The United States carried out a tenth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran overnight, with reports of strikes in the city of Shiraz and the Strait of Hormuz area. Iranian officials emphasized that no strikes occurred in the city of Isfahan.
The United States carried out a tenth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran overnight, with reports confirming strikes in the southern city of Shiraz and the strategic Strait of Hormuz area. Iranian officials denied that any strikes occurred in Isfahan, a city in central Iran. The night's events unfolded rapidly: at 23:20 Jerusalem, CENTCOM announced the start of the tenth night of operations. Shortly after, explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Qeshm Island. Later, unverified reports described blasts in Shiraz and Isfahan, and footage circulating online appeared to show a strike in Shiraz.
The campaign began on July 11, initially focused on the Strait of Hormuz, as The Zioneer reported on July 13. By July 16, the US Army confirmed a fifth night of strikes and hinted at expansion beyond the strait. On July 18, strikes expanded to central Iran, including the Yazd area. An analysis on July 19 assessed that the eighth night was systematically isolating Bandar Abbas, Tehran's gateway to the Strait of Hormuz. The tenth night has now seen strikes across southern Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz area confirmed as a target.
The Zioneer has reported that the Pentagon characterized the operations as aimed at securing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, but the geographic scope has widened significantly. The campaign has expanded from the strait to include targets in central Iran, such as the underground 'missile city' in the Yazd area.
The Isfahan denial has not been independently corroborated, and the extent of damage in Shiraz and the Strait of Hormuz remains unconfirmed. Iran has not issued an official statement on the strikes. The footage from Shiraz has not been independently verified.
8 developments
- StrongNew footage links attacks in Shiraz mountains to strike on Mount Drak
- DevelopingIran releases additional footage from Shiraz, appears to show airstrike
- DevelopingOvernight: Footage emerges of US strike in Konarak, southern Iran
- StrongNew footage reportedly shows attack on missile site in Tabriz overnight
Source and signal
- Internal intake