U.S. strikes more than 300 Iranian targets in Hormuz campaign

U.S. Central Command said its forces hit more than 300 Iranian military targets across three nights. The latest strikes came after Iran hit the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity, and after an Iranian strike early Sunday set a container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it.

CENTCOM completed a round of strikes on July 7 that hit more than 80 targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats. A second wave on July 8 struck about 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. On July 11, CENTCOM said it struck about 140 more targets, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage, communication networks and coastal surveillance locations.

The operation was retaliation for attacks on civilian mariners and an effort to preserve traffic through one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors. CENTCOM said it helped facilitate the passage of more than 800 commercial vessels and 400 million barrels of crude oil through the strait since early May. Iran claimed to have closed the strait, but CENTCOM’s transit figures show commercial traffic continued despite the fighting.

Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait accused Iran of fresh attacks. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire was “over” and suggested the United States could continue strikes.