The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) accused the Islamic Republic of “deliberately targeting civilians,” stating that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacks on commercial vessels over the past week have left approximately 12 civilian crew members dead, injured, or missing.
In a statement published on Wednesday, July 15, on CENTCOM’s X account, Commander Admiral Bradley Cooper stated that the Islamic Republic had attacked seven commercial ships over the previous seven days while simultaneously firing dozens of missiles and drones towards neighbouring countries in the Persian Gulf.
Describing the attacks as “unprovoked,” the CENTCOM commander added that US forces would hold the Islamic Republic “accountable for actions that continue to jeopardise innocent lives.”
These remarks come as military tensions between Tehran and Washington in the Persian Gulf escalate, with the IRGC claiming responsibility for targeting multiple commercial vessels in recent days.
Concurrently, Indian media outlets reported that the body of Heramb Karmarkar, an Indian marine engineer, was recovered following a multi-day search operation. Karmarkar was a crew member aboard the container ship GFS Galaxy, which was struck by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz three days ago.
