IRGC says it struck US command center in Syria as Hormuz attacks continue

Eighth commercial ship hit in Strait of Hormuz in over a week, UK says

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps early Friday said it struck a U.S. special operations command center in southeastern Syria, according to a statement carried by state-run media. The IRGC described the attack as a “surprise attack” conducted in retaliation for the seven soldiers killed early Wednesday in a U.S. attack on Bampur, near Iranshahr in southeastern Iran.

The IRGC claimed to have destroyed a U.S. radar system and several Special Operations helicopters and to have killed “a large number” of Americans, according to the statement.

State-run media reported that Iran also attacked U.S. bases and assets in Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for U.S. attacks hours earlier. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting claimed the United States destroyed five bridges around Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said it had completed a “major wave” of attacks on Iran at 9:40 p.m. EDT Thursday. CENTCOM said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.

CENTCOM made no mention of civilian infrastructure. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that the U.S. military would be ramping up its attacks through the week and would include civilian targets, stating, “Next week comes the bridges.”

The conflict began in late February. The latest exchanges have centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane. The Trump administration has said it is seeking to restore freedom of navigation through the chokepoint, while Iran has said it is fighting to maintain the leverage afforded by its ability to restrict passage.

Early Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing minor damage to its port side. “All crew are safe and accounted for,” it said.

The strike is at least the eighth attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz in a little over a week.