US Central Command carried out a seventh straight night of airstrikes on Iran on Friday, targeting what officials described as Iranian military logistics infrastructure along with several other sites.
In a statement, the combatant command said CENTCOM forces struck “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.” The operation involved fighter jets, unmanned aerial drones, Navy warships and additional military assets, according to the release.
CENTCOM said the campaign is continuing under the direction of the Commander in Chief, adding that US forces are also maintaining full enforcement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Footage made public by CENTCOM showed cruise missiles firing from a Navy vessel, fighter aircraft launching into the night, and precision-guided munitions striking at least three locations.
One of the sites shown in the video appeared to be a communications tower, while another appeared to be a road bridge along a highway.
The operation ended at 9:30 p.m. ET.
CENTCOM also noted that more than 50,000 US service members are currently deployed across the Middle East, describing them as “vigilant, lethal, and ready.”
Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported explosions in areas of central and southern Iran, including Ahvaz, Lar, Yazd and Sirik.
Iran responded to the US assault by firing missiles and launching drones at several countries in the region.
Kuwait’s army reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones. Jordan’s military also said it intercepted incoming missiles launched by Iran. Air raid sirens were sounded in Bahrain as well, according to the government.
Friday’s airstrikes come after American forces carried out two waves of assaults on Thursday, as the US military sought to cut off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to ease Tehran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Thursday’s strikes dramatically toppled a large, white surveillance tower in Iran’s southernmost city of Chabahar, located on a key trade route for landlocked, neighboring Afghanistan.
Having assessed that the cease-fire struck with Iran a month ago is effectively dead, President Trump warned earlier this week that the US military plans to “knock out” power plants and other infrastructure targets in Iran unless the regime makes a deal.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
“Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
Trump has also reimposed a Naval blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the pressure campaign to get Tehran to the negotiating table.
With Post wires
