US Central Command says new round of strikes hit multiple Iranian military sites

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 12 that it completed a new round of airstrikes against multiple military targets in Iran. According to the command, the operation used precision munitions, fighter aircraft, U.S. warships, one-way attack drones and, for the first time, one-way attack drone boats. Targets included Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar facilities, missile and drone capabilities and small boats, CENTCOM said. The command stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains a vital corridor for international maritime commerce and is not under Iranian control, adding that U.S. forces are prepared to keep the seas open to free navigation. A U.S. official said the operation lasted more than three hours. Iranian statements said two sites near Ahvaz in Khuzestan province were struck, along with the cities of Behbahan and Dezful. In Mahshahr, an attack on an irrigation water station killed one person and wounded four others. Iranian officials also reported strikes in areas outside Hendehab in the central province, and said two explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.