American forces struck bridges, transportation routes and a port control tower early Friday, expanding a campaign once focused primarily on Iranian weapons into infrastructure the regime needs to move men, equipment and commerce.
The new targets signal that Trump is carrying out his threat to squeeze Tehran until it loosens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that handled roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments before the war.
The U.S. military is working to isolate the IRGC with a new wave of strikes targeting bridges and roads around Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port on the Strait of Hormuz.
Breaking AlertsDon't miss the stories that matter.Get Sean's breaking news alerts — free, direct to your inbox.The strikes are aimed at cutting off key supply routes to a major IRGC military hub and come as the IRGC… pic.twitter.com/xnyQ59m0tz
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 17, 2026
Iran answered with another wave of missiles and drones aimed at US facilities and American allies across the Middle East, including Qatar, a key mediator in efforts to end the conflict.
The exchange marked the sixth consecutive night of renewed American strikes and another step away from the interim cease-fire reached last month.
“We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly,” Trump told Americans during a primetime address Thursday.
Those “fruits” arrived within hours.
US aircraft, drones and warships hit dozens of Iranian targets, including sites on Qeshm Island and near Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s largest commercial port and significant naval and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities.
“U.S. forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities,” US Central Command said, according to Reuters.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2026
CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.
Watch the clips below:
New video shows a bridge burning in Iran's coastal Bandar Khamir after the U.S. military says it carried out its latest wave of strikes on the regime.
The footage has been verified using visible landmarks and satellite imagery, and officials say the operation targeted three… pic.twitter.com/clGJUVWP9q
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 17, 2026
🚨 JUST IN: Iran is REELING after President Trump ordered CENTCOM to begin targeting infrastructure targets, causing power outages and destruction of bridges
"The war planners [are] bombing ROADS AND BRIDGES around Bandar Abbas!" 🔥
The IRGC is getting CUT OFF from key supply… pic.twitter.com/KWlY12wdso
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 17, 2026
This story is developing…