America launches new air offensive against Iran, naval attack drones involved for the first time

American forces have carried out a new series of airstrikes inside Iranian territory, targeting dozens of military positions in different parts of the country, including the southern region of Khuzestan.

According to the announcement of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the mission aimed to minimize Iran’s military capabilities to threaten commercial ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz passage.

Reports from Iranian officials indicate that explosions have affected areas near the metropolitan city of Ahvaz and in Andimeshk county. A missile also struck a water supply station in Mahshahr county, killing a security guard and leaving four others injured. Blasts were also recorded in the areas of Khorramshahr and Hoveyzeh.

An American official source said that the offensive lasted more than three hours, and then CENTCOM confirmed the conclusion of the operation with the striking of dozens of targets at several points. Targeted were air defense equipment, coastal radar stations, missile and drone depots, as well as small watercraft. A new element in this phase was the use for the first time of naval attack drones by the US.

Official media in Iran reported that the attacks involved several provinces in the south and center of the country, resulting in at least one dead and several wounded.

This offensive followed just one day after Washington had announced the striking of about 140 Iranian military targets during a wide-ranging aerial campaign.

As an immediate response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that it has begun a series of counterattacks against American military installations in the region, taking tensions to a new level and fueling concerns about an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict.