The US military struck targets in Bushehr, Kangaan, Ahvaz, and Bandar Deyr, according to reports. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran made a 'wrong choice' and must now pay the price.
The US military struck targets in four Iranian cities — Bushehr, Kangaan, Ahvaz, and Bandar Deyr, according to a report. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was quoted as saying that Iran made a 'wrong choice' and must now pay the price. This is the latest in a series of Hegseth statements overnight: at 02:41 Jerusalem he said Iran made an 'unfortunate decision' and is 'now paying,' and by 02:53 Jerusalem he had called it a 'miserable decision.' The strikes expand the campaign to new locations in southern Iran, including a major port and energy hub.
The Zioneer reported at 02:41 Jerusalem that the US had launched a third round of airstrikes, targeting radars, missile and drone storage facilities, and launch sites, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the Cypriot-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz. One civilian crew member was reported missing and the vessel disabled by fire and engine damage. The strikes were confirmed by US Central Command, which said they were hitting IRGC capabilities. The reporting evolved from initial unconfirmed reports to official CENTCOM confirmation, with targets specified by a senior US official.
Background reported by The Zioneer: On July 9, a senior American official confirmed that the US had struck IRGC bases and drone positions in Bushehr in an earlier round of expanded operations, with power outages reported in Bandar Abbas. Hegseth had warned on June 10-11 that the US would hit Iran 'hard' and 'on its own terms.' Iran has accused both Israel and the US of striking a military base near Bushehr, a claim The Zioneer reported as unverified. Bahrain's defense minister publicly condemned Iran for using the kingdom as a 'scapegoat' in the conflict.
The report of the four cities and the new Hegseth quote is attributed to an unnamed report, not a formal US military statement. US Central Command has not officially confirmed the specific locations. The extent of damage and any casualties in the strikes remains unclear.
10 developments
- DevelopingHegseth: 'Iran made a miserable decision. Now they are paying.'
- StrongIran claims to have struck US-linked targets, warns Gulf states against aiding attacks
- StrongBushehr governor says US struck four areas in province overnight
- StrongMap of US strikes on Iran lists 15 confirmed impact locations
Source and signal
- Internal intake