In a decisive military maneuver, the United States has unleashed a powerful assault on Iranian missile stockpiles, drones, and air defense systems. This recent series of airstrikes comes as retribution following the tragic deaths of two American service members, a move that the U.S. had vowed would be met with “swift punishment.”
The strikes, which wrapped up at 11:30 pm ET, specifically targeted elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Officials confirmed these forces were behind the lethal strike on U.S. installations in Jordan last Friday.
In a striking video released by Central Command (CENTCOM), dramatic footage captured the moment U.S. forces launched a major missile from a concealed location, effectively dismantling Iranian coastal surveillance outposts and air defense mechanisms.
A statement from CENTCOM highlighted the success of these operations during the eighth consecutive night of U.S. strikes. They confirmed the neutralization of Iranian surveillance systems, maritime capabilities, and sites storing missiles and drones, emphasizing efforts to weaken Iran’s military strength.
Furthermore, CENTCOM warned of a substantial military presence, with more than 50,000 U.S. troops now strategically positioned throughout the Middle East. Described as “highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” these forces are prepared to respond to any threat.
IRNA, Iranian state media, reported that Qeshm Island was among the targets. Qeshm is located in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has used to block oil as a negotiating tactic. Explosions were also reported in Bandar Abbas, an Iranian city also near the Strait and near the city of Sirik.
Meanwhile IRGC-affiliated news station Tasnim reported that Iran had struck US assets in Kuwait in retaliation for the ongoing strikes.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it targeted two US bases: Camp Buehring and the Ali Al Salem Air Base.
The Guards Corps claimed it carried out ‘large-scale attacks with kamikaze drones’ against the bases, according to a statement cited by state media.
Renewed military action in the region has claimed the lives of additional American soldiers.
Iranian strikes hit the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Friday. In addition to the two fatalities, one service member is missing in action, and four others were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack. The troops have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in a statement on Saturday.
President Trump told NewsNation that the soldiers’ deaths were a ‘very sad thing.’
‘We hate to see it happen. It’s in service to our country,’ he added, before reiterating his goal of ‘never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.’
The deaths were the 15th and 16th among US servicemembers since the war with Iran began in February, with more than 430 others wounded.
Shortly before Friday’s attack on Jordan, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the US strikes on Iran would lead to ‘unforgettable lessons,’ accusing Trump of ‘seeking to escalate the conflict.’
Khamenei has also called the US’s actions in the region ‘criminal,’ referring to the country as the ‘Great Satan.’
‘The Great Satan – the criminal US – has now realized that the continuation of its trouble-free, domineering presence in the region is nothing but a naive fantasy,’ he wrote on his official X account on Saturday evening.
Hours after the US service members’ deaths were announced, Iranian state media said several IRGC missiles were fired at an unspecified vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks come after the US launched a barrage of missiles early on Saturday targeting ‘surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities,’ CENTCOM said.
The strikes hit an electricity plant in Hormozgan and cut off the water supply to around 10,000 on Qeshm Island, while a bridge toward Iran’s main port in Bandar Abbas was disrupted due to bridge damage, according to IRNA.
The attacks have intensified the conflict’s focus on the Strait of Hormuz, an essential waterway bordering Iran that previously carried over a fifth of the world’s crude oil.
The struggle over the Strait has seen energy prices skyrocket worldwide, with the fresh round of strikes now threatening civilian infrastructure in Iran.
‘The US has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is ‘no longer implementing them,’ Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.
Amid the recent blitz from US forces against Iran, Tehran’s energy ministry ordered citizens to turn off their air conditioning during peak hours as the country’s power grid came under strain.
The energy ministry said that the power restrictions were necessary ‘to help ensure a stable electricity supply in the southern provinces, which are currently facing extreme heat and attacks on electricity supply facilities.’