US launches fresh strikes on Iran; CENTCOM says attacks target military capabilities in Strait of Hormuz
Washington, July 21
The US military has launched a new round of strikes against Iran, according to the US Central Command, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said: "Today at 4 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began a new round of strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief's direction. The strikes are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."
Earlier, CENTCOM said US naval and air assets were continuing operations in the Arabian Sea as part of its campaign to enforce what it described as a naval blockade against Iran and restrict maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports.
"U.S. service members aboard amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) support flight operations day and night from the Arabian Sea as CENTCOM enforces the naval blockade against Iran. As of July 20, the U.S. military has redirected 7 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to prevent the ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports," CENTCOM posted on X.
Earlier on Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that its forces launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US assets and facilities in Jordan and Kuwait.
In statements published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said it struck with ballistic missiles the US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft at an airport in Jordan's port city of Aqaba, and heavily damaged a number of them.
It added that its forces attacked with drones and destroyed an American early warning radar system in Kuwait, and targeted a warehouse of equipment and aircraft parts as well as a hangar of MQ-9 Reaper drones at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, setting on fire a number of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The IRGC said the attacks were in retaliation to the US' frequent "aggressions" against Iran's territory, Xinhua News Agency reported.
In a post on social media platform X early Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had "successfully completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran."
It added, "CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Another day, another US military adventure in the Middle East. When will Washington learn that bombing countries doesn't solve anything? Iran's retaliation against US bases in Jordan and Kuwait shows this is escalating into a wider conflict. The commercial shipping disruptions are already affecting global supply chains - we'll all pay for this at the pump. 😔
I'm a student of international relations, and this is textbook escalation spiral. The US claims to be defending commercial shipping, but blockading Iranian ports and disabling vessels is itself an act of war under international law. CENTCOM's "successful strikes" language is propaganda. Meanwhile, India imports 80% of its oil - our economy is a sitting duck if this gets worse. Modiji should convene a peace conference before it's too late! 🔥
I'm a former US Navy officer, and this is not how you handle maritime security. Blockading a nation's ports without UN mandate is illegal. The IRGC's retaliatory strikes show they have precision strike capability that could threaten our ships. The real losers here are Indian, Chinese, and European traders whose ships are caught in the crossfire. Diplomacy, not bombs, is the answer. 🇺🇳
Western commentators always miss the Indian angle. For us, this isn't about US-Iran rivalry - it's about the 8 million Indians working in the Gulf who might be caught in crossfire. The Indian Navy should be ready for evacuation operations. Also, Iran is our historical friend - we had the India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline planned. These strikes are destroying regional cooperation. So sad. 🌍
S We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.