The US has been carrying out strikes against Iran for the ninth night in a row
For the ninth night in a row, the US military has been carrying out air strikes on targets within Iran. This was reported by US Central Command on its page on the social media platform X.
CENTCOM stated that it had launched a new wave of strikes against Iran. According to the command, the operation aims to further weaken Iran’s military capabilities, which, according to the US, are being used to attack commercial vessels and civilian seafarers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, according to reports by the German broadcaster DW, Iran continues to carry out strikes against US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.
US President Donald Trump stated that the United States had achieved the main objectives of the operation against Iran, but that the strikes would continue in the coming days and could be intensified to force Tehran to return to the negotiating table.
On his return to Washington following the World Cup final, Trump also described the new strikes as a response to the deaths of American servicemen during the war with Iran. According to CENTCOM, three American servicemen have been killed since the start of the latest escalation, bringing the total number of US military personnel killed since the start of the war with Iran to 17.
Amid the hostilities, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the detention of two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, these vessels were attempting to pass through via the southern route.
Due to the escalating situation, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted. According to the London Stock Exchange, four vessels passed through the strait on 19 July, compared with eight the previous day. Meanwhile, S&P Global notes that liquefied natural gas production in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates remains relatively stable, although the number of tankers waiting to pass through the Strait is increasing.
