US strikes Iran for tenth night in a row as IRGC strikes tankers in Hormuz

IRGC says two tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz and claims strikes on US systems in Bahrain; maritime authorities report crew abandoning a separate vessel

By World Israel News Staff

The United States completed a tenth consecutive night of strikes on Iran early Tuesday as Tehran claimed it had attacked two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted American radar and air-defense systems in Bahrain.

US Central Command said its forces struck Iranian military command centers, maritime assets, missile and drone launch sites and air-defense systems as Washington continued its campaign to restore commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.

CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial vessels” passing through the strait.

Explosions were reported across southern Iran, including near Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh, Qeshm, Chabahar, Konarak, Sirik Island and Shiraz. Iranian media said two locations near Shiraz had been subjected to enemy attacks.

Reports of explosions also emerged around Bushehr and Isfahan, although Iranian provincial officials said some of the sounds were caused by air-defense systems rather than direct impacts. Authorities said they were investigating residents’ reports of blasts near Isfahan.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two tankers exploded and caught fire after trying to use the southern passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a route closer to Oman that the United States has encouraged commercial vessels to use to avoid Iranian-controlled waters.

The Guards did not identify the tankers or provide details about casualties. It said rescue teams were removing crew members from the area.

Reuters could not independently verify the Iranian account, and it remained unclear whether both vessels described by the IRGC had been struck deliberately.

In a separate incident, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker reported being hit by an unknown projectile eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman.

The vessel broadcast a distress report over an emergency maritime radio channel before its crew abandoned the ship and boarded a lifeboat. No environmental damage was initially reported.

UKMTO did not immediately identify the tanker or its owner. It was not clear whether the ship was among the vessels mentioned in the IRGC statement.

Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers separately confirmed that two of its managed vessels had been struck by projectiles of unknown origin near Oman during the previous two days. The attacks underscored the growing danger facing commercial ships attempting to navigate the increasingly deserted waterway.

The IRGC said the strait would remain blocked while American military operations continued.

“As long as America’s mischief in the region continues, the Strait of Hormuz is closed,” the Guards said.

The waterway between Iran and Oman carried about one-fifth of the world’s traded crude oil and natural gas before the current conflict. The effective closure has sharply reduced Gulf energy exports and forced shipping companies to weigh the danger of Iranian attacks against rapidly rising insurance and freight costs.

Shipping data indicated that only four commodity vessels crossed the strait Monday, down from seven Sunday. The four included two tankers leaving the Gulf and two vessels entering it.

No very large crude carriers or liquefied-natural-gas tankers were recorded passing through the strait Monday.

The steep decline in traffic came despite repeated American attacks intended to dismantle Iran’s coastal missile, drone, surveillance and naval capabilities.

CENTCOM said American forces remained ready to respond to attacks on civilian mariners. The command has previously said hundreds of Iranian military targets have been struck since Washington began its renewed effort to secure the waterway.

Iran has maintained that it can control passage through the strait and has linked any reopening to an end to US military operations.

The latest American attacks struck southern coastal areas regarded as central to Iran’s ability to detect, track and target ships approaching or entering the strait.

Iran, meanwhile, expanded its retaliatory campaign against US forces and American allies across the Gulf.

The IRGC claimed it had struck a radar and air-defense installation in Muharraq, Bahrain, and hit a Patriot air-defense system in Riffa during coordinated missile and drone attacks.

There was no immediate independent confirmation that the American systems had been destroyed or damaged.

Bahraini authorities activated warning sirens as the kingdom’s military attempted to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and drones. The Bahrain Defense Force said its forces remained at the “highest level of readiness.”

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has repeatedly come under Iranian attack during the conflict. Kuwait and Jordan also activated defenses against Iranian missiles and drones Tuesday.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted five drones and three missiles during the latest barrage.

The fighting has intensified despite diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, Qatar and other regional governments to restore a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni traveled to Islamabad for discussions as Pakistan attempted to restart mediation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to negotiations but insisted any diplomatic process “has to be real.”

The renewed campaign has also resulted in mounting American casualties. The Pentagon said nearly 100 US military personnel had been injured since the strikes resumed in early July, although most had returned to duty.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the “vast majority” of the injuries were minor concussions.

Three American service members were killed in recent incidents in Jordan and Iraq, adding pressure on President Donald Trump to either escalate the campaign or seek an agreement capable of reopening the strait.