By Ginika Igboke
The U.S. military confirmed on March 22 that additional damage has been inflicted on Iranian military infrastructure, as tensions intensify between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), a key Iranian missile production site—the Kuh-E Barjamali Ballistic Missile Assembly Facility—has been rendered inoperable following recent strikes. The command shared before-and-after imagery showing the facility intact on March 1 and heavily damaged by March 7.
“The buildings are now out of commission,” CENTCOM stated, underscoring the scale of destruction inflicted during the ongoing campaign.
Thousands of Flights Conducted in Ongoing Campaign
CENTCOM also revealed that more than 8,000 U.S. military flights have been carried out since operations began in late February. The command further rejected claims by Iranian state media that its forces had successfully shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter jet, calling those reports inaccurate.
The updates highlight the intensity and sustained nature of the air campaign, which is part of a broader joint U.S.–Israeli effort targeting Iranian military capabilities.
Escalating Threats Over Strategic Waterway
The military developments come amid growing threats from Iran to fully shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. Shipping traffic through the waterway has already slowed dramatically since the conflict began.
Iranian officials have warned that the strait will be “completely closed” if the United States follows through on threats issued by Donald Trump to target Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Trump has given Tehran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the waterway, warning that U.S. forces would begin destroying Iranian power plants if the demand is not met. In a social media post, he said the military would strike “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST.”
Iranian Leaders Signal Broader Retaliation
In response, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any attack on Iran’s infrastructure would trigger wider retaliation across the region. He said that critical infrastructure in countries aligned with the United States could be considered legitimate targets and face irreversible destruction.
The exchange of threats signals a potentially dangerous expansion of the conflict, raising concerns about regional stability and the safety of global energy supplies.
U.S. Officials Defend Strategy
In a March 22 interview, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz defended the administration’s stance, arguing that Iran’s infrastructure is closely tied to its military operations.
He noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exerts control over key facilities, including power plants, which are used to sustain the country’s war efforts.
Waltz also raised concerns about Iran’s advancing missile capabilities, warning that the country is developing longer-range systems and could eventually pair them with nuclear warheads.
“The president is not waiting until that happens,” he said, emphasizing that the strategy is aimed at preventing future threats rather than reacting to them.
International Pressure Mounts
Meanwhile, more than a dozen countries across Europe and Asia have issued a joint statement calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and condemning attacks on civilian shipping.
Despite these calls, no nation has yet publicly committed to joining U.S.-led efforts to secure the waterway, even as global concern grows over the economic and security implications of prolonged disruption.
As the situation continues to evolve, the combination of military escalation and diplomatic pressure suggests the conflict may be entering a more volatile and unpredictable phase.
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