US Central Command launched precision strikes on multiple Iranian military sites on June 11, 2026, targeting surveillance, communication, and air defense systems inside Iran at President Donald Trump's direction [1, 2, 3, 4]. The strikes involved US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy forces firing precision munitions on targets posing threats to US troops and international commercial vessels transiting regional waters [2, 3, 4].
The US cited Iran’s continued aggression, including the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz earlier that week, as justification for the strikes [1, 2, 4]. "CENTCOM forces launched strikes on Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran," said US Central Command, describing the operations as responses to Iran’s "unwarranted and continued aggression" [2].
The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when Israeli and US forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering exchanges of attacks between Iran, the US, and Israel [5, 1, 4]. Since then, more than 50 of Iran’s nearly 200 military and IRGC bases have been damaged by US-Israeli assaults, including key air, naval, missile, and Revolutionary Guard headquarters [5].
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, mediated by Pakistan, but tensions and retaliations persist [5, 4]. Iranian authorities report over 3,000 deaths in the conflict, while the US has lost at least 13 personnel [4].
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, "Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard, and we will be" [1]. The Pentagon has restricted satellite imagery of Iran since March, complicating damage assessments of Iranian military sites [5].
President Trump claimed Iran's navy and air force are "totally gone - 100 per cent," emphasizing the scale of US strikes [5].
The June 11 operation began at 5:15 p.m. ET and reflects continued US efforts to neutralize Iranian threats to US forces and regional stability [1, 2].
