CENTCOM confirms US hit 170 Iranian military targets in 48-hour offensive

CENTCOM confirms US hit 170 Iranian military targets in 48-hour offensive

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says American forces have struck more than 170 Iranian military targets over two consecutive nights, dramatically escalating tensions in the Middle East after a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was launched in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime corridor through which about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil passes. The U.S. military described the attacks as a violation of the ceasefire agreement and a threat to global maritime security.

CENTCOM said the first wave of strikes, conducted on Tuesday night, targeted more than 80 Iranian military sites, including air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile systems, and more than 60 boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

The military command said a second wave of attacks followed on Wednesday night, with U.S. forces striking approximately 90 additional military targets along Iran’s southern coastline. The latest operation focused on degrading Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping by targeting coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities, air defence positions, and military logistics infrastructure.

In a statement posted on its official X account, CENTCOM said U.S. forces remained ready to respond to any further violations of the ceasefire.

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“U.S. forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed,” the command said.

Iranian state media reported explosions in several southern cities, including Bandar Abbas, Chabahar and Konarak, with parts of the affected areas experiencing electricity outages following the bombardments.

Iranian authorities said the initial U.S. strikes killed at least eight military personnel, while the country’s Health Ministry later reported that the overall casualty toll from the two-day operation had risen to 14 people killed and 78 injured. Those figures have not been independently verified.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, triggering air raid sirens and prompting air defence systems across the Gulf to intercept incoming projectiles. U.S. and Gulf officials reported no immediate casualties, although military bases remained on high alert.

The latest confrontation followed Iranian attacks on three commercial tankers identified by CENTCOM as the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.

The U.S. military described the attacks on the vessels as “unwarranted aggression” that endangered freedom of navigation and disrupted one of the world’s busiest energy shipping lanes. CENTCOM also said commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had dropped sharply following the attacks.

Speaking during the NATO Summit in Türkiye, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran on June 17 was effectively over, warning that the American military campaign would intensify if Tehran continued to threaten commercial shipping.

Trump said Washington remained open to limited diplomatic contacts but expressed little confidence that negotiations would produce a lasting agreement. He also warned that further disruptions to maritime trade could trigger a stronger U.S. military response.

The U.S. administration also reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iranian oil exports by revoking a temporary waiver that had allowed Tehran to continue limited crude sales during ceasefire negotiations, further increasing economic pressure on the Iranian government.

The renewed military confrontation sent shockwaves through global energy markets, with international benchmark Brent crude surging to nearly $80 per barrel as investors reacted to fears of possible supply disruptions.

Analysts warned that any prolonged conflict around the Strait of Hormuz could push global crude oil prices even higher, increase fuel costs, worsen inflation and disrupt international supply chains, given the strategic importance of the waterway to global energy exports.

Security analysts say the latest exchange of attacks represents one of the most serious military confrontations between Washington and Tehran in recent years, raising concerns that the conflict could spread beyond the Gulf if diplomatic efforts fail to restore calm.

Although both countries have kept limited diplomatic channels open, the collapse of the ceasefire has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict involving additional state and non-state actors across the Middle East.

CENTCOM confirms US hit 170 Iranian military targets in 48-hour offensive