaching the Kormor gas field in Sulaimani province (Report 15). We previously alerted on Kormor exposure; tonight’s attempted drone penetration confirms Kurdistan’s energy infrastructure remains in the Iranian strike envelope. On the human side, US casualties are almost certain to rise. A former USAF pilot close to CENTCOM claims 3–5 more of the wounded evacuated from Jordan are unlikely to survive and 15 others remain in life-threatening condition (Report 46). Newly released videos (Reports 26, 47, 50) show a missile hitting containerized housing units at Muwaffaq Salti, underlining the vulnerability of US personnel. For local populations in southern Iran, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Mosul, and Kyiv—also under heavy ballistic attack tonight (Reports 27–29, 31, 34, 35, 37, 45)—this means air-raid sirens, infrastructure damage, and growing civilian risk. Militarily, the US is now overtly striking inside Iran in a declared effort to neutralize Hormuz-related capabilities, while Iran is demonstrating it can hit US forces across multiple countries with ballistic missiles and drones. The activation of THAAD (Report 2), Patriot, and C‑RAM in Iraq underscores that US and coalition forces are treating the Iranian threat set as multi-layered and sustained. Strikes reported near Sirik and Bandar Abbas—close to naval facilities and maritime traffic lanes—signal that Washington is willing to put Iranian coastal and potentially naval assets at risk, not only proxy infrastructure. For markets and supply chains, the risk premium on Gulf crude and global shipping is rising rapidly. Any credible threat to Strait of Hormuz traffic—even before a formal closure—forces tanker operators, insurers, and charterers to reprice voyage risk, increase war-risk premiums, and consider rerouting options where possible. Brent and WTI are likely to catch a bid on perceived supply threat, with refined products (diesel, jet) also sensitive. Regional equity markets, particularly in the GCC, may face near-term pressure, while US and European defense stocks stand to gain. Safe-haven flows into gold and US Treasuries are probable if investors read this as an open-ended kinetic cycle between Washington and Tehran rather than a one-off punitive strike. Key watch points over the next 24–48 hours: - Iranian response: whether Tehran escalates beyond Iraq and Jordan—e.g., against Gulf energy infrastructure, shipping, or US bases in the GCC. - US red lines: signs of additional strike waves, targeting of IRGC command nodes, or naval assets closer to Hormuz proper. - Maritime indicators: changes in AIS patterns, reported near-misses or harassment of tankers, insurance circulars on Hormuz transits. - Iraqi and Kurdish politics: whether Baghdad or Erbil move to constrain US operations, or whether attacks on Kormor and other fields force production reductions. - Casualty disclosures: official US updates on fatalities and injuries, which will shape domestic political pressure for either further escalation or de‑escalation. This is now a live, two-way exchange between a nuclear‑threshold regional power and the United States, in direct proximity to the world’s most critical oil artery. The trajectory over the next 72 hours will determine whether this remains a contained strike‑and‑response cycle or tips into a broader regional war scenario. **MARKET IMPACT ASSESSMENT:** High immediate upside risk for crude and refined products; wider Middle East conflict premium rises, with potential pressure on shipping, insurance, and EM FX exposed to oil imports and risk-off flows; gold and defense equities likely bid.