Full story
Seventh Night Strikes
The United States confirmed it launched another round of military strikes against Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of attacks, as US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operations were conducted under the direction of the US president.
“Skip to main content Iran warns US nearing 'zero hour' for operation against CENTCOM naval units US-Israel-Iran War Iran warns US nearing 'zero hour' for operation against CENTCOM naval units Iran’s IRGC says US military movements in regional waters are 'under the surveillance' of its naval units Rania Abushamala 17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted what it described as US unmanned boat storage facilities in Bahrain as part of the 17th wave of its "Nasr 2" operations, claiming that a large number of unmanned boats caught fire following the attack.
Iranian state media reported an explosion near the city of Sirik, close to the Strait of Hormuz, with the official IRNA news agency saying the blast occurred at around 11:30 p.m. local time.
Explosions were heard in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf coast, while Kuwait's Fire Force said it had brought two fires under control after they broke out at separate sites in the south of the country following what officials described as Iranian attacks.
IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaei said Iran considers its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States to be effectively dead, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the agreement.
Zero Hour Threat
The IRGC Navy warned that the US was moving closer to the “zero hour” for a potential Iranian military operation against US Central Command (CENTCOM) naval units in regional waters, saying the movements and military equipment of US forces were “under the surveillance” of Iran’s naval units.
In response, CENTCOM said on X that US forces destroyed a surveillance tower at Iran's Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar on July 16, describing it as part of a maritime surveillance network used by the IRGC along Iran's Gulf of Oman coastline.
CENTCOM said the strike would degrade the IRGC's ability to coordinate attacks on civilian merchant ships, while the IRGC Navy Command concluded its statement with the warning: “Wait and see.”
The IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Seyed Majid Mousavi said Iranian attacks would continue “until calm returns to the southern coastline and the Strait of Hormuz,” in a statement carried by Iranian state TV.
The Express Tribune also reported that Iran said major roads reopened and traffic resumed on sections damaged in overnight US strikes, citing Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organisation and Press TV.
Targets, Blockade, Fallout
Roya News said the IRGC further warned it would target what it described as US-linked industrial, technological, and shareholder companies in the region if attacks on infrastructure and transportation facilities continue.
“In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Command says the movements and military equipment of US forces are “under the surveillance” of Iran’s naval units,Al Jazeerareports”
Roya News also reported that US forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker docked near Kharg Island for the second time in two days, quoting a deputy governor of Bushehr saying the empty Belma N.I.22 oil tanker was struck again on Friday by two US missiles.
The U.S. military said it destroyed the Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port surveillance tower to protect freedom of navigation in regional waters while maintaining what it described as the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran.
The Washington Times framed the US strike as bombing an Iranian surveillance tower used to “track and target” commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while also stating that President Trump reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports and maritime shipping.
In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti military said several personnel have been “wounded as a result of enemy drones targeting several facilities and camps affiliated with the Kuwaiti Army this morning, following the heinous Iranian aggression,” according to the report.
