US Central Command says it struck dozens of Iran Revolutionary Guard targets

TEHRAN, Iran — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched a large-scale airstrike against Iranian territory on Thursday, targeting dozens of sites belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the command, the operation began at 10 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, or 5 a.m. Baghdad time. Targets hit in the strike included military headquarters, missile and drone facilities, coastal defense and surveillance positions, and maritime capabilities, CENTCOM said. The command said the operation was carried out in response to a missile attempt against U.S. forces the previous day and was intended to counter threats from Iran and its proxies against U.S. troops, commercial shipping in the Gulf, and Gulf states. CENTCOM said more than 50,000 U.S. service members deployed in the region have been placed on full alert. Iranian media reported that two people were wounded when a strike hit a residential building on Qeshm Island in southern Iran. The United States resumed airstrikes against Iran in mid-July, citing attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said those strikes violated an agreement between the two countries and targeted U.S. bases in the Middle East.