U.S. Central Command Begins Tenth Night of Strikes on Iranian Targets

U.S. Central Command began a tenth consecutive night of precision air strikes against Iranian military targets on July 21, 2026. The command announced the end of a weekend wave of strikes the previous day.

The strikes are described as further degrading Iranian military capabilities. The reinstated blockade of Iranian ports approaches the one-week mark as of July 21. CENTCOM forces have redirected seven commercial vessels heading toward Kharg Island.

They disabled one unladen oil tanker by firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles into its smokestack. Over 20 U.S. Navy warships operate in the Arabian Sea and broader Indian Ocean. Two carrier strike groups led by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W.

Bush, plus an amphibious ready group centered on USS Boxer, support the blockade and strike campaign alongside 14 guided-missile destroyers. USS Theodore Roosevelt is participating in the sea phase of exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026 in the Hawaiian Islands Operating Area. The acting Secretary of the Navy visited the carrier on July 18.

Nimitz is moored at Naval Station Norfolk ahead of a deactivation delayed until next year. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is berthed nearby. USS Gerald R. Ford has moved to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for maintenance.

USS Carl Vinson is the only carrier currently in San Diego after completing flight deck certifications. "The complex operation with Warren, which involved three fuel lines simultaneously, was a 'rarely done evolution' that included roughly 150 Sailors and Merchant Mariners," Lt. Arren Halfacre said.