On July 18, 2026, report by the Epoch Times – The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday, July 17, that the US military continued its airstrikes against Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of strikes.
CENTCOM posted on social media platform X on Friday, stating, “At 3:00 pm Eastern Time today (10:30 pm local time in Iran), CENTCOM carried out the seventh consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran. Under the guidance of the commanders, these strikes are aimed at further weakening Iran’s military capabilities.”
The specific targets of the latest round of airstrikes have not been announced by the US military yet, and it is expected that relevant information will be released later. According to reports from Iranian media, multiple explosions occurred in Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran, on Friday evening local time.
In addition to the bombing raids, the US military continues to enforce a maritime blockade against Iran. In another post on Friday, CENTCOM mentioned that the US military remains vigilant and enforces the maritime blockade against Iran strictly. In the first three days post the resumption of the maritime blockade, the US military has redirected four merchant ships, incapacitated one ship, and boarded and inspected one ship to ensure full compliance with the blockade measures.
Since the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran collapsed last week, both countries have been testing the limits of escalating conflict, raising the possibility of a full-scale war reignition. The US has targeted bridges within Iran, while Iran retaliated on Friday by targeting a power plant and desalination facility in Kuwait. The escalation of attacks to include infrastructure may further intensify the conflict.
At sea, the US Marine Corps boarded and inspected an oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Armed personnel also seized another vessel in waters near Yemen, raising concerns about the security of another critical oil shipping route in the Middle East – the entrance to the Red Sea.
On Friday evening, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy “attacked” a Thai-flagged vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The agency did not provide further details. As of now, this information has not been confirmed by external sources.