CENTCOM (US Central Command)

On 17 July, CENTCOM's campaign reached Ahvaz and Yazd, cities beyond the coastal target area used earlier in the war. The reported reach to Yazd, 540 km inland, put the command in charge of a broader air and maritime operation against Iranian targets.

On 19 July, US forces struck near Ahvaz again and hit a water pumping station. For CENTCOM, the repeat strike showed that its target set had not returned to a narrow coastal mission.

On 14 July, CENTCOM enforced a naval blockade of Iranian ports, reversing its earlier position that the strait of Hormuz remained open. The measure made the command an active regulator of commercial movement as well as a military force in the conflict.

On 16 July, US Marines began boarding vessels under CENTCOM's blockade. The move gave the command a physical enforcement role at SEA, beyond redirecting ships through warnings or route control.

On 5 June, Iranian forces fired seven ballistic missiles at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM said it intercepted six and that the seventh missed, placing the command at the centre of regional missile defence as well as operations against Iran.

On 17 July, CENTCOM reported that two US service members had died after Iran struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The attack widened the command's operational burden beyond maritime security and Iranian strike targets to protecting US personnel across host states.