Florida [US], July 15 : The US Central Command on Wednesday (local time) said that it launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran targeting the country's military capabilities, which CENTCOM claimed were used by Iran to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
This is the second wave of strikes by Washington, which struck Tehran.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, "At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."
https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2077338021733478617?s=20
The development follows after CENTCOM said earlier that US forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's coast, targeting missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems in a seven-hour operation aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.
In a statement, CENTCOM said it completed the additional wave of strikes at 10 p.m. ET on July 14 (Tuesday), with US fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels launching precision munitions against dozens of military targets.
"US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defence systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews," the statement said.
CENTCOM added that the strikes took place on the same day US forces resumed a naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. According to the statement, the blockade came into effect at 4 p.m. ET on July 14 (Tuesday)."The strikes took place the same day US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade went into effect at 4 p.m. ET today," it said.
Reaffirming the US military's operational posture, CENTCOM said, "US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief."
As hostilities continue in the region, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported on Wednesday that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the national army have announced a series of missile and drone strikes against US military positions across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the attacks as retaliation for American strikes on Iranian territory.
In several statements by the IRGC issued early on Wednesday, it claimed the destruction of key US military infrastructure, including a Patriot air defence complex, a satellite communications centre, and HIMARS rocket launch platforms in Kuwait. The attacks were carried out under "Operation Nasr 2" in the IRGC's "seventh wave" of retaliation, Press TV reported.
According to Press TV, the IRGC in a separate statement addressed to the people of Jordan, the IRGC said its forces "smashed the hangars of F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets and destroyed a number of MQ-9 strategic drones" at the US base in al-Azraq, Jordan.
The Iranian broadcaster also said that the IRGC claimed of strikes on the US Fifth Fleet's facilities in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday that GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi has condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including strikes on infrastructure and facilities that injured Kuwaiti military personnel.