IRGC Claims Strike on 85 US Military Sites Across Gulf

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a large-scale retaliatory military operation targeting United States military assets in the Gulf region, announcing that 85 important American military installations were attacked in a joint missile and drone strike.

In a statement published by Iranian state media, the IRGC accused the United States of violating a ceasefire agreement and conducting airstrikes on several coastal bases and civilian locations in the provinces of Hormozgan and Mahshahr during the early hours of the morning.

The statement alleged that the United States launched the attacks in an attempt to overshadow what it described as a historic and unprecedented funeral procession attended by millions, held in honor of a slain leader and senior figures linked to the Islamic Republic.

According to the IRGC, the operation was carried out jointly by its naval and aerospace forces as an initial response to what it termed American aggression. The Revolutionary Guard claimed that missile and drone attacks targeted key US military facilities, including installations in Port Salman, the US Fifth Fleet region in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The IRGC further asserted that the operation resulted in the destruction of 85 significant US military installations. It also claimed that an American MQ-9 drone, which allegedly attempted to interfere with the operation, was shot down during the strikes.

Earlier, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces have completed a new round of offensive strikes against Iran, targeting more than 80 locations in what Washington described as an immediate response to recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

According to a statement released by CENTCOM, the strikes were carried out on July 7 and involved the use of precision-guided munitions against a broad range of military targets. The operation reportedly focused on Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said the objective of the strikes was to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacks against international maritime traffic and commercial shipping moving through one of the world's most critical trade corridors.

The U.S. military further accused Iran of recently attacking three commercial vessels navigating the strait. The vessels identified in the statement were the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberia-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.

Describing the incidents as "unwarranted aggression," CENTCOM said the attacks constituted a clear violation of an existing ceasefire agreement and represented a threat to freedom of navigation and international commerce.

In its statement, CENTCOM emphasized that U.S. forces remain fully prepared to respond to any further violations of the agreement and pledged to continue holding Iran accountable if the terms of the ceasefire are not respected.