U.S. strikes 90 Iranian targets after shipping attacks

U.S. military forces conducted a major new round of strikes against Iranian military targets on Wednesday, July 8, as hostilities over the Strait of Hormuz escalated sharply following the collapse of a bilateral ceasefire. The White House is now preparing for a protracted military campaign aimed at securing the vital global energy transit corridor.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline. The operation was described as an effort to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz. This followed an earlier round of U.S. retaliatory strikes on Tuesday, July 7, which reportedly hit more than 80 targets.

The immediate trigger for the renewed U.S. action was a series of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strait. CENTCOM cited attacks on three vessels: the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged MT Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged MT Cyprus...