Iran's Health Ministry: latest US strikes killed at least 35 and wounded more than 300

Iran's Health Ministry said on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that recent US strikes on the country's southern provinces had killed at least 35 people and wounded more than 300.

The figure is a sharp rise from the ministry's earlier count (14 killed and 78 wounded on July 9) and points to the intensity of the new wave of attacks, which followed the reimposition of the US naval blockade and a widening of the bombing campaign. Washington has said the strikes are a response to the targeting of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and are meant to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.

The escalation has direct consequences for Iran's markets: it has kept Brent crude near 85 dollars a barrel, its highest in about a month, and adds fresh pressure on the free-market exchange rate and domestic inflation.