The U.S. military released a video on Friday (July 17) showing Marine Corps F-35B fighter jets taking off from an amphibious assault ship to conduct airstrikes against Iran.
The Pentagon stated that these F-35B “Lightning II” jets took off from the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship on July 13 to conduct airstrikes on Iranian targets.
The military did not disclose the specific location of the USS Boxer during the operation.
Prior to this, Iran had attacked commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to the collapse of a ceasefire agreement earlier this week. Subsequently, the U.S. has carried out airstrikes for seven consecutive nights. Iran has claimed to have taken retaliatory actions, striking U.S. bases in the region, including those in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
On July 13, the U.S. conducted a five-hour strike against Iran, targeting coastal defense systems, missile and drone facilities in multiple locations, weakening Iran’s maritime combat capabilities. The U.S. used precision ammunition to strike military targets in Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa Island, and Bandar Abbas.
The USS Boxer amphibious assault ship is a Wasp-class fourth ship of the U.S. Navy. It is a over 40,000-ton naval behemoth designed to transport Marine Corps forces, various aircraft, and helicopters, serving as a key asset for U.S. Navy’s overseas rapid response and amphibious operations.
In April of this year, the Expeditionary Strike Group, led by the USS Boxer, deployed to the Middle East with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of the U.S. military’s “Operation Fury.” Unlike the longer lead time required for army amphibious operations, the ESG preloads Marine Expeditionary Unit with necessary equipment and logistical supplies for rapid deployment, carrying out various missions from coordinating with F-35 fighter aircraft to non-combatant evacuation operations and disaster relief.
On Friday, the U.S. Central Command announced a new round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. Eastern time, marking the seventh night of airstrikes. This operation aims to continue weakening Iran’s military capabilities in accordance with the directives of the military leadership.
The Central Command also released a video made up of images on X platform, showing the U.S. blockade action against Iran. The command stated that the U.S. forces maintain high vigilance as they strictly enforce the naval blockade against Iran. In the first three days of the re-implementation of the blockade, U.S. forces redirected 4 commercial vessels, disabled one, and boarded one for inspection to ensure full compliance with relevant regulations.