The United States of America conducted a large-scale military operation against Iran, consisting of two series of strikes. The attacks took place between July 15 and 16. Key military targets in Tehran, as well as a civilian vessel attempting to break the blockade in the Persian Gulf, were hit. Official information about the operation was released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

First wave: strikes on missile complexes

The operation began at 6:00 a.m. Washington time (13:00 Kyiv time) and lasted for 90 minutes. During the first phase, US troops focused on neutralizing Iran's coastal defense systems.

The main targets were storage sites and launchers for cruise missiles located on Bolshoy Tund Island. According to a CENTCOM statement, these strikes significantly limited Iran's ability to launch attacks on commercial vessels in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Second series of attacks: neutralization of command centers

On the same day, starting at 15:00 local time, the US initiated a second series of strikes. This phase of the operation lasted until 21:00 (from 23:00 to 04:00 on July 16 Kyiv time).

During the expanded attack, US aviation struck a wide range of military targets:

  • Command and control centers;
  • Air defense (Air Defense) facilities;
  • Missile and drone complexes;
  • Coastal reconnaissance facilities.

According to official data, the main goal of these actions was to further weaken Iran's ability to threaten the safety of civilian sailors and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Strike on an oil tanker

In addition to military targets, a civilian object was attacked during the operation. US forces struck an empty oil tanker heading to an Iranian port. The M/T Belma, flying the flag of Curaçao, was spotted by CENTCOM observers in international waters.

The tanker ignored numerous warnings and attempted to violate the US-imposed blockade by heading towards Harg Island. In response, a US aircraft fired Hellfire missiles, hitting the ship's smokestack. As a result of the attack, the tanker was disabled and stopped moving towards Iran.