WANA (Jul 21) – The tenth consecutive night of U.S. strikes on parts of Iranian territory was marked by reports of explosions across the southern provinces of Hormozgan, Fars, Bushehr, and Sistan and Baluchestan. At the same time, Iran’s armed forces announced a new wave of missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military positions and equipment across the region.

 

According to local reports, the first explosions were heard at 11:16 p.m. Monday near Sirik in eastern Hormozgan Province. Residents said they had also heard sounds coming from offshore areas earlier in the evening, although their source remained unclear.

 

At 11:30 p.m., additional explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas.

 

Shortly after midnight, at 12:27 a.m., multiple explosions were reported in Chabahar and Konarak. The governor of Chabahar confirmed that the two cities had come under an airstrike, adding that authorities were still assessing the exact impact locations and the extent of the damage.

 

At 12:30 a.m., further explosions were heard near Sirik, followed by another blast in Bandar Lengeh at 12:40 a.m.

 

At 12:58 a.m., the governor of Bushehr said the sounds heard in the city were caused by air defense systems responding to potential threats, adding that no impacts or damage had been reported.

 

The overnight attacks continued, with additional explosions reported in Bandar Lengeh at 1:30 a.m.

 

Three minutes later, at 1:33 a.m., reports indicated that a mountainous area on the outskirts of Shiraz had been struck.

 

At 1:45 a.m., residents reported hearing multiple explosions in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island. As of publication, officials had not confirmed the source of several of the reported blasts.

 

Meanwhile, Iranian military sources announced the 18th phase of Operation Saeqeh, stating that the Army’s Ground Force had launched surface-to-surface missiles targeting U.S. HIMARS missile systems stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed it had destroyed a U.S. air defense system, a radar installation, and a Patriot missile battery in Al Riffa, Bahrain, during a combined missile and drone attack.

 

In addition, the IRGC said it had struck a long-range radar site, a communications center, satellite reception systems, and a missile defense radar used by U.S. forces in Kuwait. It also claimed that a hangar housing MQ-9 Reaper drones at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was hit, with several drones reportedly destroyed or severely damaged.

 

Iranian sources further reported that two oil tankers attempting to transit the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz caught fire following explosions and were forced to halt. No further details regarding the vessels or the extent of the damage were immediately available.