US forces launched a second wave of precision strikes against Iranian military targets on Wednesday afternoon, with CENTCOM expanding its campaign to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a massive share of global petroleum flows daily, sits at the center of this escalation.
The latest round targeted approximately 80 to 90 sites, including air defense systems, missile installations, and vessels tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Locations hit reportedly included Bushehr, Chah Bahar, and Bandar Abbas, all strategic military nodes along Iran’s southern coastline.
A conflict that’s been building fast
This second wave didn’t come out of nowhere. Earlier strikes on July 7 and 8 had already hit roughly 170 sites across two rounds, making this one of the most concentrated US military campaigns against Iranian infrastructure in modern history.
The operations were initiated under President Trump’s directive after what officials described as a violated ceasefire. Iran had declared its intention to close the Strait of Hormuz and taken aggressive action against commercial shipping.
