The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its latest wave of strikes against military targets in Iran had concluded. According to CENTCOM, the operation lasted approximately five hours, during which military positions in Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas were targeted.
The CENTCOM statement noted that the objective of the attacks was to degrade the Islamic Republic’s ability to target commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and regional waters. The command announced that Iran’s coastal defence, missile, and drone systems, as well as its naval capabilities, were targeted during the operation.
The latest U.S. strikes were carried out hours after the Islamic Republic launched missile and drone attacks against several countries in the region, as well as U.S.-linked vessels in the Persian Gulf. The IRGC had claimed that, in response to previous U.S. attacks, it had targeted military bases and facilities associated with U.S. forces in neighbouring countries.
CENTCOM also stated that more than 50,000 U.S. military personnel are currently deployed in the Middle East and that its forces will remain “vigilant and ready.”
Tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States have escalated rapidly in recent weeks following attacks on several commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington held the IRGC responsible for those attacks and, in response, initiated a series of aerial and naval strikes against military targets in southern Iran. The Islamic Republic retaliated with missile and drone strikes against several countries in the region and U.S.-affiliated vessels. Concurrently, the transit of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz has drastically decreased, fueling growing concerns over maritime security and the global energy market.
