CENTCOM conducts strikes on Iran amid controversy about Hormuz
Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated at 09:53)
US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted another round of strikes against Iranian sites targeting Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked US facilities in Bahrain and Jordan. According to a statement, the group said it "targeted and destroyed the central data infrastructure of Amazon, the American company in Bahrain, with several cruise missiles." The operation was described as retaliation for the US attacks on civilian facilities in Darkhovin, Iran.
The IRGC added that its aerospace forces launched a missile attack on a US base in Jordan, claiming the destruction of a missile defense radar system and an F-15 fighter jet. It warned that "this region is not a place for American aggressors, and they must leave to avoid incurring greater losses."
Earlier, Iranian media reported a series of explosions and "enemy attacks" on cities across southern Iran in the pre-dawn hours of July 21. The incidents affected Shiraz in Fars Province, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in Hormozgan Province, Chabahar and Konarak ports in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and Abdanan in Ilam Province.
Local officials said several missiles were fired at areas outside Abdanan in Ilam Province without causing casualties. Iranian state TV said two areas east and west of Shiraz were targeted.
The IRGC and Iran's regular military also conducted attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. The IRGC said it used drones and missiles to destroy radar systems, Patriot air defense batteries, and satellite communications equipment at Kuwait's Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base and Bahrain's Riffa and Muharraq bases.
Iran's army said it targeted US helicopter facilities at Kuwait's Arifjan base and "HIMARS" rocket artillery systems with ground-to-ground missiles. Both the IRGC and army described the strikes as retaliation for recent US attacks on Iran.
CENTCOM reported that commercial shipping through the strait has continued, with approximately 900 vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil facilitated by US forces since early May. The IRGC warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as US "hostile actions" in the region continue. Iranian media reported fires erupting on two tankers after explosions as they attempted to transit south of the strait.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 21, 2026
The US State Department warned American citizens to avoid the region due to heightened instability across the Middle East. "The security situation remains complex in the region, with the potential for unexpected escalation," the advisory stated.
