The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday revealed a new round of strikes against Iran, targeting Iranian military infrastructure amid escalating tensions.
50,000 Service Members Active in Iran
In an update shared on X, CENTCOM revealed that at 9:40 p.m. ET, the U.S. carried out major strikes against Tehran, targeting Iran’s “coastal surveillance and air defense sites,” as well as “military logistics infrastructure” and maritime capabilities. CENTCOM touted the latest strikes as the sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes against Iran.
The update said that the strikes, under President Donald Trump‘s directive, were carried out to hold Iran accountable. “More than 50,000 U.S. service members are operating across the Middle East and remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” the update said.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2026
Trump Addresses the U.S.
The update comes as Trump addressed the U.S. on Thursday night, alleging Chinese influence on the 2020 Presidential Election, as well as unveiling a website with purported evidence of election interference.
The President also claimed that the U.S. was working with Venezuela “to produce millions and millions of barrels of oil.” He then said that the U.S. was “winning big” in Iran and that the U.S. would be able to see “the fruits of that labour very, very shortly."
Trump had earlier said that the U.S. would be carrying out strikes into next week, saying that he would be saving the Iranian energy targets for last. He then said that the U.S. would be rescinding its 20% fee on vessels passing through the waterway.
Oil Prices
Oil prices continued to surge as uncertainty looms over the global supply chain, with the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude trading at $79.76/bbl at press time. On the other hand, Brent crude surged 0.85% to $84.95/bbl at the time of writing this article.
According to data from Airlines for America, a coalition of flight operators in the U.S., the spot price of a gallon of jet fuel on Thursday was $3.57, while the American Automobile Association (AAA) data showed that the national average price of gas on Thursday was $3.9430/gallon.
The United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO), an oil ETF, was up 0.96% to $120.45 during the after-hours trade session on Thursday.
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