U.S. Strikes Target IRGC Facilities as Tehran Vows to Keep Hormuz Closed

The U.S. military launched an intensive two-hour wave of strikes early Thursday, targeting dozens of sites linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The operation followed Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles toward U.S. forces in Jordan, marking the latest round of exchanges after four days of relative calm.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes began at midnight GMT and ended at 2 a.m. The targets included military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense positions, and naval capabilities operated by the IRGC.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was intended to reduce threats posed by Iran and its allied groups to U.S. forces, commercial shipping and neighboring Gulf states.

The strikes followed an IRGC announcement that it had fired ballistic missiles at an airbase and a U.S. Central Command facility in Jordan. CENTCOM said all the missiles were intercepted, while the Jordanian military reported shooting down five missiles without casualties.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face a severe response, while maintaining that Washington remained committed to reaching an agreement to end the conflict.

Iranian authorities and local media reported strikes and explosions across several southern and western provinces, including coastal areas and islands near the Strait of Hormuz.

Local officials said a house was hit during one of the attacks, killing two adults and a two-year-old child and injuring two other children. CENTCOM said its strikes were limited to IRGC military facilities and capabilities. The circumstances surrounding the residential strike could not be independently verified.

Additional explosions were reported near several coastal cities and military areas, although authorities released no comprehensive assessment of casualties or damage. Power was temporarily disrupted in parts of one island before being restored.

Following the strikes, the IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as U.S. threats and interference with regional shipping continued. It also warned countries supporting Washington that they could face a severe response.

CENTCOM has said the IRGC has no authority to determine shipping routes through the strait, while Tehran continues to demand prior approval for vessel movements.

The strategic waterway has become a central flashpoint in the conflict amid continuing disputes over maritime routes and control of commercial shipping.