In a powerful show of strength, American troops launched precision strikes on over 80 Iranian targets, smashing air defenses, command centers, coastal radars, anti-ship missiles, and dozens of IRGC small boats in the Strait of Hormuz.
🇺🇸 U.S. FORCES JUST HIT IRAN HARD!@CENTCOM didn’t hesitate. In a powerful show of strength, American troops launched precision strikes on over 80 Iranian targets, smashing air defenses, command centers, coastal radars, anti-ship missiles, and dozens of IRGC small boats in the… pic.twitter.com/aF0wsFPpIR
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) July 8, 2026
The United States unleashed new strikes against Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales in retaliation for a series of attacks on commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
“This is punishment,” a US official told CNN Tuesday. “It won’t be over for a bit.”
The latest round of strikes comes as US President Donald Trump meets world leaders at the NATO summit in Turkey this week, where the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be a key topic of discussion.
Catch up on where things stand:
- The US’s response: The latest US strikes against Iran are “a direct result of the acts of international terrorism that have been perpetuated by Iran on innocent ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official told CNN, adding that the Iranians know “the consequences” yet “still choose to carry out these attacks.”
- The US official also said the US military strikes underway against targets in Iran are “not proportional” in response to a series of attacks on shipping close to the Strait of Hormuz.
- Local impact of US strikes: Explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island, according to Iranian state media. Several people were also injured by shrapnel from the strike on the Sirik pier, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
- President heads back: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is traveling back to Tehran from Iraq, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The president had traveled to the Iraqi city of Najaf for the multi-day funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose body arrived in the city on Tuesday.
- Oil sanctions: Iran also condemned the re-imposition of US oil sanctions on Tehran, calling it a “clear violation” of the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the two countries last month. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “holds the US government responsible for the consequences of this breach of commitment.”
- Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning to make his first visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to three sources familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear if those plans would be impacted by the US strikes in Iran overnight.
The US military has completed its latest round of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets, according to US Central Command.
“US forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor,” CENTCOM wrote on X.
CENTCOM added that its forces “remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed.”
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 8, 2026
Several blasts heard on Kharg island, Iran state media reports
Explosions were reported on Iran’s Kharg island, a vital hub for Tehran’s oil exports, Iranian state media said early Wednesday local time.
The island, a five-mile stretch of land off the Iranian coast, is an economic lifeline for Tehran that typically handles roughly 90% of the country’s crude oil exports. It has been described by US officials as the “nexus for all the Iranian oil supply.”
The report from Press TV said “several blasts” had been heard on there.
It also said a new wave of explosions have been reported on Qeshm island – Iran’s largest island in the Persian Gulf and considered part of its “arch defense” near the Strait of Hormuz
The US has struck both islands multiple times, and US President Donald Trump has previously floated the idea of taking over Kharg Island, as well as Iran’s other oil infrastructure.
Iran says it will deliver a “crushing response” to US strikes
Iran warned in the early hours of Wednesday that it would deliver a “crushing response” to US strikes – with the ceasefire between the two countries on increasingly shaky ground.
“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will deliver a crushing response to the US aggression and terrorist action,” said Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The command added that it would “under no circumstances, will allow interference in the affairs or management of the Strait of Hormuz.”
It added that the “only safe passage” for vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz was through Iran-designated routes.
The US launched new strikes against dozens of targets across Iran on Tuesday overnight into Wednesday, and reimposed sanctions as “punishment” for attacks on commercial ships near the contested waterway.
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of violating their memorandum of understanding in a post to X, warning “the era of bullying and extortion is over.”
“We don’t fold,” Ghalibaf said.Read more
NEWS NOW:
