US pounds Iranian military targets for 13th consecutive night

The United States has completed its 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, as Washington continues its campaign to counter threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, the latest round of strikes concluded at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on 23 July and targeted Iranian military command centres, drone storage facilities, communications networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities.

The command said the operation was aimed at further reducing the threat posed by Iran to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM added that the international waterway remains open despite recent attacks attributed to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with commercial shipping continuing to transit the strait under the protection of US military forces.

More than 50,000 US service personnel are currently deployed across the Middle East, CENTCOM said.

Iranian media reported strikes in several parts of the country. The Tasnim news agency said two people were injured in an attack on the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. State news agency IRNA reported that a power transmission tower was damaged, causing electricity outages in several districts.

Explosions were also reported in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and in the nearby cities of Andimeshk and Omidiyeh, according to Iranian media.

Tasnim also reported that US forces carried out missile strikes on the southern coast of Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.