On July 20, 2026, U.S. Central Command announced that American forces had begun a new round of strikes against Iran at 4 p.m. ET. The operation was carried out at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, Commander in Chief. CENTCOM stated:

Today at 4 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began a new round of strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief's direction. The strikes are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strikes target Iranian military assets that have been used to threaten and attack commercial vessels in the strategic waterway.