U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Monday morning, July 13, 2026, that it had launched a fresh wave of military strikes against targets in Iran. According to accounts from residents, the operations were accompanied by multiple loud explosions heard across cities in southern and southwestern Iran.
CENTCOM stated at around 12:30 AM on Monday, Iran time, that its forces had initiated additional strikes against Iran beginning at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Sunday.
The initial CENTCOM statement noted that the objective of these operations was to “continue disrupting and degrading Iran’s capability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.” The command added that the U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump, had ordered the strikes to “hold Iranian forces accountable.”
Simultaneously with the statement, residents in several cities across Khuzestan Province and other southern regions of Iran reported hearing explosions and experiencing vibrations in buildings.
Ahvaz: The majority of reports from Ahvaz indicated that two to three severe explosions occurred at around 1:30 AM local time. Residents of Kianpars, Kianabad, Kuy-e Bahonar, Sepidar, and central areas of Ahvaz stated that the intensity of the blasts rattled doors and windows. Some residents described the sound as originating from the direction of Ahvaz Airport, the Golf area, and Chaharshir.
