US launched its ninth consecutive round of strikes targeting Iranian military command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone sites
Iran claimed two oil tankers exploded while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz
The IRGC said it struck US military assets at Jordan's Aqaba airport, including radar systems, MQ-9 drone facilities and aircraft hangars
The United States completed its ninth consecutive evening of strikes against Iran on Sunday, targeting military command centers and air defense sites, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz exploded, according to statements from US Central Command and Iran's Sepah News.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to "further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz." The strikes, which began at 10 pm ET on July 19, were carried out "at the Commander in Chief's direction," CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two oil tankers that were attempting to transit the "unsafe" Strait of Hormuz had exploded, according to a statement on Sepah News, the IRGC's official news outlet. The IRGC did not specify whether the explosions were caused by Iranian action or provide details on the tankers' nationalities or the status of their crews.
Iran Claims Strikes On US Aircraft
The IRGC said it had also targeted an American early warning radar system, an air equipment and parts shed, and a hangar for American MQ-9 drones. The IRGC also claimed that large C-17 transport planes and P-8 command and control aircraft belonging to the US military were targeted by ballistic missiles at Aqaba airport in Jordan.
Escalating Conflict And Casualties
The continued strikes come as the United States and Iran have exchanged near-daily attacks since a fragile ceasefire collapsed earlier this month. CENTCOM said on Saturday that two US service members were killed in Jordan on Friday and a third was missing following an Iranian attack, according to a separate CENTCOM post. The deaths brought the number of US service members killed since the conflict began to 16, with more than 420 wounded.
US President Donald Trump has described the situation as a "war against the Iranian axis," warning that the conflict could escalate further.
