CENTCOM completes a seven-hour wave of strikes on Iranian military sites while resuming its naval blockade.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Wednesday morning that it had completed an additional round of strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas. "US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews," said CENTCOM.
It noted that the strikes took place the same day US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade went into effect at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday. "US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execut operations directed by the Commander in Chief," the CENTCOM statement concluded. Earlier, CENTCOM confirmed that its forces have begun launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
At 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (11:00 p.m. Israel time), CENTCOM officially announced that "US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas." It added, "There are currently more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready."
Iranian state media reported strikes on Qeshm Island, as well as sounds of explosions in Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas. At the same time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it destroyed multiple warehouses containing weapons, vessel parts, and aircraft components at the Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain and struck the MQ9 drone deployment ramp at the Ali Al-Salem base in Kuwait, destroying or damaging several US drones. (Read more)