The commander of US Central Command stated that Iranian forces struck seven commercial vessels over the past week, resulting in the death, disappearance, or injury of approximately 12 crew members. The announcement provides specific casualty figures for the first time.
The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday morning that Iranian forces attacked seven merchant ships within the past seven days, killing, wounding, or causing the disappearance of approximately 12 crew members. The statement, reported by Israeli defense sources, provides the first specific casualty figure from the wave of attacks on commercial shipping.
Initial reports at 02:20 Jerusalem gave conflicting casualty numbers — Israeli media cited approximately 10 crew members killed, wounded, or missing, while a security field report put the toll at 12. By 03:25 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the US military had confirmed the attacks on seven ships but without a precise casualty count. The commander's latest remarks resolve the discrepancy: about 12 crew members were killed, missing, or injured across the incidents. He also confirmed that Iran launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries, as reported at 02:30 Jerusalem.
The attacks on merchant vessels are part of a broader pattern of Iranian maritime aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, which has prompted US CENTCOM to conduct multiple rounds of strikes on Iranian coastal defenses and launch a naval siege (as The Zioneer reported on July 14 and July 12). The commander did not specify the nationalities of the ships or the crew members, leaving open questions about which vessels were targeted and the identities of the casualties.
5 developments
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- DevelopingIran fires at ships in Gulf, CENTCOM strikes 10 targets; Trump says 'they never learn'
- StrongUS CENTCOM completes third round of strikes in Iran, hitting 140 targets overnight
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Source and signal
- Internal intake