US Strikes Iranian Military Targets
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced new airstrikes on Iranian military facilities in response to a recent rocket attack on US forces.
US forces launched new airstrikes on targets in Iran on July 30, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported. The series of strikes is a response to an attempted rocket attack on American troops in the region on July 28. Dozens of targets belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were hit, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coast guard installations.
CENTCOM said the strikes aim to further reduce threats from Iran and its allies to US forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries. It noted that on July 28, IRGC fired several ballistic missiles from Iran at US forces in the Middle East, all of which were intercepted. Currently, more than 50,000 US troops are deployed in the Middle East.
Between July 12 and July 24, the US conducted night strikes on Iranian military facilities to weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which IRGC had attacked. Iran also struck neighboring countries, claiming to target US bases.
After July 24, both sides refrained from mutual strikes until July 28. According to The New York Times, on July 24 the US president met with top advisors and decided to postpone large-scale strikes on Iran. Reasons included the potential depletion of interceptor missiles for Patriot and other US air defense systems, as well as the threat of a global energy and economic crisis.
On July 28, the US carried out strikes together with Saudi Arabia. CENTCOM said the operation was a response to more than 30 drone attacks in the previous 72 hours.
