US forces "complete" strikes on Iran for 11th consecutive night; targets military ops centers, drone storage facilities
Washington DC, July 22
The United States Central Command on Tuesday said that it had completed its 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, targeting military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation concluded at 8:15 pm ET on July 21 and was aimed at further degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
"At 8:15 p.m. ET on July 21, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the 11th consecutive evening of strikes against Iran," the statement said.
It added that CENTCOM assets targeted "Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."
According to CENTCOM, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway over the past three months, describing the attacks as "unwarranted" and saying they had endangered hundreds of civilian mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.
"Despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit," CENTCOM said, adding that since early May, US forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels carrying around 450 million barrels of crude oil through the vital maritime route.
Earlier, CENTCOM announced the commencement of the latest round of strikes in a post on X.
"CENTCOM forces began striking military targets in Iran at 7 p.m. ET today for the 11th consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the post said.
According to Iran's state broadcaster, IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), multiple locations across Iran came under reported airstrikes following the US announcement of the commencement of strikes.
IRIB reported that airstrikes were carried out in the Chavar and Abdanan regions of Ilam province. The governor of Abdanan confirmed that the Dinarkoh area in the county had been targeted.
According to IRIB, a location outside the city limits of Baneh in Iran's Kurdistan province was also struck in what it described as an "enemy attack."
In Hamadan province, Deputy Governor officials, as quoted by IRIB, said Kabudar Ahang County was targeted in what they described as continued "aggressive actions" by the United States.
IRIB further reported that explosions were heard in the cities of Mahshahr in Khuzestan province and Tabriz in East Azerbaijan province.
In southeastern Iran, several explosions were heard in Chabahar, with sounds of multiple explosions and, briefly, aircraft flying overhead were heard in the area.
Separately, IRIB quoted the Deputy Governor of Khuzestan as saying that areas around the cities of Behbahan and Omidieh had come under missile attack, adding that relevant authorities were carrying out field assessments and security evaluations of the targeted locations.
The Deputy Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, as cited by IRIB, also confirmed attacks in the Chabahar and Konarak areas, stating that the situation was under control after the strikes.
This comes as tensions between Iran and the United States escalated after the collapse of the 14-point MoU, signed last month, aimed at ending the hostilities between the two sides and opening the pathway for further negotiations, particularly on Iran's nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz.
Its collapse renewed the conflict in West Asia, with the US striking Iranian military and civilian assets, and the Islamic Republic also targeting American bases across the Gulf in retaliatory strikes.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The US says they're protecting commercial shipping, but 11 nights of continuous bombing seems excessive. And Iran says they're retaliating. This is a cycle of violence with no end in sight. The collapse of the MoU is a real failure of diplomacy.
India must tread very carefully here. We have strategic ties with both the US and Iran. Our Chabahar port project is crucial for Afghanistan trade, and now it's being bombed. The situation in Sistan and Baluchestan is worrying. We need to protect our interests without taking sides. 🇮🇳
Honest question: has anyone verified Iran actually attacked 30 commercial vessels? Or is this like the WMDs in Iraq all over again? I'm not saying Iran is innocent, but we've seen this playbook before. The media needs to ask harder questions instead of just printing CENTCOM press releases.
I'm not taking sides, but 11 consecutive nights of airstrikes is essentially a war campaign, not a 'degradation operation'. And targeting areas near civilian population centers like Tabriz and Chabahar? That's a dangerous escalation. The whole region could go up in flames. 🔥
As an Indian, I'm watching this with concern. We evacuated our citizens from Ukraine, but what if this spreads? The Gulf is home to millions of Indian workers. One miscalculation and we could see another major crisis. The world needs to de-escalate before it's too late. 🙏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.