US expands strikes into northern Iran, disables tanker running blockade

The United States military carried out multiple waves of strikes against Iran for a fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, targeting coastal defense systems, missile sites, and military infrastructure near the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict between the two nations widened across the Persian Gulf region.

Strikes Intensify on Day Five

U.S. Central Command completed a 90-minute morning bombardment of Greater Tunb Island on July 15, striking coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites with precision munitions. CENTCOM said the attacks targeted "Iranian command centers, air defense installations, missile and drone capabilities, along with coastal surveillance facilities to further diminish Iran's capacity to pose threats to innocent sailors operating commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz".cnn+1

By Thursday, July 16, the AP reported the US had expanded strikes into northern Iran and disabled a ship attempting to run the naval blockade. CNN reported that the US military attacked an Iranian island and struck a tanker bound for a key oil port.britannica+1

Iran's Health Ministry said on Wednesday that the recent US attacks on southern Iranian provinces had killed 35 people and wounded more than 300 others, with two women and one teenager among the dead. The southern Hormozgan province and southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province recorded the highest number of casualties, with 72 of those wounded remaining hospitalized. Separately, the Iranian army reported seven additional military personnel killed in the country's southeast on Wednesday.english.alarabiya+1

Iran Retaliates Across the Gulf

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with drone and missile strikes on US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The IRGC claimed it destroyed a fuel depot, a Patriot air defense system, and an FPS radar facility at US bases in Kuwait, while Jordan's military said it intercepted four missiles that entered its airspace from Iranian territory.chinadailyasia+2

The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the Iranian attacks in a statement on Wednesday, with Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi calling them an "unprecedented escalation" that poses a threat to regional security. "The treacherous Iranian assaults on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan underscore Iran's intent to plunge the region deeper into chaos and instability," Albudaiwi said.dawn+1

Naval Blockade Reimposed

The escalation follows President Trump's announcement on July 13 reinstating a naval blockade on Iranian ports, with CENTCOM confirming operations resumed at 4 p.m. ET on July 14. The blockade, first imposed in April after US-Iran peace talks collapsed in Pakistan, bars Iranian vessels from the strait while keeping the waterway open under American military oversight.aljazeera+2

CENTCOM's media page indicated US forces had disabled a vessel attempting to enter an Iranian port in violation of the blockade. The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in five weeks, according to shipping data.aljazeera+1