The U.S. military announced Wednesday that it has carried out yet another wave of attacks against Iran under orders from President Donald Trump, completing 12 consecutive nights of American strikes.
U.S. Central Command released a statement outlining what was hit: “U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets.”
The military noted that throughout July, American forces have gone after dozens of Iranian military installations on land while also reinstating a naval blockade against Iran at sea. Wednesday night’s strikes lasted approximately five hours.
The conflict traces back to February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched the initial attack on Iran. Iran responded by striking Israel and Gulf states where U.S. military bases are located. Since then, U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran — combined with Israeli attacks on Lebanon — have resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people. American troop fatalities have climbed to 18 in recent days.
On Wednesday, Trump made a new threat, vowing to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran fires on a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This is not the first time Trump has threatened such targets — he has previously warned of strikes on energy infrastructure and bridges. He also drew widespread international condemnation earlier when he threatened to destroy Iran’s entire civilization.
Iran’s joint military command fired back with its own warning, saying through state media that if Trump’s threat were carried out, Iranian forces would retaliate by targeting regional oil, gas, electricity, and economic facilities.
Legal experts in the United States raised alarms in April, stating that attacks on infrastructure considered essential to civilian life could constitute war crimes under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which prohibit such strikes during armed conflict.
