Washington DC [US], July 18 (ANI): US forces on Friday (local time) launched another round of military strikes against Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of operations, as Washington said the campaign is aimed at further degrading Iran's military capabilities.

In a post on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, 'CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction.'

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that three explosions were heard in Sirik, a city in Iran's Hormozgan Province.

The latest operation comes amid escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran following the collapse of the 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two sides, with both countries exchanging military strikes in recent days.

A day earlier, CENTCOM announced that US forces had completed another major wave of strikes against Iran, describing it as the sixth consecutive night of military operations.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes involved US fighter aircraft, aerial drones and warships, which launched precision-guided munitions against dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance sites, air defence systems, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.

'At the Commander in Chief's direction, CENTCOM is further degrading Iranian military capabilities and holding Iran accountable for recent attacks on commercial shipping,' the command said in a statement.

However, the strikes also targeted Iran's civilian infrastructure, killing and injuring several people.

CENTCOM also said that more than 50,000 US service members remain deployed across the Middle East and are 'vigilant, lethal, and ready' to respond to evolving security challenges in the region.

Following these strikes, Iran launched a series of retaliatory military operations targeting US naval and military assets across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Syria, with the country's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately announcing strikes under Tehran's ongoing military campaigns. (ANI)