For the eleventh night in a row, the US has been carrying out strikes on Iranian military targets
The US Armed Forces have announced the start of a new wave of strikes against Iran, which have now been ongoing for the eleventh consecutive night. According to a statement from US Central Command, the attacks began on the evening of 21 July, Eastern Time, reports DW.
Seventy-five minutes after the operation began, CENTCOM reported that the eleventh consecutive night of strikes had been completed. According to the US military, the strikes targeted Iran’s operational centres, naval forces, aircraft hangars, drone depots and military logistics facilities. The command stated that the aim of the operation was to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM also stated that over the past three months, Iran had attacked more than 30 merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the US side maintains that the strait remains open to commercial shipping. According to its figures, since the beginning of May, CENTCOM forces have facilitated the passage of around 900 merchant vessels and the transport of 450 million barrels of crude oil. Meanwhile, the London Stock Exchange estimated that four vessels passed through the strait on 19 July, and eight on 18 July.
According to the US analytical resource GlobalSecurity, on 21 July, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Camp Arifjan military base in Kuwait, where US troops are stationed. The Kuwaiti authorities reported that the country’s air defence systems had intercepted the missiles and drones.
The same report states that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the sixth wave of Operation Nasr 2 and claimed to have carried out attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. There is currently no independent confirmation of the results of these strikes.
On 20 July, Iran had already carried out strikes in the Persian Gulf region in response to a previous overnight attack by the US. On that day, Kuwait and Jordan reported rocket and drone attacks. On 18 July, Tehran declared null and void the framework ceasefire agreed with Washington in June, which was intended to pave the way for a final peace agreement within 60 days.
On the night of 21 July, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran would “pay dearly” for every potential death of American military personnel. In a post on Truth Social, he noted that the relevant order had already been conveyed to Defence Secretary Pete Hagseth.
According to CENTCOM, three American service personnel have been killed since the start of the latest escalation in the Middle East. The total number of US military fatalities since the start of the war with Iran in late February has risen to 17, according to the command.
