American forces targeted Iranian command centers, air defenses, missile sites and maritime capabilities as the Trump administration intensified its response to attacks on U.S. personnel in Jordan and Iraq.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
U.S. Central Command carried out a ninth consecutive night of military strikes against Iran on Sunday, expanding an operation intended to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten American forces, commercial shipping and civilian mariners in the region.
CENTCOM announced the latest strikes Monday and released footage showing attacks on Iranian military sites.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET,” the command said.
The operation hit a broad range of military infrastructure, including command facilities, air-defense positions, coastal surveillance installations, communications systems and sites used to deploy missiles and drones.
“CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.
“The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction. CENTCOM forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”
The latest mission followed an extended operation Saturday night that lasted approximately five and a half hours. CENTCOM said that round of strikes was intended to “swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan.”
Iranian strikes in Jordan injured several U.S. service members, CENTCOM announced Saturday. The command also reported that American personnel had recovered unidentified remains believed to belong to a service member who went missing following an attack on a base in Jordan.
Another U.S. service member was killed in action in Iraq on Saturday.
After a separate mission lasting approximately three hours, CENTCOM released additional footage of strikes against Iranian military targets.
The continued military campaign comes as the Trump administration signals that the scope of U.S. operations could expand beyond Iran’s military command and weapons infrastructure.
President Donald Trump has threatened to begin targeting Iranian energy, oil and transportation assets this week if Tehran continues its attacks.
Trump has also declined to rule out deploying American ground forces and has suggested that the United States could seize Kharg Island, the hub through which much of Iran’s oil exports are shipped.
The president’s statements have raised the possibility that future U.S. operations could target infrastructure central to Iran’s economy and government revenue rather than remaining limited to missile sites, air defenses and military command facilities.
As the conflict intensified, the State Department issued a worldwide security caution Saturday warning Americans about the possibility of further escalation.
The department described the international security environment as “complex,” with “the potential for unforeseen escalation.”
The advisory warned that U.S. interests could be targeted throughout the world, including in regions beyond the Middle East.
American officials expect heavy strikes to continue as Washington responds to attacks on U.S. personnel and seeks to reduce Iran’s capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategically important waterway is a major route for global energy shipments and has become a central focus of the military campaign. CENTCOM said its latest strikes were designed in part to prevent Iran from attacking commercial vessels and civilian crews traveling through the strait.
The nine-night operation has now targeted Iran’s military leadership structure, surveillance network, coastal defenses, communications infrastructure and ability to launch missiles and unmanned aircraft.
CENTCOM characterized the continuing strikes as a direct response ordered by the commander in chief rather than a limited, one-time retaliation.
With U.S. personnel killed, injured and missing following attacks in Jordan and Iraq, the administration is presenting the campaign as an effort to impose consequences on Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The State Department’s warning and Trump’s public consideration of broader military targets indicate that the conflict could continue to widen if Iranian attacks persist.
Original article
Comments