The United States military executed a massive retaliatory strike campaign against Iran on Thursday, July 30, striking dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in what CENTCOM described as a heavy wave of attacks. The operation, which began at 8:00 p.m. Washington time and lasted approximately two hours, marks one of the largest US military actions against Iran in the five-month-long conflict.
According to a statement from US Central Command, the strikes targeted military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities belonging to the IRGC. The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries, CENTCOM added.
Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas in the south, as well as on Qeshm island in the Persian Gulf. Iranian state news agency Irna confirmed strikes on several cities in the southwestern Khuzestan province. Air raid sirens sounded across the region as the US campaign unfolded.
Iranian state media reported that a US strike on Qeshm island killed a couple and their two-year-old child. The report could not be independently verified, and the Pentagon did not immediately comment on civilian casualties. The IRGC confirmed that it had downed a hostile drone over southwestern Iran during the exchange.
The US-Saudi joint operation in Iraq, conducted alongside the strikes, killed at least 20 fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and six Iranian military advisers. This marked the first time Saudi Arabia had conducted a military operation alongside US forces in the conflict, signaling a significant escalation in regional involvement.
President Trump had previously ordered a pause in strikes, stating he wanted to give diplomacy a chance. However, Iran's surprise missile attack on US bases in Jordan on Tuesday dashed those diplomatic hopes. We will beat them, Trump said before authorizing the new wave of strikes.
The strikes carry significant risks of further widening the conflict. Yemen's Houthi movement has reportedly begun attacking Saudi Arabia from Iraqi territory, coordinating with Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups. Airlines across the region have suspended flights, and oil markets remain volatile as the conflict threatens to engulf more of the Middle East.
Sources: El Pais | The Guardian | AP News
Author: Pulse Of Nations Wire Desk
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