United States Central Command · Full chronicle and history

According to Axios, U.S. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth and the leadership of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) are reportedly the strongest supporters of resuming military strikes against Iran. The related reports have sparked concern and discussion abroad about a further escalation of the U.S.-Iran situation.

U.S. Central Command announced that U.S. troops and equipment have withdrawn from the Erbil base in northern Iraq, marking the official end of the military mission against ISIS that began 12 years ago.

China began enforcing the 19-article Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration promulgated on July 31 starting September 15, expanding the scope of those barred from leaving the country from specific groups to all departing passengers at every port of exit, particularly affecting AI researchers and entrepreneurs, drawing widespread attention and concern at home and abroad. On September 10, officials issued a clarification saying the new rules mainly target cross-border gambling, telecom fraud, and the illicit transfer of technology. On the same day, the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders released a report noting an explosive growth in China's exit bans, with nearly 200,000 mentions of exit restrictions in Supreme People's Court rulings in 2025.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it hit two U.S. Navy destroyers in the Middle East, but U.S. Central Command debunked the claim, saying no U.S. Navy vessel was hit and that all of the IRGC's attacks failed; the strike was a response to Iran's failed attack on U.S. forces.

On September 9, 2026, Iran claimed it had hit two U.S. Navy destroyers, a claim that U.S. Central Command solemnly refuted the same day as untrue.

U.S. Central Command says U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers near Larak Island to prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command has announced it is working to form its first joint multinational and multi-domain attack drone task force, named the Falcon Strike Task Force, to enhance U.S. military operational capabilities in the Middle East.

On the night of July 23, US Central Command launched airstrikes against targets including Iranian military command centers and drone storage facilities, while Tehran and its militia allies fired missiles and drones at four regional countries.

U.S. Central Command stated that U.S. forces struck Tehran's military operations centers, maritime operations facilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.

U.S. Central Command announced that the U.S. military launched precision-guided weapons at dozens of Iranian military targets using fighter jets, drones, and warships.

In July 2026, Iran attacked a US military base in Jordan, resulting in the deaths of 3 US soldiers. US officials stated that prior to the attack, Iran obtained high-resolution satellite images provided by Chinese entities to observe the US military base system, and acquired related images after the attack to assess the strike effectiveness. The US side subsequently investigated whether Chinese companies also assisted Iran in tracking US warships, while the Chinese side denied the relevant accusations.

U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces used fighter jets, drones and naval vessels to carry out a sustained 7-hour attack on Iranian missile and drone facilities, naval capabilities and air defense systems.

U.S. Central Command said that after the U.S. military resumed the blockade of Iran, it ordered two commercial ships that attempted to bypass the blockade to change course.

U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces launched missiles and drones at countries in the region over the past 7 days, attacking civilians and 7 commercial ships, killing, injuring, or leaving more than 10 crew members dead, missing, or wounded.

US Central Command announced that US forces struck Iranian military targets in Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and other locations, hitting air defense systems, missile and drone facilities, and maritime capabilities.

U.S. Central Command said that 3 unmanned surface vessels attacked Bandar Abbas on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian Navy vessel maintenance base.

U.S. Central Command carried out a series of fierce airstrikes against military targets inside Iran, hitting air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone storage sites, among others. President Trump said the strikes were retaliation for Iran's attacks on commercial shipping.

The US stated that Iran's attacks on merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz violated the memorandum of understanding reached on June 18, and conducted retaliatory strikes against Iranian command and control centers, radar, and other military facilities.

U.S. Central Command stated that a U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jet struck the funnels of the cruise ships Starfish 3 and Sevda, which were attempting to violate the U.S. blockade and enter an Iranian port, causing them to lose power.