Iran: sixth wave of US airstrikes and first ship seized under naval blockade, July 17, 2026

Herz — World Desk · 17 July 2026 at 06:28 · 30s summary · 3 min read

The US Central Command (Centcom), the American military command responsible for operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, announced early on July 17, 2026 the end of the sixth consecutive nighttime wave of strikes against Iran. Dozens of military targets were struck with precision munitions.

What we know

The stated objective of the strikes is to weaken Iran's military capabilities and hold Tehran responsible for its attacks on international maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

further weaken Iran's military capabilities

— Centcom, statement of July 17, 2026

Contested targets

Statements about the targets struck in the night of July 16-17 diverge. Centcom claims to have destroyed air defense systems and coastal surveillance radars.

Iranian media—including the Fars news agency, citing provincial administration—contend that two bridges (Kahurestan and Gariveh, Hormozgan Province) and an airport in southern Iran were bombed. These claims could not be independently verified.

Naval blockade: first forced seizure

The US naval blockade of Iranian ports, ordered by President Donald Trump, was reinstated on July 15, 2026. As of July 16, an American fighter jet fired rockets at an empty tanker attempting to force through the blockade, and three merchant ships were diverted.

On July 17 at 01:25 German time, American soldiers boarded the vessel M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman—the first forced seizure since the blockade was reinstated.

Iranian retaliation on US allies

That same night, Kuwait and Bahrain—two US allies in the region—were targeted by Iranian rockets and drones. The Kuwaiti military activated its air defense; Bahrain's Interior Ministry ordered the population to take shelter.

The Iranian military claimed retaliatory strikes against American installations in Bahrain (a helicopter base, a reconnaissance aircraft), Kuwait (radars, rocket launchers), and Jordan, according to Press TV—Iran's state-run international news channel broadcasting programs in French and English. These claims rest solely on this single source and have not been independently confirmed.