US Military Concludes Latest Wave of Strikes on Iran, Marking 10th Straight Night of Attacks

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that American forces completed another series of strikes against Iran, marking the 10th consecutive night of military operations targeting Tehran’s military infrastructure. In a statement released on Monday, CENTCOM said the latest operation concluded at 9 pm ET on July 20. The strikes focused on Iranian military command facilities, maritime assets, missile and drone launch locations, and air defence systems.

The US military said the objective of the operation was to weaken Iran’s ability to carry out attacks on commercial vessels operating through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. “US forces targeted Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems to reduce Iran’s capacity to continue attacks on commercial shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM stated.

Despite the rising tensions, CENTCOM said commercial shipping activity through the key maritime route has continued. The command noted that since early May, US forces have supported the safe movement of around 900 commercial vessels carrying nearly 450 million barrels of crude oil. The US military also reiterated that its forces in the region remain ready to respond to any threats against civilian maritime operations.

“American forces remain positioned and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unjustified aggression against civilian mariners seeking free and secure passage through the strait,” CENTCOM said. Following the US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and military forces claimed to have carried out retaliatory attacks against several US-linked targets across the Gulf region.

Iranian officials claimed their forces had struck a US missile defence radar installation, damaged an F-15 aircraft at a shelter in Jordan, and targeted Amazon’s central data infrastructure facility in Bahrain. These claims were made through announcements carried by Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The IRGC said the operations were conducted under the name “Operation Nasr 2”, while the Iranian Army described its actions as part of “Operation Lightning”. The IRGC claimed it had attacked a facility housing US military personnel in Jordan’s Rukban area, alleging that several American soldiers were killed. It also claimed that an MQ-9 drone facility at Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem base was targeted, resulting in damage to multiple drones.

The Iranian Army claimed that US HIMARS missile systems stationed at the Arifjan base in Kuwait were hit by surface-to-surface missiles. The latest escalation follows the collapse of a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last month that was intended to reduce hostilities between Washington and Tehran and create a path for further discussions on issues including Iran’s nuclear programme and security in the Strait of Hormuz. The breakdown of the agreement has triggered renewed confrontation in West Asia, with the US launching strikes against Iranian military and civilian targets while Iran has responded with attacks on American positions across the Gulf region.