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US completes another wave of strikes on dozens of Iranian targets
The latest strikes were completed on July 12 and were aimed at degrading Iran's ability to continue targeting international shipping in Hormuz, Centcom said
- PUBLISHED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 7:32 AM UPDATED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 1:20 PM
[Editor's Note: For the latest updates on how US-Iran hostilities have escalated since a 14-point deal was signed on June 12, follow the Khaleej Times live blog.]
The United States has carried out a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of sites across multiple locations in what Washington says is a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
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The US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest strikes were completed on July 12 and were aimed at degrading Iran's ability to continue targeting international shipping in the strategic waterway.
"Centcom forces struck Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using US fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time," the Central Command said in a post on social media platform X.
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"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it," Centcom said, adding that US forces remain postured to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial shipping despite what it described as Iran's "continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations."
Check out the footage below, as shared by Centcom:
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026
Earlier, at 1.17am UAE time, Centcom announced that US forces had begun another round of strikes at 5pm ET (1am UAE time), saying the operations were intended to further reduce Iran's "ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels" using the Strait of Hormuz. The command said the strikes were ordered by the US Commander in Chief (Trump) to "hold Iranian forces accountable".
The latest operation follows another series of attacks announced by Centcom on July 12, when it said US forces had completed a third round of strikes carried out on July 11. Those operations targeted approximately 140 Iranian military sites, including missile and drone launch positions, naval assets, ammunition storage facilities, communications networks, and coastal surveillance installations.
Centcom said that over three consecutive nights of operations, US forces have struck more than 300 targets across Iran, with the stated objective of reducing Tehran's capacity to attack civilian mariners and commercial shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the escalation, commercial traffic through the waterway has continued. Centcom said that since early May, US forces have helped facilitate the safe transit of more than 800 commercial vessels, transporting around 400 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
