CENTCOM Launches More Strikes After Iran Escalation
The U.S. carried out another round of strikes against Iranian targets on Wednesday, following an earlier response after Iran shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the latest action was taken in self-defense and ordered by the commander in chief.
“U.S. Central Command forces began launching additional self-defense strikes today at 5:15 p.m. ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM said in a post on X. “The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”
https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2064824143640502670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Fox reported explosions in several places, including Sirik, Qeshm Island, Minab, and Isfahan. CENTCOM later said the strikes hit Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites. The military said U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets used precision munitions against targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial ships moving through regional waters.
https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2064876360259043642
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the strikes were meant to send a message as well as hit targets. “We’ll strike them hard tonight and hopefully Iran makes a good decision,” he said. “We will hit them hard on our terms, on the targets that improve the environment, for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have.”
Hegseth added, “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs. And we’re very good at it. Nobody better in the world,” and said President Donald Trump was willing to “go back and fight as necessary” if Iran did not change course.
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2064811739376468191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He also used the phrase “tap, tap, tapping” to describe how the regime had been acting before the new round of strikes. On social media, coverage of the remarks showed him leaving U.S. Central Command headquarters while saying the command would be busy that night.
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2064850732688273764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Trump also told Fox that the U.S. had launched 49 Tomahawk missiles and was hitting targets as close as 40 miles from Tehran, not just coastal sites. Trey Yingst reported that Trump said Iranian officials had called him directly to ask the U.S. to stop. Trump added that if they did not come across, “We’ll bomb the s**t out of them tomorrow night.”
Iran denied that it had spoken with Trump. The government also kept up its own claims about hitting U.S. targets, including a warship in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM rejected that, saying, “CLAIM: Iranian media sources are claiming that Iran has attacked a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz. FALSE.” It added, “No U.S. warships have been struck.”
https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2064860817967681879
Another CENTCOM post said commercial ships were still passing through the Strait. Trump said Wednesday that the number had reached 200 and involved 100 million barrels of oil. The situation remains fluid, with the U.S. emphasizing deterrence and Iran continuing to deny some of the claims being made about the fighting.
https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2064855691173490777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw