The U.S. Central Command said it struck military command centers, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems in Iran, aiming to degrade Tehran's ability to disrupt commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM noted that commercial shipping continues normally and that since early May, U.S. forces have enabled safe passage of approximately 900 merchant ships and 450 million barrels of crude oil.
The U.S. Central Command on Tuesday detailed the targets struck in the latest round of airstrikes against Iran, which it said were completed earlier in the day. The statement specified that the strikes hit military command centers, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems, all aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to disrupt commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM reiterated that commercial shipping continues normally and that since early May, U.S. forces have enabled safe passage of approximately 900 merchant ships and 450 million barrels of crude oil.
The first report of the strikes emerged at 21:53 Jerusalem on Saturday, July 18, as an unconfirmed report. Within the same hour, CENTCOM confirmed that a new wave of airstrikes had begun at 18:00 ET (01:00 Jerusalem Sunday), initially described as targeting Strait of Hormuz shipping and retaliating for an attack on U.S. service members in Jordan. By 21:53 Jerusalem, CENTCOM had confirmed the strikes were also in response to the deaths of two U.S. soldiers in Jordan. The completion of the round was reported by The Zioneer at 09:20 Jerusalem Tuesday, and the current statement provides the official target set.
The broader campaign against Iranian military infrastructure in the Hormuz region began in late June, with The Zioneer reporting on earlier rounds including a five-hour wave on July 14 and a third round hitting 140 targets on July 12. According to previous CENTCOM statements, over 300 targets have been struck across multiple rounds since the campaign began.
CENTCOM did not provide damage assessments for the latest round or indicate any Iranian response. The message emphasized that international shipping traffic continues as normal.
7 developments
- StrongUS CENTCOM completes third round of strikes in Iran, hitting 140 targets overnight
- DevelopingCENTCOM: US Struck Iranian Military Targets, Not Civilian Site, in Hormuz Operation
- ConfirmedCENTCOM intercepts Iranian suicide drones targeting commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongCENTCOM released footage of engagement with Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake