The situation in the Middle East continues to escalate dramatically. On the morning of July 24, it was confirmed that the US armed forces had completed their 13th consecutive night of intensive airstrikes against military targets in Iran.
According to an official statement from the US Central Command, the operation is aimed at reducing the military capabilities of Tehran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which threaten international trade.
What was hit in the night offensive?
The US military said the latest wave of attacks ended at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (July 23). The official report states that with precision munitions destroyed:
Command Centers and strategic communication networks. Drone warehouses and missile sites. Coast surveillance systems and radars in critical areas. Naval capabilities and facilities near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas.
Reasons for the escalation and Trump's response
The new offensive comes just after President Donald Trump promised „serious military punishment“ for Iran. The reason for the tough stance was the recent attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels - allies of Tehran, who hit two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Republican administration in Washington insists that The Strait of Hormuz will remain open to international civilian mariners, despite Iran's attempts to impose a blockade. According to the Pentagon, more than 50,000 American troops are currently deployed in the Middle East, maintaining full combat readiness.
Iran, for its part, responded with retaliatory attacks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles and combat drones at US assets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, with the Kuwaiti army reporting strikes at the Abdali border crossing. Tehran warned that any further aggression against civilian infrastructure would be met with "steel strikes".