The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that
the U.S. Armed Forces conducted a new series of military operations targeting
multiple strategic objectives in Iranian territory, in response to recent
attacks that Washington claims were carried out by Iran against merchant
vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime
routes for global oil and gas trade.
According to the statement issued by the U.S. military
command, the offensive struck more than 80 targets considered strategically
important to Iran's defense infrastructure. Among the targets attacked were air
defense systems, command and control centers, radar stations located on the
coast, anti-ship missile launch platforms, and other military installations
related to surveillance and control of maritime traffic in the region.
CENTCOM also confirmed that more than 60 fast boats
belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were attacked during
the operation. According to US authorities, these boats operated in the Strait
of Hormuz and nearby maritime areas and were capable of launching offensive
actions against commercial and military shipping.
US officials stated that the objective of the operation was
to reduce the operational capacity of Iranian forces to threaten international
maritime security and to protect the free passage of commercial vessels through
the strait, a waterway through which a significant portion of the world's
energy supply passes.