The US Central Command said the airstrikes on Iran are also in response to the deaths of two American soldiers in Jordan, according to security analyst Yair Goldblatt, citing a CENTCOM statement. The strikes had previously been described as aimed at protecting the Strait of Hormuz and punishing the IRGC.
The US Central Command said the ongoing airstrikes on Iran are also in response to the deaths of two American soldiers in Jordan, according to security analyst Yair Goldblatt, who cited a CENTCOM statement. The new reference to the two fatalities provides additional specificity regarding the rationale for the campaign, which had previously been described as aimed at protecting the Strait of Hormuz and punishing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for attacks on US service members in Jordan.
The Zioneer first reported the strikes at 21:53 Jerusalem on Saturday, initially as an unconfirmed report, then immediately with CENTCOM confirmation. At 01:27 Jerusalem on Sunday, The Zioneer published CENTCOM’s statement describing the strikes as a response to the Jordan attack and a measure to protect the Strait of Hormuz. At 01:33 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the US military said the strikes were intended to quickly punish IRGC operatives involved in the Jordan attack. The latest clarification from CENTCOM adds the specific mention of the two soldier deaths.
The clarification comes amid a broader campaign of US strikes on Iran, which The Zioneer has documented over seven consecutive nights of operations, including strikes on naval defenses and drone sites across six locations, as reported on July 18. The campaign has involved force deployments of 50,000 troops to the region, as The Zioneer reported on the night of July 18.
It remains unclear whether the CENTCOM statement refers to the same two soldiers whose deaths were initially reported in the Jordan attack, or whether the reference signals a refined assessment of the attack’s casualty count. The overall rationale for the campaign may continue to evolve as additional details emerge.
4 developments
- StrongUS military announces new wave of strikes against Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongUS CENTCOM completes third round of strikes in Iran, hitting 140 targets overnight
- StrongUS launches fourth wave of airstrikes on Iran, striking deeper targets including Dezful and Kermanshah
- DevelopingCENTCOM completes latest significant wave of strikes against Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake