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Heavy wave of strikes
The United States launched a “heavy wave” of strikes against Iran after what U.S. Central Command described as an “attempted surprise attack” on American forces in the Middle East, with CENTCOM saying it had completed the operation as of 10pm ET on Wednesday.
“successfully completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran”
NBC News reported that Iran vowed to “punish” the United States after the U.S. said it completed a “heavy wave of strikes” overnight, as the renewed fighting followed a brief period of calm and shattered efforts to revive diplomatic efforts.
CENTCOM said the two-hour operation ran from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on July 29 and struck dozens of IRGC targets, including “military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities,” while the U.S. said it intercepted every Iranian missile.
The strikes were described by Stars and Stripes as a “powerful response,” with U.S. forces striking Iran for two hours starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday and concluding at 10 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday.
Iranian media reported casualties from the strikes, including that three civilians were killed in the latest strikes and that three IRGC personnel were killed, while Jordan’s armed forces said it intercepted five Iranian missiles early Thursday.
Blockade, ships, and sanctions
CENTCOM said it was enforcing its blockade against Iran while keeping a close watch over the Middle East using surveillance aircraft, and Fox News quoted CENTCOM saying that as of Wednesday its forces had redirected 24 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two to “ensure full compliance.”
CBS News said the U.S. had redirected 24 commercial ships since restarting a blockade on Iranian ports earlier this month, and it said the U.S. had boarded two ships accused of violating it and fired at two other ships to disable them.
The U.S. also imposed new financial pressure, with CBS News reporting that the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Mahan Air, describing it as “a civilian carrier” that “has long played a central role in enabling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”
In parallel, the U.S. rejected Iranian claims about damage to U.S. aircraft, with CBS News noting that it rejected several claims made by IRGC, including the assertion three U.S. F-35 stealth fighters were destroyed.
CNN reported that Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said 14 countries backed the kingdom’s proposal to establish a “Maritime Defense Alliance” to protect international shipping routes and global trade as the U.S.-Iran conflict pulled in more countries.
Political demands and regional stakes
As the conflict expanded, congressional Democrats demanded answers about the treatment of wounded U.S. troops after a March drone strike in Kuwait, with The Guardian reporting that a letter to defense secretary Pete Hegseth posed 23 questions over the 1 March strike on a US logistics hub at the port of Shuaiba.
“poses 23 questions to Hegseth over the 1 March strike”
The Guardian said the strike killed six reservists from Des Moines, Iowa, and wounded dozens more, and it quoted the letter’s warning that “As you and President Trump continue to risk the lives of service members in this reckless war, the American people deserve answers.”
In the Senate, Fox News reported that Senate Democrats failed again on an Iran vote, with the Senate rejecting the latest war powers resolution in a 50-49 vote and three Republicans—Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky—joining Democrats.
NPR reported that the U.S. retaliated against what CENTCOM called an “attempted surprise attack” with a “heavy wave” of airstrikes in Iran, and it said Jordan’s military intercepted five Iranian missiles targeting its territory early Thursday.
Meanwhile, the stakes for the region’s shipping routes remained central, with CNN reporting that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed and that the “aggressor will be punished today,” as the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes and the maritime alliance gained backing from 14 countries.
