US launches second wave of strikes on Iran today; Iranian media reports on explosions in Ahvaz and Chabahar | Today’s news
The United States launched a second wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday (15 July), with US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying the operations were aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the latest strikes began at 3:00 p.m. ET, marking the second round of operations conducted during the day.
“At 3:00 PM ET today, US forces launched operations for a second wave of strikes against Iran,” CENTCOM said.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
Recent US military strikes are aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities, which threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has renewed a naval blockade of Iran after Tehran launched attacks on commercial vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the region.
The airstrikes are expected to raise tensions and could spark a wider regional conflict, as Iran has vowed a decisive response to the attacks.
Yes, businesses should be cautious as renewed military action has raised concerns about disruptions to shipping and oil exports, which could affect global trade routes.
The US strikes targeted several locations across southern Iran, including Greater Tunb Island, Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz and areas near the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant in Bushehr.
“The attacks target Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels freely navigating the Strait of Hormuz, an international waterway vital to global trade. The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable to the Commander-in-Chief.”
The morning strikes targeted Greater Tunb Island
An afternoon offensive followed earlier wave of attacks which ended at 7:30 a.m. ET.
According to CENTCOM, US forces conducted a 90-minute operation using precision-guided munitions against Iran’s coastal defense systems and missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island, a strategically located island near the Strait of Hormuz.
“The strikes have further impaired Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.
Greater Tunb is one of three islands near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz that have long been considered strategically important due to their proximity to one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
CENTCOM said today’s military campaign began at 6 a.m. ET, when U.S. forces launched the first wave of strikes against Iranian military infrastructure.
The command said the operations were specifically designed to weaken capabilities Iran allegedly used to target commercial vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade the military capabilities that Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in an earlier statement.
The US renews the naval blockade of Iran, the strikes intensify
The United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and stepped up its air campaign after Tehran launched attacks on commercial vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating tensions and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
The renewed military action comes weeks after Washington lifted the blockade under an interim deal that suspended the fighting and launched a 60-day negotiation process on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security. Those talks have since stalled as hostilities around the strategically important waterway have intensified.
US renews blockade, expands military campaign
The US military on Wednesday renewed a naval blockade and launched several waves of airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure.
According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. forces struck dozens of military targets across southern Iran, including locations in Bandar Abbas, Khormuj, Ahvaz, Bushehr, Qeshm Island and Kuh-e Stak. One of the key targets was Greater Tunb Island, where missile and defense installations were said to have been hit.
Within 5 hours of resuming the blockade, CENTCOM said US forces had diverted two commercial vessels attempting to enter Iranian ports.
“The U.S. military remains alert and ready to ensure full compliance,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The latest operations mark the fifth day of consecutive US military strikes against Iranian targets.
Read also | Iran threatens to cut off Middle East energy exports after US reimposes blockade
Iran reports casualties, promises retaliation
Iranian authorities said a US missile strike hit a barracks belonging to the 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchistan province, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding several others.
Iran’s health ministry said more than 35 people had been killed and more than 300 wounded in recent US strikes across the country, although officials did not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.
Iran’s military pledged what it described as a “decisive response” to the attacks.
Tehran warns against regional energy exports
Iranian leaders have accused Washington of violating the interim deal and warned that continued military pressure could spark a wider confrontation.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the United States had not complied with the terms of the interim agreement on adjustments in the Strait of Hormuz.
He argued that the negotiations should not be seen as a capitulation, but as part of a broader strategy of Iranian resistance.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, meanwhile, has warned that energy exports from the Persian Gulf could be halted if the blockade continues.
“Exporting oil and gas from the region will be all or none,” the garda said.
Trump says Iran wants a deal
Speaking at a defense summit at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump indicated that Tehran was seeking negotiations despite the escalating military campaign.
“They don’t like what we’re doing and they want to settle down,” Trump said.
“We’ll see if we can match them or not or just finish it off.
Trump added that the United States was “doing really well with Iran” and said the Islamic republic was “not happy right now.”
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