By Press TV Website Staff
In response to US military aggression against southern Iran, which has primarily targeted civilian infrastructure, the Iranian armed forces continued their retaliatory operations on Thursday.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), under Operation Nasr-2 (Victory-2), and the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, under Operation Sa’eqeh (Lightning), launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes against US military targets across the region on Thursday, July 23.
These operations mark a new phase in Iran’s military response after the United States failed to honor its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), derailing diplomatic efforts and triggering a renewed escalation.
They follow Operation True Promise 4, launched after the US-Israeli coalition’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic that began on February 28 and lasted nearly 40 days.
That campaign comprised more than 100 waves of missile and drone strikes targeting US and Israeli military assets across the West Asian region.
Although a subsequent ceasefire temporarily halted US-Israeli hostilities against the Islamic Republic, Washington’s continued violations of its commitments under the MoU and another wave of attacks on Iranian soil ultimately led to the resumption of military confrontation.
The following is a summary of the operations carried out by the Iranian armed forces on July 23.
IRGC (26th wave of Operation Nasr-2)
- The IRGC announced that the 26th wave of Operation Nasr-2 (Victory-2) was launched in response to a US attack on the route and border crossing used by pilgrims going for Arbaeen, the 40th day since the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).
- The operation was carried out under the code “Ya Aba Abdillah al-Hussain (AS)” and dedicated to Arbaeen pilgrims heading from Iran to Iraq.
- According to the IRGC, combined missile and drone strikes destroyed the US military’s special electronic warfare unit at Camp Udairi in Kuwait.
- The operation also targeted the unit’s accommodation facilities, killing and wounding a number of US personnel, while the base’s air traffic control tower sustained damage.
- The IRGC said operations destroyed a military equipment depot, a Patriot air-defense system and an MQ-9 drone hangar at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
- It also said its forces struck troop accommodation facilities and two helicopter hangars at Camp Udairi, inflicting casualties among US personnel and causing heavy damage to helicopters and drones.
- The statement added that Iranian forces targeted a telecommunications tower in response to US attacks on Iran’s telecommunications infrastructure.
- According to the IRGC, a THAAD missile-defense radar was destroyed in Jordan.
- A Patriot air-defense system was also knocked out in Jordan by an Iranian missile strike.
- The coordinated operation also destroyed a C-RAM radar.
- Iranian forces also targeted fuel storage tanks belonging to the American forces in the same operation.
- The strikes set a helicopter equipment warehouse ablaze.
- A helicopter maintenance facility was also destroyed.
- The IRGC referred to the killing of 168 schoolchildren in Minab, saying some of the attacks against Iran had been launched from American bases in Kuwait and Jordan, and reiterated Iran’s legal, moral and legitimate right to target the source of aggression.
- The IRGC announced that one of three oil tankers attempting to transit the illegal southern route of the Strait of Hormuz caught fire after an explosion, while the other two vessels turned back.
- According to the statement, the tankers attempted to use a mined route after being encouraged by the US military.
- The IRGC Navy reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains firmly under Iran’s control and will remain closed for as long as the US continues hostile actions in the region.
- The IRGC said punitive operations against US forces would continue.
Iranian Army (23rd phase of Operation Sa’eqeh)
- The Iranian Army announced that the 23rd phase of Operation Sa’eqeh (Lightning) targeted three US military facilities in Kuwait.
- According to the Army statement, large-scale loitering drones struck ammunition and logistics depots at Camp Al- Doha belonging to the US forces.
- Iranian drones also targeted fuel storage facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base.
- The operation further struck an ammunition depot at Camp Arifjan.
- The Army said the strikes were carried out in response to continued US aggression against Iran.
