CENTCOM says US launches "new" strikes on Iranian military targets

Florida [US], July 17 (ANI): The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday (local time) said it had carried out a fresh wave of military strikes against Iranian targets, marking the sixth consecutive night of US operations against Iran.
In a statement, CENTCOM said, "Today at 9:40 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed its latest major wave of strikes against Iran."
According to the statement, US forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones and warships, launched precision-guided munitions against "dozens of Iranian military targets", including coastal surveillance and air defence sites, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.
CENTCOM said the operation was conducted "at the Commander in Chief's direction" and was aimed at "further degrading Iranian military capabilities and holding Iran accountable for recent attacks on commercial shipping".
The command added that "more than 50,000 U.S. service members are operating across the Middle East and remain vigilant, lethal, and ready".
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) claimed that the United States was "winning big" in Iran, saying Americans would see the "fruits" of the ongoing military effort "very, very shortly".
Speaking during a primetime address to the nation focusing on protecting the integrity of US elections and foreign efforts to influence them, Trump briefly highlighted ongoing US military operations abroad, including in Iran.
The President said his administration had "rebuilt" the US military into what he described as the most powerful force in the world.
He added that although he would have preferred not to use it, current circumstances had made military action necessary.
"Unfortunately, we're forced to use it now," Trump said.
From the Iranian side, a senior spokesperson for Iran's Armed Forces on Thursday (local time) warned that Tehran could target US infrastructure across West Asia if Iranian infrastructure comes under "attack", while asserting that the presence of American forces is the main cause of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to statements carried by Iranian state media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the senior spokesperson for Iran's Armed Forces, said the United States and Israel had "no right" to be present in the region.
"America and the fake Zionist government have no right to be in the region," Shekarchi said during a televised interview carried by IRIB.
He claimed that the Strait of Hormuz remains secure under Iran's control and blamed the US military presence for rising tensions in the strategic waterway.
"The Islamic Republic's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is a factor of security for the entire region, not insecurity," he said, adding, "The reason the Strait of Hormuz is becoming insecure is the presence of the Americans."
Shekarchi urged regional countries to cooperate with Iran, saying, "Regional countries should join hands with Iran. We will not allow any insecurity in the region."
"We can fight the enemy for years... We are still increasing our strength," Shekarchi added.
His remarks came after a similar warning from the spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who said that any US strike on Iranian infrastructure would trigger strikes on infrastructure across the region.
In a statement, the spokesperson said, "Under no circumstances and in no way whatsoever will we allow America, as a foreign and extra-regional country, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran's unbreakable red line." (ANI)