Strike near Ahvaz in southwest Iran kills three, official says

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that US forces carried out another round of strikes against Iran, targeting about 90 military sites along the country’s coastline in an effort to reduce Tehran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, CENTCOM said the strikes hit air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure. It said the latest operation followed strikes the previous night and came after Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the command.

"CENTCOM forces hit approximately 80 Iranian military targets July 7, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats, to impose heavy costs for Iran violating the ceasefire by attacking three commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz," it added.

The White House is preparing for a possible multi-day or even multi-week exchange of fire with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, with the duration and intensity of the escalation depending on Tehran’s next moves, Axios reported, citing US officials.

A US official said that parts of Iran’s leadership were unhappy with recent developments and “started shooting,” prompting Washington to respond with a stronger military response. The official said the US was willing to wait for a deal but would not accept an agreement that did not meet its demands, the report added.

The report said the current escalation could last from “a day or two” to “a week or a month,” depending on whether Iran continues attacks on commercial ships in the strategic waterway. It added that a campaign that began with efforts to degrade Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear program has evolved into an open-ended confrontation over one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday its naval and aerospace forces carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, adding that "key infrastructure and facilities at the bases were hit."

The statement said the strikes targeted Arifjan and Ali Al Salem bases in Kuwait, as well as Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain. The IRGC warned that further US attacks would lead to additional responses against American bases in the region.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that the United States had yet to learn that "bullying and breaking promises" no longer came without consequences. In a post on X, he warned that "if you strike, you will be struck," adding that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only under "Iranian arrangements," not US threats.

"America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit. Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with “Iranian arrangements,” not American threats," he said.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday aboard Air Force One that Iran had contacted the US seeking a deal but questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to uphold any agreement. Trump said the US had already “won militarily” and that there were “many ways” to achieve a victory.

"There are many ways we can win it. We already won militarily and they have a little left and they want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago, they want to make a deal so badly. I just do not know if they are worthy of making a deal. I do not know if they can honor the deal, that is the problem," Trump said.