The US military has been striking Iran for days now, and while most of the strikes have come at night, it executed the latest round of strikes in the middle of the day.
US forces have resumed combat operations against Iran after the collapse of a shaky ceasefire following repeated setbacks and impasses in negotiations, triggered by Iranian aggression and US retaliatory strikes.
US operations are targeting military installations and capabilities, particularly those that threaten civilian shipping and key waterways, namely the strategic Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that strikes would continue to intensify in the coming days.
On Wednesday, US Central Command, the combatant command overseeing the Middle East, said its forces had completed a round of strikes against Iran that began at 6 am ET, roughly 1:30 pm local time. It wrapped up in an hour and a half.
“CENTCOM launched precision munitions against coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island during the 90-minute wave. The strikes further degraded Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said.
Greater Tunb Island is located in the Persian Gulf just west of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran seized it in 1971 from what would later become the United Arab Emirates.
A video published by CENTCOM showed one of Wednesday’s strikes against Iran. The command did not identify the specific target or the munition employed.
Trump declared the ceasefire over last Wednesday, effectively ending a fragile agreement that had failed to fully halt exchanges of fire between the US and Iran. That night, the US struck targets in Iran in what it said was an effort to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping.
Attacks that followed from Saturday through Tuesday were carried out late or in the middle of the night in Iran. Now, the US is also striking during daylight hours.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. “We’re gonna hit them really hard the night after.” The president has said that the strikes will continue until he determines it’s “enough.” He also warned that future targets could include power plants and bridges.
The US has said its new attacks on Iran are in response to Tehran’s attacks on vessels passing through the strait. In addition to strikes, US forces have also resumed the blockade of the strait.
While many strikes have been conventional, some others have been experimental. Earlier this week, CENTCOM announced it had used naval drones in combat for the first time, launching them against what appeared to be an unguarded submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. The Corsair uncrewed surface vessels hit the port, causing a massive explosion.
Iran has also been firing missiles and drones at US allies across the Middle East, including Bahrain and Kuwait.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement that “over the past seven days, Iran has intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships, resulting in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured.” He added that “Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries.”
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East over the blockade on Wednesday, and Tehran has vowed to continue its response to US strikes.
