Death Toll from US Strikes on Iran Rises to 38

Iranian health authorities have confirmed that the death toll from a series of US air strikes has risen to 38, with hundreds more injured. As of Friday (17/7/2026), the latest data compiled by the Ministry of Health indicated that the number of wounded had surpassed 400. Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour stated that the victims included vulnerable groups, with three women and one child among the dead, while 22 women and nine children were reported injured. The casualty figures mark a sharp increase from reports on Wednesday (15/7), when authorities had recorded 35 fatalities and approximately 300 wounded. The wave of US strikes, which began on 8 July, has been described by CENTCOM as a direct response to Iranian actions disrupting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, Iran launched counter-strikes targeting US military bases in neighbouring countries. Reports from Fars news agency indicated that a US fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE after allegedly being hit during an operation over southern Iran. Meanwhile, Mehr news agency reported that a US strike landed near a hospital, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of children undergoing cancer treatment.