US launches new wave of strikes on Iran, CENTCOM announces

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the start of a new series of strikes against targets in Iran.

In a statement posted on X, it said the strikes were aimed at further weakening the military capabilities Iranian forces have employed against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Caliber.Az reports.

“At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” it noted.

At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 15, 2026

The 60-day ceasefire established under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in mid-June between the US and Iran had always appeared fragile. However, the latest strikes represent a significant escalation beyond the limited exchanges that characterised previous flare-ups.

Those earlier confrontations typically followed a familiar pattern: Iran targeted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States responded with restrained retaliatory strikes, and Tehran then launched attacks against US partners in the Gulf, including Bahrain and Kuwait.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov