American officials say ongoing US strikes are hitting command-and-control centers, ammunition depots, radar installations, and drone units in southern Iran, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). The US military operation follows Defense Secretary Hegseth's warning of continued strikes and reports of heavy air activity over the Gulf.
The US military campaign in southern Iran has expanded in scope. On Wednesday evening, American officials confirmed that ongoing strikes are targeting command-and-control centers, ammunition depots, radar installations, and drone units in the region, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). This development follows a sequence of increasingly specific strikes reported since earlier Wednesday evening.
The thread of reports began when a senior US official confirmed the start of strikes (published 18:14 UTC), followed by confirmation of air defense activation near Assaluyeh (18:14 UTC). Subsequent versions (all published 18:14 UTC) reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, power outages in the area, additional strikes targeting infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz, and a US official's warning that the campaign would intensify to hundreds of targets. Iranian state media (IRIB) reported five airstrikes on Kargan in southern Iran (18:14 UTC). Later confirmations noted strikes on air defense and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz (18:14 UTC). Earlier, The Zioneer reported that Defense Secretary Hegseth had vowed 'powerful and clear' strikes tonight, and that President Trump confirmed continuing military action.
As The Zioneer has reported, this operation follows a period of escalating tension. Background context includes the US military alert following an Iranian missile and drone barrage on June 7, and the start of 'Operation Epic Fury' against Iranian infrastructure (June 9). The current strikes are framed by the US as a response to Iranian aggression, with an explicit aim to force negotiations, as Hegseth stated: 'If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs.'
Several details remain unconfirmed. There has been no independent verification of the specific targets reported by US officials. The extent of damage and the scope of the operation—whether it will be limited in duration or escalate further—have not been officially specified. Reports of a missile launch from the Tabriz area, attributed to opposition sources, remain unverified. Israeli officials have stated that Israel is not involved in the strikes, following unconfirmed claims by Al Jazeera to the contrary.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake