US Central Command forces completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran on July 29. The operation responded directly to attempted Iranian missile attacks on American forces the previous day.
On July 28, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran toward US positions in the Middle East. All missiles were intercepted, according to the US military.
At 10 p.m. ET on July 29, US Central Command forces finished the strikes. The command stated that its assets struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran. These included military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities.
The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries. More than 50,000 US service members remained deployed across the Middle East at the time.
Earlier on July 29, President Donald Trump addressed reporters in the Oval Office. He said, “We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming.” He added, “They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit.”
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported explosions in several southern locations. These included Bushehr, Kish Island, Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, and areas in Khuzestan and Fars provinces.
Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of Hormozgan province, said, “At 04:00 am a point near Qeshm was attacked by the American enemy military.” Iranian reports also noted that a residential area on Qeshm Island was hit, with some residents injured or trapped.
The US military described the action as a powerful response to the prior day’s attempted attacks. Forces remained postured and prepared for further developments.
