US Launches Fifth Consecutive Night of Strikes on Iran
The strikes began at 6:00 p.m. GMT and were conducted to "further degrade Iranian military capabilities," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – US forces carried out strikes against Iran for a fifth consecutive night on Thursday, targeting Iranian military capabilities as fighting between Washington and Tehran continued to intensify.
The strikes began at 6:00 p.m. GMT and were conducted to "further degrade Iranian military capabilities," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.
Iranian state media reported that the latest US attacks targeted areas near the strategic Gulf island of Qeshm, close to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
According to Iran's Fars news agency, local authorities reported an "American missile strike in the vicinity of Qeshm," while Tasnim news agency quoted its correspondent as saying that projectiles from the "American enemy" struck areas around the island. Iranian state television also reported that Bandar Abbas was targeted in what it described as "American enemy aggression."
The latest strikes mark a significant escalation in renewed hostilities between the longtime rivals, despite a preliminary agreement signed just one month ago aimed at halting a conflict that erupted in late February following large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Earlier on Thursday, Tehran warned it would target infrastructure across the region if US President Donald Trump followed through on threats to strike Iranian power plants and bridges.
Hours later, the conflict widened as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had launched ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Jordan, describing the attack as retaliation for an alleged American strike near a children's cancer hospital inside Iran.
The escalation also spread across the Gulf. Kuwait and Bahrain reported incoming aerial attacks, with both countries activating their air defense systems in response to the latest wave of hostilities.
The renewed fighting has heightened concerns over security in and around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital oil shipping lanes, raising fears of broader regional instability and potential disruptions to global energy supplies.
At 2 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night to further degrade Iranian military capabilities.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 16, 2026