Trump could use the renewed attacks to prepare further military operations.Image: Keystone
The USA is flying attacks against Iran again. Trump could use this to prepare further military operations.
July 16, 2026, 01:32July 16, 2026, 01:32
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
The US military carried out several waves of attacks against Iran on Wednesday. According to US statements, the new attacks are aimed at Iranian military capabilities that were used to threaten merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military had given a similar justification for attacks in recent days. A tanker that was said to have violated the US blockade was also attacked.
The pro-government Iranian news agency Mehr reported three explosions in the port city of Chabahar. There are also said to have been attacks in Rask in the extreme southeast of the country as well as in the area around Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf and in Ahwas in the southwest. A short time later, sirens wailed again in the Gulf state of Bahrain. The Interior Ministry wrote on Platform X that the population had been called upon to remain calm and go to the nearest safe place.
“I don’t like setting deadlines”
According to insiders, the latest US attacks on Iran are intended not only to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but also to prepare for possible broader military operations. The bombings were intended to weaken Iran’s air defenses as well as radar facilities and missile sites, three people with knowledge of the matter said confided US representative to the Reuters news agency. This expands US President Donald Trump’s military options.
US President Donald Trump recently threatened Iran once again with attacks on civilian infrastructure. When asked by a journalist whether he would give Iran an ultimatum before the US military began bombing bridges, Trump said: “I don’t like setting deadlines.”
Ground troops are probably still an option
Like that “Wall Street Journal” writes, the US government is also said to be considering sending ground troops to take over Iranian islands, for example the island of Kharg, which is important for the oil industry. “If we push them back far enough and deep enough, I would do that,” Trump said on Tuesday Fox News.
Retired U.S. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said Sunday in the CBS News show “Face the Nation”the US should continue to consider an operation on Kharg Island. “This is something we should think about because control over Iranian territory would be an important factor in future negotiations with Iran,” he said.
So far, Trump has tried to avoid sending ground troops. He apparently wants to avoid the US Army getting into a long-lasting war reminiscent of Vietnam or Afghanistan. Trump had promised his voters not to start a war, but apparently no longer feels bound by that.
Nuclear facility as a target?
Satellite image of the facility in Mount Kuh-e Kolang: It could be a target for American attacks.Image: X
Trump also does not rule out bombing a facility on Mount Kuh-e Kolang, codenamed “Pickaxe Mountain,” which is supposed to be used for secret nuclear activities. This is said to be several hundred meters deep in the rock. As the Wall Street Journal writes, the facility is not yet in operation. The USA bombed other nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow last summer. It is unclear how extensive the damage was and whether the Iranian nuclear program was sustainably affected. One of the US demands on Iran is to stop developing nuclear weapons and enriching uranium.