The direct military confrontation between Washington and Tehran entered a new geostrategic phase in the Gulf on its ninth day, as operations moved beyond controlled exchanges along Iran’s southern coastline and penetrated deeper into vital infrastructure and air bases in the country’s north-west.
Powerful explosions were reported across the strategic province of Bushehr and surrounding areas as Iranian air defence systems were activated, signalling a new phase in the projection of force and the widening geographic scope of US strikes using precision missiles and advanced fighter aircraft.
Military and strategic expert Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid examined the rapidly evolving confrontation with Maryam Belaalia, drawing on a field report by Al Jazeera correspondent Nuseiba Moussa and providing an operational analysis of the latest developments.
Ninth Wave of US Strikes Expands Across Iran
Moussa’s report documented the ninth round of American air and missile attacks against Iranian military infrastructure, which Washington says is intended to prevent Tehran from threatening commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks included military sites in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, marking the first strike on the area since the current escalation began on 12 July.
Powerful explosions were also heard in Bandar Khomeini and Bandar Mahshahr in Khuzestan province. Missile platforms and command centres belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were struck in Sirik and Jask in Hormozgan province.
Missile attacks also hit Khormoj and Dashti in Bushehr province, causing a complete electricity blackout.
In response, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Iranian News Agency, that a new wave of ballistic missiles was launched from Lorestan province in western Iran towards American targets across the region.
The Revolutionary Guard announced that it had targeted and destroyed 20 warehouses and military positions belonging to US forces in Jordan’s Azraq area. It also said ballistic missiles struck US military aircraft stationed at Aqaba Airport in Jordan.
US Military Death Toll Rises
The US military announced that one of its soldiers was killed in northern Iraq while attempting to detonate unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone that had been shot down.
The death raised the number of American military personnel killed since the confrontation began in late February to 17, while approximately 420 others have been wounded.
The Risk of Iranian Air Ambushes
Analysing the tactical dimensions of the American operations, retired Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid told Al Jazeera that Washington’s target bank had entered a new phase he described as the “bombing of missile cities”.
This followed earlier rounds of attacks focused on “bombing bridges” and “radar blinding”.
Abu Zeid identified several tactical features shaping the current campaign.
Clearing the Air Corridors
The recent attacks on Sirik, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm were described as “clearing and sanitisation operations” targeting the gateways and aerial corridors used by American fighter aircraft.
Their purpose, according to Abu Zeid, is to remove ground-based weapons and air defence systems, creating safer passage for US aircraft travelling towards their final targets deeper inside Iran.
Shiraz as a Potential Next Target
Operational indicators and logistical deployments suggest that Shiraz could become the next major target of American strikes.
The city is regarded as one of Iran’s most important fortified missile centres and could therefore become central to the next phase of the US campaign.
The Danger of Overconfidence
Abu Zeid warned that the US military leadership could be developing excessive confidence as its aircraft penetrate deeper into Iranian airspace.
Flight durations have increased sharply, with some missions reportedly involving nine consecutive hours in the air.
This extended presence, he argued, increases the exposure of American aircraft and creates additional opportunities for Iranian forces to prepare defensive traps.
The ‘Air Ambush’ Tactic
Abu Zeid said prolonged operations deep inside Iran allow the country’s air defence units to establish aerial ambushes designed to trap and shoot down American fighter aircraft.
He cited the reported previous downing of a US F-22 fighter jet through a carefully planned air ambush as an example of the risks facing American aircraft operating for extended periods inside Iranian airspace.
The Battle Over Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
Monitoring of the battlefronts indicates that the confrontation remains governed by complex tactical calculations aimed at preventing Tehran from imposing a unilateral veto over maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is attempting to contain the Revolutionary Guard’s offensive posture.
Iran, however, continues to use control of regional waterways as leverage to pressure Washington into offering substantial financial exemptions and releasing frozen Iranian assets, rather than continuing what Tehran views as a policy of limited and gradual economic relief.
Researchers say the diplomatic process has reached a state of complete paralysis following the collapse of the internationally sponsored understandings governing the Strait of Hormuz.
