U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had concluded its 11th round of overnight strikes against Islamic Republic military targets early on Wednesday, July 22. Domestic Iranian media reported explosions across at least 10 cities and regions, including Tehran, Tabriz, Bushehr, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Mahshahr, Omidiyeh, Behbahan, Baneh, and Abdanan.
In a statement, CENTCOM reported that the operation began at approximately 2:30 a.m. Iran time and concluded less than two hours later, at 3:45 a.m. According to the command, the strikes targeted military command centres, naval capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military transport infrastructure.
CENTCOM stated that the objective of the strikes was to degrade the Islamic Republic’s ability to attack commercial and civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. It further claimed that Iran had attacked more than 30 civilian ships in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months, endangering the lives of hundreds of seafarers.
The statement added that, despite Iranian attacks, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues, with U.S. forces having facilitated the passage of nearly 900 commercial vessels and the transport of approximately 450 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway since late April.
