The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Thursday that it had completed a new round of strikes against Iran at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, noting that operations were conducted for the twelfth consecutive night.

The command said US forces targeted Iranian naval capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, along with air defense assets.

It added that the strikes aim to reduce Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels, amid ongoing tensions over navigation in territorial waters.

According to the statement, US forces targeted dozens of Iranian military sites on land this month, coinciding with the resumption of what the command described as a 'naval blockade' against Iran.

CENTCOM explained that US forces diverted nine commercial vessels and disabled one vessel, to prevent them from entering or leaving Iranian ports, without providing further details on the identity of the ships or their interdiction locations. It also noted the deployment of more than 50,000 US military personnel across the Middle East, stressing that forces remain on high alert and ready to carry out additional missions.

CENTCOM released video footage it said documents the execution of precision strikes against Iranian military capabilities, but the locations or targets shown in the recordings could not be independently verified.

Earlier on Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces had begun implementing a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets, confirming that the operations came at the direction of the US president and would continue in the coming period.

CENTCOM said in a post on platform 'X' that US forces began at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time executing 'further strikes' against Iranian military targets, noting that the mission aims to 'degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters.'

At 5:30 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began launching more strikes against Iranian military targets at the Commander in Chief's direction. The mission will continue to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 22, 2026

The US announcement came hours after rising tensions in the region, amid reports of strikes targeting sites inside Iran, while Washington did not disclose the nature of the targets struck or the size of the forces involved in the operation.

CENTCOM had earlier announced the continuation of its military operations against Iranian capabilities it said pose a threat to navigation, stressing that the goal is to protect commercial vessels and ensure freedom of navigation in vital sea lanes.

Explosions in Iran

For its part, Iranian media reported that a site near the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran was hit by a missile strike attributed to the United States, while explosions were heard in two other areas in the south of the country.

Iran's Mehr news agency quoted an official in Khuzestan province saying that a site near Ahvaz was subjected to an American missile attack, without providing details on the nature of the targeted site or the extent of damage from the attack.

Semi-official Fars news agency also reported that the bombing targeted the vicinity of Ahvaz, and quoted the deputy governor of Khuzestan as saying that a point near the city was hit by an American missile strike.

In a concurrent development, Fars agency reported hearing two explosions near the city of Bushehr, which houses the Bushehr nuclear power plant, without indicating any casualties or specifying the causes of the explosions.

The agency also reported that several explosions were heard around midnight near the city of Serik in Hormozgan province, east of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the sounds originated from the Bani district of the city, according to local sources.

Iranian authorities have not yet announced additional details regarding the nature of the explosions in Bushehr and Serik, and it remains unclear whether the three incidents are related.

Shalamcheh Border Crossing

In a later development, Iran's Mehr news agency, citing a security official in Khuzestan province, reported that an American missile attack targeted the vicinity of the passenger terminal near the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq, noting that the site was bombed without providing further details on the nature of the target.

However, Iranian media later updated the toll, as the Iranian Students' News Agency (SNN), citing a security official, reported the deaths of two people in the American strike that targeted the vicinity of the Shalamcheh border crossing.

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