![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/USIran.jpg\")
US launches new wave of strikes on Iran. Photo: AI recreated<\/p>\nUS launches new wave of strikes on Iran. Photo: AI recreated<\/p>\n
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday said it had completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions in an effort to degrade Tehran\u2019s ability to attack international shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
\u201cCENTCOM forces struck Iranian military air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using U.S. fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time,\u201d CENTCOM said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it,\u201d CENTCOM said, sending a strong message to Tehran.<\/p>\n
\u201cU.S. forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran\u2019s continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a further escalation of tensions in the region, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck US military bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait in a multi-phase overnight operation, the MEHR news agency reported.<\/p>\n
According to reports, the strikes destroyed fuel depots, ammunition bunkers, Patriot air-defence systems and a drone command centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe retaliatory operations of your zealous sons continue,\u201d the IRGC said in a statement addressed to the Iranian nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and we will not allow an outlaw, child-killing army from the other side of the world to continue its illegal interventions,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
Separately, one person was killed and four others injured after a projectile struck an agricultural water-pumping station in Mahshahr, southern Iran, Iran International reported, citing the official IRNA news agency and a senior official in Khuzestan province.\u2018Deeply concerned\u2019<\/p>\n
UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres said he was \u201cdeeply concerned by the serious escalation,\u201d urging an end to all attacks.<\/p>\n
A statement issued by his Spokesperson called on all combatants \u201cto exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to de\u2011escalate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General reiterated that a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences \u201cfor the peoples of the region\u201d and beyond, as well as the global economy.<\/p>\n
The uptick in fighting and end to the fragile ceasefire negotiated last month have seen energy prices rise while shipping through the strait between Iran and Oman has once again ground to a halt.<\/p>\n
Freedom of navigation call<\/p>\n
This leaves around 6,000 seafarers still stranded aboard scores of vessels. The head of the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) called for all transit through the strait to be avoided, saying earlier this week that this should continue \u201cuntil the necessary safety conditions are in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
UN chief Guterres added that \u201cfull freedom of navigation\u201d must be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, where three merchant ships were reportedly struck the previous Tuesday, despite the 17 June Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Secretary-General urges Iran and the United States to urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy,\u201d said UN Spokesperson St\u00e9phane Dujarric.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"US launches new wave of strikes on Iran. Photo: AI recreated The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":204759,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[10096,34,49,816,1924,346,15407,3905,7349,69,25471,15823,22260,15065,25833,33492,15539,146,224,1080,21001],"class_list":["post-204758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tehran","tag-global-news","tag-iran","tag-middle-east","tag-middle-east-conflict","tag-middle-east-conflict-news","tag-middle-east-crisis","tag-middle-east-tensions-2026","tag-middle-east-war-escalation","tag-middle-east-war-news","tag-tehran","tag-us-iran-blockade","tag-us-iran-ceasefire","tag-us-iran-ceasefire-news","tag-us-iran-negotiations","tag-us-iran-peace-deal","tag-us-iran-strike","tag-us-iran-talks","tag-us-iran-tensions","tag-us-iran-war","tag-us-iran-conflict","tag-us-iran-deal"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116913710485781236","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204758\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}