On Thursday evening, July 16, the Telegram channel “Vahid Online” published messages from residents of Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas reporting the sound of explosions caused by US military airstrikes.
Minutes after the reports from residents emerged, the Deputy Governor of Khuzestan Province for Security and Law Enforcement confirmed that “points” on the outskirts of Ahvaz had been targeted in the strike. Earlier, Iranian media outlets reported that explosions were once again heard in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island on Thursday evening.
Residents of Bandar Abbas reported that electricity had been cut off in several districts of the city and in a number of surrounding villages. They noted that at least eight massive explosions had been heard across the city.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the American strikes had targeted missile and drone launch positions used by the Islamic Republic to attack commercial shipping vessels. The spokesperson added that surveillance equipment and radar installations on Greater Tunb Island and near Bandar Abbas had also been targeted during the operation.
