U.S. announces completion of five-hour wave of strikes on Iran
The U.S. has completed strikes on Iran, hitting military targets in six cities, according to a statement from the U.S. Armed Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) published on the social network X.
"CENTCOM completed the final wave of strikes on Iran at 22:15 Eastern Time on July 13 (6:15 Baku time on July 14). During the five-hour mission, U.S. forces successfully struck military targets on Iranian territory, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas," the statement said.
Precision munitions were used to strike coastal defense systems, missile launchers, unmanned aerial vehicle facilities and maritime assets to limit Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels in the region, U.S. military officials noted.
According to CENTCOM, more than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently in the Middle East and remain on combat readiness in the region.
In the early hours of July 14, the U.S. began striking Iran for the third night in a row, CENTCOM reported. According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted Iranian military infrastructure to reduce Tehran's ability to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to information from the UAE Ministry of Defense, Iranian cruise missiles attacked tankers belonging to the United Arab Emirates that same night. The vessels Mombasa and Bahia were hit in Omani territorial waters. As a result of the attack on the Mombasa, an Indian citizen was killed and eight others, including Indians and Ukrainians, were wounded.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Iranian news agency Fars. According to Iranian military officials, the UAE vessels had disabled navigation, ignored warnings and were struck for attempting to pass through a prohibited zone. The IRGC also stated that the U.S. had previously attempted to ensure the passage of the tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18. Among the provisions of the agreement were the immediate and final cessation of hostilities on all fronts and the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz. However, by the end of June the sides began exchanging strikes again. Meanwhile, strikes carried out on Iran on July 7 were described by Trump as "defensive," officially confirming the resumption of hostilities.
Source: RBC
