US conducts 9th consecutive day of strikes on Iran after troop deaths, continued attacks in Hormuz

The United States military completed its ninth consecutive round of strikes on targets in Iran overnight, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Monday, as the Iranian regime continues attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and is not showing signs of readiness for a new ceasefire agreement.

“CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

The strikes came as the military announced the death of a third American soldier, who died in Iraq during a controlled demolition of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian attack drone.

Additionally, CENTCOM announced the discovery of “unidentified remains” in Jordan, where a third soldier was reported missing from the Iranian missile attack on Friday. “An examination process to verify the (identity of the) remains is ongoing.” 

The confirmed (US) deaths from the Iran conflict now stand at 17, with an additional 420 wounded. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces “hit them [Iran] very hard tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three, as opposed to two, great patriots.” 

.@POTUS: "We hit [Iran] very hard again tonight" in honor of the three U.S. service members killed in the Middle East. 🙏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xYNWzmo91Y

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 20, 2026

“The US military is holding Iran accountable at the commander in chief’s direction,” CENTCOM stated, adding that its forces “remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.” 

According to Iran’s regime-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, explosions were heard in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) also reported explosions in the southern port city of Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant. 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that it targeted U.S. aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba Airport, as well as U.S. military assets and equipment at Kuwait’s Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, along with a special operations base in Syria, in retaliation for U.S. strikes.

The IRGC also said that it struck and disabled two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz outside its approved route. 

“Two offending oil tankers, which intended to enter and exit via the unsafe and accident-prone route south of the Strait of Hormuz, were destroyed,” the IRGC said in a statement shared with the IRNA. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported a vessel on fire off the coast of Oman, after being struck by a projectile. The agency said the crew of the vessel was rescued and the vessel is currently adrift. 

At the same time, the IRGC claimed it used intelligence provided by Jordanian citizens and members of the Jordanian military to target a U.S. C-17 transport plane and a P-8 Poseidon aircraft, used for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) roles.

“Using precise information from the noble people and the Jordanian army, 20 hangars housing U.S. Army forces in the Al-Azraq region were destroyed, and dozens of American terrorist forces were killed,” the IRGC stated on Tasnim News. 

The Strait of Hormuz continues to be a focal point of the conflict, even as President Trump appears willing to escalate the conflict. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. military would continue to strike Iran as long as it attacks commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. 

“The Strait of Hormuz are international waterway, and they continue to launch against the ships in that international waterway,” Rubio said. “As long as Iran insists on controlling an international waterway, we're gonna have to respond to that. The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution.” 

Rubio also said that other nations need to “step up” and help secure the vital international waterway. 

“The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide – whether it’s hardware or finances – to help carry that burden,” Rubio said in remarks ahead of a trip to the the Philippines for a meeting with foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that the Israeli military is “closely monitoring the developments in Iran and maintaining a high level of readiness.” 

A Channel 12 News report said Israeli security assesses that a further escalation is likely, which could involve Israel, in the event of a direct Iranian attack on the Jewish state or an escalation by its regional proxies. 

Israel is “preparing for every possibility and building immediate and strategic operational options,” according to an official.