CENTCOM Completes Another Round of Strikes Against Iran for 12th Consecutive Night

TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed another round of strikes against Iran at 10:30 p.m. ET on July 22, marking the 12th consecutive night of American attacks, the command said in a statement.

"U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets," CENTCOM said, adding that "the strikes further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels." The operation was carried out at the direction of President Donald Trump, according to Reuters.

Blockade Enforcement Continues

Alongside the air campaign, CENTCOM said it redirected nine commercial vessels and disabled another as it continues to enforce the naval blockade of Iran's ports. American forces have targeted dozens of Iranian military sites on land this month while resuming the blockade at sea.

The previous evening's operation, completed at 8 p.m. ET on July 21, had targeted Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure, in what CENTCOM described as an effort to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Strikes Reported Across Southern Iran

Local media reported several explosions in the southern Iranian cities of Sirik and Bushehr. The Deputy Governor of Khuzestan province said a location near the south-western city of Ahwaz was targeted in U.S. missile attacks, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency, while Iranian state media outlet SNN reported two people killed in strikes near the passenger terminal at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq, citing a security official.

"The mission will continue to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters," CENTCOM said.

The Fight Over the Strait of Hormuz

The campaign is centred on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway vital to regional and global trade. Over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the strait, according to CENTCOM, in what the command has called unwarranted attacks that have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.

Despite the Iranian attacks, CENTCOM maintains that the strait remains open for commercial vessel transit. Since early May, the command says its forces have helped facilitate the passage of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.

Background to the Conflict

President Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on February 28, with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government, and infrastructure sites. Delegations from the two countries entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both sides, but the United States and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining the primary flashpoint.

Both Kuwait and Jordan confirmed new Iranian attacks on Thursday, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted U.S. assets in the region.