ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJULY 13, 2026 00:36Updated: JULY 13, 2026 00:43US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces have initiated strikes against Iran in the early morning hours of Monday.In a statement on X/Twitter, CENTCOM stated that the strikes are intended to degrade Iran’s “ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”Several explosions were heard in the Iranian cities of Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Jask shortly after midnight on Monday, according to Iranian state media reports.This is a developing story.Follow us on Google