Capitals, July 14 (SANA) The U.S. military said on Tuesday it had carried out a new wave of strikes against military targets across Iran, as regional tensions intensified, with Jordan intercepting missiles fired from Iran and theUnited Arab Emirates reporting casualties after two tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the five-hour operation targeted military facilities in Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas. The strikes employed precision-guided munitions against Iranian coastal air defense systems, missile launch sites, drone infrastructure and naval capabilities.
CENTCOM said more than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently deployed across the Middle East.
The latest operation marked the third consecutive night of U.S. airstrikes against Iran. CENTCOM said the campaign is intended to degrade Iran’s military capabilities and reduce its ability to target commercial shipping and civilian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The command also confirmed it had resumed enforcing a naval blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports, effective from 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Armed Forces said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed four missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace from Iran early Tuesday.
A military source, quoted by Jordan’s state news agency Petra, said the interceptions were carried out successfully as part of measures to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and protect its citizens. No casualties or material damage were reported.
The source said military engineering units secured sites where missile debris fell and that the armed forces remained on high alert to respond to any threat targeting Jordan’s airspace.
In a separate development, the United Arab Emirates said one person was killed and eight others injured after two UAE-flagged tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial waters.
According to the UAE Ministry of Defense, cited by state news agency WAM, the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were hit by two cruise missiles. The attack killed an Indian crew member aboard the Mombasa and injured six other Indian nationals and two Ukrainian nationals.
The ministry described the strike as a serious violation of international law that threatens regional security and stability, adding that the UAE reserves the right to respond and take all necessary measures to protect its territory, citizens and residents.
The developments came a day after the U.S. military said it had intercepted an Iranian cruise missile and a drone that were targeting commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
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