The United States military conducted its third round of airstrikes in a week against approximately 140 military targets in Iran on Saturday, July 12, 2026.
The operation followed the Iranian regime's official closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
>>> US Extends Haitian Work Permits to July 2026 Amid Employer Confusion
US Central Command stated that the operation began hours after an Iranian naval assault severely damaged the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy.
The targeted infrastructure included missile locations, drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance hubs.
"Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed," US Central Command announced on X.
The military command confirmed that the retaliatory operation used a combination of sea-based and land-based fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and naval surface vessels.
The goal was to degrade the regime's capability to disrupt international maritime transit.
"In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait," US Central Command added.
The maritime conflict escalated earlier when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the commercial shipping vessel.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that the civilian crew was forced to abandon the burning ship for lifeboats.
"If the enemy uses this incident as a pretext and makes any misstep, it will be met with a severe response," the Iranian navy announced via state media.
