In the early hours of Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the U.S. military bombarded military installations belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Army of the Islamic Republic across southern Iran. The strikes hit multiple radar systems, communication towers, IRGC docks and speedboats, drone sites, and ammunition depots across Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm, Hengam Island, and Jask Port.
The United States has called these strikes a crushing retaliation for the Islamic Republic’s recent attacks on shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Tehran claims it has targeted positions in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the strikes on its southern territory.
On the ground, residents of Iran’s southern provinces are both shocked and grief-stricken. Speaking to IranWire, citizens from Bandar Abbas, Khuzestan, and Bushehr provided raw accounts of the heavily securitized and militarized environment gripping their cities on July 8 and 9.
“When the Bombs Sound, I Take a Pill and Go to Sleep”
While state-level news reports emphasize that the targets destroyed on Qeshm, Sirik, Hengam, and Jask were strictly military facilities, residents emphasize that the collateral impact on civilian livelihoods has been devastating.
