Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jul 21: A series of explosions were reported across southern and central Iran late Monday and early Tuesday, coinciding with a fresh wave of US military strikes announced by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), further intensifying the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
According to Iranian media, blasts were heard in several locations across Hormozgan province, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bandar Lengeh and Qeshm, while additional explosions were reported in Chabahar and Konarak in Sistan and Baluchestan province.
Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported that air defence systems were activated in the southern port city of Bushehr after authorities detected what they described as hostile aircraft approaching the area.
Hours later, more explosions were reported from Shiraz in southern Iran and Isfahan in central Iran, with officials yet to provide details on the extent of damage or possible casualties.
The incidents came shortly after CENTCOM announced a new round of military operations targeting Iran. In a statement posted on social media platform X, the command said the strikes were intended to further weaken Iranian military capabilities allegedly used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The regional security situation also spread beyond Iran, with Kuwait's Armed Forces announcing that its air defence systems had been activated to counter what it described as hostile missile and drone threats.
The latest escalation follows several days of reciprocal military action between the two countries. The United States has carried out repeated strikes on Iranian targets, saying the operations are aimed at reducing Tehran's capacity to disrupt maritime traffic in the Gulf.
Iran has responded with multiple missile and drone attacks targeting US military facilities across the region, including bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran was engaged in a "full-scale war" with the United States. However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had received mediation proposals and remained open to diplomatic engagement despite the escalating conflict.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for a fresh wave of retaliatory attacks against US military assets in Jordan and Kuwait.
According to statements released through the IRGC's official outlet, Sepah News, ballistic missiles targeted US military aircraft, including Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport planes and Boeing P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft stationed at an airport in Aqaba, Jordan. The IRGC claimed that several aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The force also said it launched drone strikes against an American early warning radar installation in Kuwait and targeted facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base, including a warehouse containing military equipment, aircraft spare parts and a hangar housing MQ-9 Reaper drones. The IRGC claimed several unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the attack.
Iran described the strikes as retaliation for what it called repeated US military aggression against its territory, as the confrontation between the two countries continues to deepen with growing implications for regional security.