In the early hours of July 23, Washington ended the 12th consecutive night of massive air strikes against military targets in Iran.
Official statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that last night's mission was successfully completed, with the goal of further degrading Iran's capabilities to attack civilian and commercial vessels in the region.
According to international media reports such as Al Jazeera (aljazeera.com) and DW (dw.com), explosions were recorded in strategic coastal areas and provinces including Bushehr, Ahwaz and Ramshir. US forces have struck command centers, drone storage facilities, missile sites and air defense systems.
The conflict between the US and Iran has escalated sharply since a temporary ceasefire agreement collapsed earlier this month. US President Donald Trump has issued direct warnings to Tehran that the US military will destroy one critical infrastructure point (a bridge or a power plant) for every vessel attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions are also rising on a second front - in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and attacked two Saudi oil tankers.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the White House's threats, saying Tehran's defense doctrine is based on the principle of "an eye for an eye," and warned that any aggression against Iranian civilian infrastructure would be met with a crushing response. According to Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (bta.bg), Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has already declared the Strait of Hormuz "completely closed" to ships that do not coordinate their passage with Iranian authorities.
As of 6:15 a.m. Bulgarian time, the situation remains critical, despite the end of last night's wave of American attacks. Diplomatic sources in the Middle East, quoted by The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com), express pessimism about finding a quick way out of the crisis, despite the mediation efforts of countries such as Pakistan and Qatar.