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The United States carried out a second consecutive night of military strikes against Iran on July 8–9, targeting nearly 90 military sites, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
In a statement published on X, CENTCOM said the operation was aimed at further reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“These strikes further degraded Iran’s capability to attack commercial shipping and peaceful civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted a broad range of military assets, including:
- air defense systems;
- coastal surveillance equipment;
- missile and drone storage facilities;
- naval installations;
- military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.
The US military said the latest operation followed a previous round of strikes carried out during the night of July 7–8, when approximately 80 Iranian military targets were hit, including more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Rising tensions
The latest strikes come amid rapidly escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
During the NATO summit, US President Donald Trump said that any ceasefire with Iran was effectively over, accusing Tehran of attacks on commercial shipping on July 7.
Trump also told reporters that Iran had contacted the United States after the recent American strikes and had indicated an interest in reaching an agreement, although he said it remained unclear whether negotiations would move forward.
Meanwhile, according to reports by Axios, US officials are preparing for the possibility of renewed military exchanges with Iran related to the security of the Strait of Hormuz. The report suggests that a new campaign could last anywhere from several days to a month.
