World Affairs, Military

U.S. Central Command Begins a New Round of Air Strikes Against Iran

U.S. Central Command said strikes on Iran began on July 18, aimed at weakening Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and punishing the IRGC after a midnight attack on U.S. personnel in Jordan.

• Strikes began at 6 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on July 18.
• The stated aim is to blunt Iran's threat to Hormuz Strait commerce.
• The move follows an IRGC attack on U.S. personnel in Jordan the night before.

U.S. Central Command announced on July 18 that, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, it had begun a new round of air strikes against Iran. The Pentagon said the action was ordered by the commander-in-chief and is designed to further degrade Iran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil chokepoints. The strikes also came as a direct response to an overnight attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on U.S. personnel stationed in Jordan. Analysts point out that any direct U.S.-Iran military exchange has immediate consequences for global energy markets and for the safety of civilian shipping that passes through the Strait. Hormuz, a narrow channel carrying roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply, has long been a flashpoint: disruption there would send ripples through every major import-dependent economy. As a new round of strikes begins, markets, insurers and navies around the region will be watching the Strait closely.