IRGC ----- hits US radars, air defense
systems: eyeing expanded attacks
July 21st, 2:55am
(Al Mayadeen English)
IRGC says Iran targeted US radar, Patriot air defense systems,
and MQ-9 drone facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait during the
24th wave of Operation Nasr-2.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - said its Aerospace
Force targeted and destroyed multiple US radar and air defense
systems across Bahrain and Kuwait during the 24th wave of
Operation Nasr-2.
In a series of statements, the IRGC said the operations were
carried out in response to US attacks on Iran and
Washington’s efforts to disrupt security
in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC stated that the strikes were aimed at removing
obstacles to future missile and drone operations -------
by degrading US surveillance and defensive
capabilities across the region.
IRGC strikes US systems in Bahrain
The IRGC said a US radar system and an air defense system
in al-Muharraq, Bahrain, were completely destroyed and
removed from operational service.
It also said a US Patriot air defense system deployed in
al-Riffa, Bahrain, was targeted in a simultaneous
missile and drone attack, and destroyed.
Kuwait bases targeted in
missile, drone attacks
In a separate statement, the IRGC said its forces targeted a long-
range radar site, a communications centre, satellite receiving
systems, & a US missile defense radar deployed in Kuwait.
The IRGC said the systems were struck by missile and drone
attacks and destroyed as part of efforts ...to clear the way
for broader air and missile operations.
The force also reported that an MQ-9 drone hangar at Ali
al-Salem Airbase was targeted, claiming that several
drones were destroyed or heavily damaged.
IRGC reports further damage
to US air defense network
The IRGC later announced additional strikes on US
systems at Ahmed al-Jaber Airbase in Kuwait.
According to the statement, the targets included an early-
warning radar, a missile defense radar system, an AN/
FPS-117 radar, a Patriot air defense system, and a
satellite communications system linked to US
air defenses.
The IRGC said: the reported attacks represented a
continuation of what it described as a “dark night”
for US radar & air defense systems in the region.
_______________________________________
Israel has begun coordinating with the
Lebanese army... to withdraw troops
from the south of the country
July 20th, 8:02pm
(RT.ru)
The Israeli army has begun coordinating with the Lebanese
Armed Forces in pilot zones in the south of the country.
This was reported by the Israeli army's press service.
According to data of the military, the "Safe Zone" program.... is
implemented at the direction of the Israeli political leadership
with the participation of the Central Command of the Armed
Forces of the United States (CENTCOM) and the
Lebanese army.
"As part of this pilot program, teams from the Israel Defense
Forces, the U.S. Army, and the Lebanese Armed Forces are
coordinating and planning for the further implementation
of the agreement," the statement said.
This refers to an agreement that calls for the
withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.
At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces have warned
that they will respond harshly to any attempts to disrupt
this process.
"The Israel Defense Forces will respond harshly to any
violation of the agreement," the military emphasized.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that
the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon...
provides for the transfer of ''part of the territories'' in
the south of the country under the control of the
Lebanese army.
_________________________________________________
US concealing dozens of casualties
from Iranian missile strikes: Report
July 20th, 7:01pm
(PressTV)
A US media report says that the Pentagon has withheld information
about dozens of injuries suffered by US troops after Iran launched
a barrage of ballistic missile strikes on US military bases in
Jordan and other sites across the region last week.
“Those attacks injured dozens of US service members and
damaged several helicopters,” The New York Times
reported, citing US officials - who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
The report added that Iran carried out three additional strikes
against US forces in Jordan during the same week. However,
the Pentagon did not disclose these earlier attacks or the
resulting casualties and damage.
A US military official claimed: that US Central Command (CENTCOM)
''isn't required'' to publicly release information about injured service
members. Another official argued that doing so could allow Iran to
more accurately target US forces in the region with ballistic
missiles and drones.
The Pentagon has not held a major briefing on the war
since May, leaving the public with little information
about US military strategy.
On Friday, CBS News reported that Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti
Air Base in Jordan left two US troops killed and one soldier missing.
The two fatalities in Jordan were later identified as 1st Lt. Tyler
James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19,
of Texas.
Another US soldier was killed in Iraq.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also announced
a surprise retaliatory strike on the US special operations
command centre in Syria’s Al-Tanf region.
US military authorities have officially acknowledged at least
17 US soldiers killed and over 430 wounded during the
aggression against Iran. However, the number of
injured has not been updated in recent weeks.
On April 1, The Intercept reported that Washington is engaged
in a “casualty cover-up,” noting - that nearly 750 US service
members had been killed or injured - a figure significantly
higher than the official US count.
Throughout the aggression launched by US President Donald
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
against Iran, the Pentagon has maintained that
“operational security”, takes precedence over
informing the US public about developments
in the conflict, including military casualties.
US officials have also declined to comment on reports that
the military ...is running low on missile interceptors, or to
explain how Iran continues to launch ballistic missiles
after Trump claimed earlier in the war that Iran’s
missile capabilities had been destroyed.
In response to the deaths, President Trump said the troops
had died “in service of our country.” He has also claimed
that the United States is fighting the war to protect its
Persian Gulf allies, although other reports suggest
he launched the aggression --- under pressure
from Israel.
Last week, Trump stated that Persian Gulf states should
reimburse the US ......for protecting them from Iran. He
specifically named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, as
countries... that should compensate
Washington for its security role.
Critics argue, however, that the war launched by Trump and
Netanyahu has instead placed Persian Gulf states directly
in the line of fire, as US and Israeli forces have used US
military bases in the region ------- to launch attacks
against Iran.
Observers maintain... that the Trump administration’s disastrous
war on Iran has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives.
Instead, it has harmed the US people, reshaped West Asia in
ways detrimental to US interests, and further undermined
the US’ global standing.
Public approval for Trump’s decision to launch
aggression against Iran now stands at -30%
among US citizens.
___________________________________
US can’t return to all-out war against Iran
amid missile shortages: Pentagon official
July 20th, 6:34pm
(PressTV)
A US official has stressed that the US - does not have enough
missiles to return to an all-out war with Iran - amid reports of
President D. J. Trump’s plan for a “wider war” in the region.
The official, familiar with Washington’s plan, said the offensive
would be limited due to dwindling stockpiles of air defense
and long-range munitions.
“We do not have enough to safely sustain operations, and I don’t
think the White House...... is aware of that,” the official told The
Washington Post.
The warning comes as Trump is considering his options
to launch a “wider war” against Iran ----- as more US
warplanes are deployed to West Asia.
US F-16 fighter jets from Germany and F-35 jets from Britain
were being deployed to the region, the New York Times
cited officials as saying, adding that aerial refueling
aircraft are also ...on the way.
Experts have warned that, besides a lack of missiles, the US is
unprepared for ground offensives inside Iran, which Trump
refused to rule out last week.
On the home front, US citizens are growing increasingly
frustrated with Trump ---- over his handling of the war.
According to a new public survey, Trump’s approval ratings
remain stuck at 37%, and most US citizens do not believe
rising fuel prices will return to normal.
Over the past few days, the terrorist US military has
conducted waves of deadly strikes on southern
Iran and reinstated a blockade of Iranian ports
in flagrant violation of a war-termination deal.
In response, Iranian armed forces have launched heavy reprisal
attacks against strategic US targets across the region,
declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed “until further
notice” and at least ........until “the end of US
interference in the region.”
At least 3 US troops were killed over the weekend, in retaliatory
Iranian strikes in Iraq and Jordan. Dozens more are believed to
have been injured in the strikes.
Citing US officials, the New York Times reported that the
Pentagon had not disclosed the injuries or the scale of
the damage inflicted ---- despite the government’s
obligation to inform the public about the war.
_____________________________________
IRGC conducts three-pronged attack
on US positions in Bahrain, Kuwait
July 20th, 3:20pm
(PressTV)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has
conducted simultaneous strikes on three fronts
against US positions in Bahrain and Kuwait -
in response to the criminal US aggression
against Iran.
In a statement released on Monday, the IRGC’s Public
Relations Department said that the operation - dealt
heavy blows to the terrorist US forces in the region.
The first phase of the attack targeted drone maintenance
and repair hangars used by US forces stationed at
Bahrain's Al-Sakhir Air Base, destroying the
facilities, it added.
The second strike hit preparation hangars for Task Force
59 (TF59) vessels at Bahrain’s Port Salman and inflicted
heavy damage on the vessels.
The IRGC also said the third phase of the operation
targeted and set ablaze the facilities used to
station, support, and equip US special
naval commando forces at Camp
Arifjan in Kuwait, destroying
them completely.
It said its crushing attacks, involving barrages of missiles
and drones, continue ------ in retaliation for the acts of
aggression by the child-killing US army.
US soldiers should flee region as soon
as they can, senior Iranian MP warns
A senior Iranian lawmaker warns US soldiers not to waste
a moment to escape from West Asia, as Iran intensifies
its retaliatory strikes against enemy targets across
the region.
The new strikes came one day after Donald Trump, the US
president, claimed Iran.... has “lost almost everything
militarily. They’ve got very little left. They've got
some missiles, they've got some drones,
they've got some manufacturing
ability, not much."
The IRGC said the “foolish” US president, who has repeatedly
acknowledged.. his lack of understanding of world affairs,
once again “displayed his ignorance and poor judgment
...by claiming that Iran has only a limited number of
missiles and drones left and that its stockpiles
are nearly exhausted.”
“Let the murderous president of the United States know, that
even if this war lasts for years, God willing - our missiles and
drones will continue to rain down on the American criminals
until the very last day of the conflict,” the elite military
force declared.
For nine consecutive nights, the US military conducted waves
of deadly aerial assaults on Iran, targeting civilian sites in a
blatant war crime.
In response, Iranian armed forces launched heavy reprisal
attacks against strategic US targets ....,across West Asia.
The United States and the Israeli regime waged their illegal war
of aggression against Iran on February 28. However, forty days
later, on April 8, the enemies were forced to accept a cease-
fire ------ amid Iran’s brave resistance ....and successful
retaliatory operations.
On June 17, Tehran and Washington signed the Pakistan-
brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to end
all hostilities and prepare for further negotiations.
However, Washington violated all provisions
of the understanding, prompting Iran to
deliver a firm response.
_________________________________________
The Houthis have announced - a
naval blockade of Saudi Arabia
July 20th, 12:37pm
(RT.ru)
The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, whose members are
known as the Houthis, has announced a naval blockade
of Saudi Arabia.
This was announced by Yahya Saria, a military spokesman
for the Houthis, on the Al Masirah TV channel.
The decision was made in response
to the blockade of Sana'a Airport.
"We are announcing a ban on maritime shipping for the Saudi
enemy --- in accordance with the principle of 'blockade in
response to blockade.' The ban on maritime shipping
for the Saudi enemy takes effect immediately,"
he said.
Earlier, the Ansar Allah rebel movement announced
a complete ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea.
___________________________________________________
Strait of Hormuz as strategic fulcrum:
Iran’s deterrence, leverage, and
the limits of US' coercion
July 20th, 11:18am
(Press TV Strategic Analysis Desk)
The fresh escalation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and
the US represents not an isolated incident of bilateral friction,
but the latest chapter in a protracted saga of US duplicity,
military adventurism and strategic overreach.
It was sparked by Washington's continued violations of the war-
ending memorandum of understanding (MoU), manifesting most
egregiously in its complete disregard for Iran's sovereign rights
over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway whose strategic
significance transcends mere geography, to embody
the essence of Iranian national security calculus.
The unprovoked and illegal attacks on Iranian territory over recent
weeks, concentrated primarily in the southern provinces, did not
emerge from a vacuum of mutual hostility, but rather from a
calculated abuse of the MoU by Washington that it
had initially agreed to uphold.
At its core, the crisis centres on Clause 5 of the understanding
signed between the presidents of the two countries, which
explicitly stipulated that the Strait of Hormuz - would be
reopened within 30 days under Iranian arrangements,
with vessel transits returning to pre-war levels.
The US attempt to establish an alternative maritime route along
Oman's coast.... represents more than a tactical maneuver. It
constitutes a fundamental challenge ------ to Iran's sovereign
authority over one of the world's most critical chokepoints.
As Iran insisted on full compliance with the MoU – which
came months after the US-Israeli war machine launched
an unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against the
Islamic Republic & subsequently declared a unilateral
ceasefire after failing to achieve its war objectives –
the US resorted to another wave of aggression...
to extract concessions.
Confronted with US intransigence, Iran’s response - was swift,
decisive and strategically calibrated, decimating US military
bases and assets across the region, and - once again -
reminding the external hostile forces, that the era
of their hegemony... is over.
The old rules of engagement no longer apply - in a transformed
strategic environment where Iran possesses both the will and
the capability to impose unacceptable costs on aggressors.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei
says Iran and the resistance front ---- will teach the US
"unforgettable lessons" following the new US
aggression against the country.
The sovereignty question:
Beyond economic utility
To appreciate the swiftness and gravity of Iran's response, one
must first understand that - for the Islamic Republic - the Strait
of Hormuz transcends any narrow calculus of economic utility.
While approximately 20 percent of global petroleum transits
through this narrow waterway, for Iran, its strategic value
operates on an entirely different register. The strait
represents a tangible manifestation of Iranian
national sovereignty, a geographical feature
over which Iran can exercise meaningful
control, in ways that diplomacy alone
cannot guarantee.
When Iran insists on the phrase "under Iranian arrangements," it is
asserting a principle that extends far beyond traffic management.
The strait becomes, in this context, a physical embodiment of
Iranian agency ....in a region where the great powers have
historically dictated terms.
The US attempt to establish an Omani coastal route was not a
practical alternative to congestion or safety concerns, but a
deliberate attempt to hollow out the understanding's most
significant provision – to render Iranian sovereignty
purely nominal while preserving the substance
of US' strategic mobility.
This interpretation is not born of paranoid conjecture but rather
flows logically from the historical pattern of great power
behaviour in the Persian Gulf region.
The MoU represented a clear acknowledgment that Iran's security
concerns warranted ---- special consideration. By seeking to
circumvent this acknowledgment - and tear apart the MoU
itself, the US effectively signaled that its commitment to
the understanding ---- was conditional upon its own
strategic convenience.
Logic of closure: Compellence and credibility
Iran's decision to close the strait in response to continued US'
violations of the MoU and a fresh wave of aggression against
Iranian territory reveals a sophisticated strategic calculus -
that merits careful examination.
The closure is not......... as some Western analysts have wrongly
characterized it, an act of reckless provocation ---- or economic
warfare. Rather, it represents a calibrated compellent strategy
designed to make the costs of US non-compliance with the
understanding, outweigh the benefits of compliance with
it .....and acknowledging the sovereign rights of Iran.
The strategic logic underpinning this approach is that when legal
instruments and understandings prove manifestly inadequate to
deter transgressions, the party exercising physical dominion
over the waterway must demonstrate ----- that such control
carries tangible operational significance. The closure ----
sends a clear message: Iran possesses capabilities
that no amount of diplomatic maneuvering can
replicate, which is --- the ability to impose
tangible costs on the global economy
and.... by extension, on US'
strategic interests.
What makes this approach particularly compelling is its self-
reinforcing nature. Each day the strait remains closed
increases the pressure on the US to return to the
original terms of the understanding --- and thus
potentially.... give more concessions to Iran
beyond those previously negotiated.
The economic disruption --- cascades through global supply chains,
affecting not only US interests but those of its allies and partners
in the region and beyond - who may pressure Washington to de-
escalate. Iran ------- has transformed a defensive action into a
proactive strategy of cost imposition on the aggressor.
The historical precedent:
Lessons from the
12-day war
Iran's current approach cannot be understood without reference
to the historical experience of the 12-day imposed war and the
40-day imposed war – both amidst nuclear diplomacy.
These wars of aggression against the Islamic Republic established
patterns of behaviour --- that continue to inform Iranian strategic
calculations. In both instances, Iran faced a militarily superior
adversary ---- that sought to impose its will through
indiscriminate force. In both instances, Iran's
resilience, and willingness to fight back in
asymmetric ways, eventually compelled
the enemy to accept outcomes.....
that were not in its favour.
The current situation represents a conscious effort to apply these
historical lessons to the diplomatic realm. The US, having failed
to achieve any of its objectives through two wars, now seeks
through diplomatic pressure....... what it could not obtain
through military means.
Iran's firmness in the face of renewed US attacks is designed to
demonstrate that the fundamental dynamic has not changed,
that the enemy cannot eliminate Iran's military strength
via coercive diplomacy..... or destroy Iran's diplomatic
strength through aggression. This is a sophisticated
strategic doctrine ------- that recognizes the inter-
connectedness, of military and diplomatic
instruments of power.
The Ramadan War ..looms particularly large in this context. Iran's
performance in that war - demonstrated that the rules governing
US behaviour in the region --- have fundamentally changed.
Where previously the US -- could violate commitments
with impunity, secure in the knowledge that Iranian
retaliation would be limited, the new reality ----
imposes heavy costs.
The current crisis extends this logic, showing that breaching
commitments will produce consequences that may exceed
what the enemy anticipated.
Credibility and the value
of an Iranian signature
Perhaps the most profound dimension of Iran's position concerns
the relationship between national credibility, and the integrity of
understandings or agreements. Iran's insistence on maintaining
the closure until the enemy returns to its commitments reflects
a conviction that an Iranian signature carries the same weight
as Iranian blood, honour, and soil. This --- is not nationalist
hyperbole, but a strategic calculation about the nature
of international relations.
In the anarchic environment of international politics, credibility
functions as a form of currency. Nations that demonstrate a
willingness to enforce their commitments, even at high
cost, gain reputational advantages that can deter
future violations.
Conversely -- nations that accept violations
without a meaningful response: signal that
their commitments are negotiable.. under
pressure, inviting further encroachments.
Iran's experience with the US, has been characterized by a pattern
of US' exploitation of Iranian flexibility. Each concession, however
minor, has been interpreted as a sign of weakness and has led to
increased demands. The current crisis represents a conscious
effort to break this pattern – to establish a new equilibrium in
which violations of Iranian rights ----- carry immediate and
significant consequences.
This approach carries risks, of course. The economic costs
of maintaining the closure of the strategic waterway are
substantial, and the potential... for military escalation
remains. But from the Iranian perspective, the costs
of accepting the US-imposed route would be even
greater. It would establish a precedent ---- that
could be invoked in the future.
The current escalation triggered by US adventurism has revealed
important changes in the US' approach to Iran, though perhaps..
not in the direction Washington intended.
The US had historically operated from a position of presumed
superiority, confident that its military and economic power
could compensate for diplomatic setbacks. The Iranian
response to the fresh violation of the understanding
has challenged this assumption.
US attempts to establish the Omani route reflect a characteristic
approach: seeking alternatives that maintain freedom of action
while ''technically'' complying with understandings. This
approach works --- when dealing with weaker powers
that cannot effectively resist. With Iran, however, it
has proven --- counterproductive. Iran's legitimate
physical control over the strait gives it leverage
that no amount of diplomatic creativity can
entirely circumvent.
The attacks on Iranian territory over recent weeks, represent
an escalation that will prove counterproductive. Rather than
compelling Iran to accept the US route, they have
demonstrated the limits of US military power
in achieving political objectives.
Iran has shown it can withstand attacks while maintaining its
strategic position -- forcing the enemy to confront the reality
that military pressure cannot achieve the desired outcome.