Missile strikes between the US and Iran continue, the American military is destroying coastal Iran. At dawn on July 20, 2026, the Americans struck Chabahar, Tabriz, Sirik, Jask, and Mahshahr in Iran. The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) destroyed US Air Force C-17 and P-8 aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba airport. Simultaneously, explosions occurred around Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, while Iranian missiles hit Bahrain and Kuwait. The Americans are already counting 18 dead and 430 wounded soldiers. And while missile strikes between the US and Iran continue, Qatar presented a plan to end hostilities in southern Iran; a ceasefire within a ceasefire. Termination of attacks in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz for 10 days. According to Iranian sources, the war in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz will be decided in the town of Sirik; if the US conducts a landing, it will be at Sirik, not Kharg Island.
CENTCOM: New heavy strikes on Chabahar, Tabriz, Sirik, Jask, and Mahshahr in Iran
CENTCOM (United States Central Command) announced that it completed its new attack—for the 9th consecutive day—against coastal Iran. Explosions occurred in the cities of Chabahar, Tabriz, Sirik, Jask, and Mahshahr in Iran. Tehran was also targeted in the latest round of strikes. US Central Command announced on the morning of Monday, July 20, 2026, that it resumed airstrikes in Iran. Local residents reported hearing several explosions in the coastal town of Shirik (Sirik). At least three explosions were heard in southern Jask. There is no precise information yet regarding the origin and cause of these sounds, and official authorities have not yet reacted to the unfolding incident. The situation in the region is being actively investigated. Further details regarding the incident and potential damage will be announced later. Two explosions were heard near Hormoz and Bushehr.
IRGC: We destroyed US C-17 and P-8 aircraft with missiles at Jordan's Aqaba airport
The IRGC attacked American aircraft with ballistic missiles at Aqaba airport in southern Jordan. "The IRGC stated that it launched ballistic missile attacks on C-17 and P-8 aircraft of the US Air Force at Aqaba airport," reads the post on Telegram. This latest round of escalation occurred just three weeks after the parties signed a memorandum of understanding intended to end the conflict.
Al-Mayadeen: Hellish explosions in Iraq's Erbil, blasts in Bahrain and Kuwait
A barrage of explosions occurred around the city of Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The target was the headquarters of separatist parties in the Bani Harir area of Erbil, Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced: "If the American enemy insists on expanding its attacks on Iran, we will immediately enter the battle and target all US interests and bases in Iraq and the region with all our strength and determination." The US Patriot system was activated at the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Explosions occurred at the US military base in Kuwait. Following the drone attacks in Erbil, Iraq, the US Embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens in Iraq to exercise the highest level of vigilance and caution. The warning was issued following drone attacks that the US Embassy claimed were carried out by Iran-backed groups. The US Embassy urged its citizens to closely monitor developments and avoid gatherings and high-risk areas, while adhering to security precautions.
Alert in the Persian Gulf
An alert has been sounded across the Persian Gulf due to Iranian missile attacks. The Kuwaiti military announced that an operation is underway to intercept a series of drone attacks. This development comes as air raid sirens have been sounding in Bahrain since the early morning hours. The US Embassy in the country warned US citizens that there is information indicating Iran may be planning attacks against the capital, Manama, calling on American nationals to take all necessary precautionary measures. At the same time, Jordan announced that its armed forces intercepted at least three missiles, while another fell in an unpopulated open area. Earlier, the IRGC claimed they hit an ammunition depot and an air defense system in Kuwaiti territory. However, so far there is no official confirmation from Kuwaiti authorities that such a strike took place. Instead, the country is focusing its efforts on repairing damage caused by an attack on a power generation and water desalination plant, a strike that has been condemned by many countries in the region.
Iran denounces US attack on Darkhovein nuclear power plant construction site
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) reported an attack by American forces on a nuclear power plant construction site. "On Sunday, July 19, at around 3:39 a.m. local time, the United States, in violation of international law, launched several missiles at the nuclear power plant construction site in Darkhovein." The Darkhovein facility is located in southwestern Iran.
Qatar's strange plan – A ceasefire within a ceasefire, ending attacks in exchange for opening Hormuz for 10 days
Qatar presented a new proposal to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States. Under this plan, the United States would halt its attacks; in exchange, Iran would commit to opening two shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz for 10 days. Israeli Channel 13 noted: For the first time, it was reported that Qatar presented a new proposal to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States. According to Doha's plan:
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The United States will stop its military attacks
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In return, Iran will commit to opening two shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz for 10 days.
Israel considers scenarios for involvement against Iran with preemptive strikes
Warmongers in Israel are examining scenarios that could drag Israel into attacks against Iran: Early detection of Iran's readiness for an attack, which would force Israel to launch a preemptive strike, or a request from US President Trump for Israel to take action. A senior Israeli official also stated: "The likelihood of escalation has increased significantly over the last 24 hours."
Where the fate of the war will be decided – Americans will land at Iran's strategic "eye" Sirik... not Kharg Island
Given the extreme importance of the coastal city of Sirik to Iran, this region has become a key military target for the United States. Many believe that a ground war will soon begin between Iran and the United States. Meanwhile, some believe that the United States intends to attack Kharg Island, but the strategic and tactical situation of the islands in southern Iran shows that there are many important areas in this region and that other areas can be attacked besides Kharg. One of these strategic areas is Sirik. Sirik is a coastal area and county in Hormozgan province, in southern Iran. Due to its position at a vital choke point, this area has become one of the most important strategic centers in the Persian Gulf. Sirik is one of the counties of Hormozgan province, centered around the city of Sirik. Sirik is located on the eastern coast of Hormozgan province and adjacent to the Sea of Oman. This area is situated approximately 115 kilometers southeast of Bandar Abbas and borders Minab county to the north, Jask county to the south, Minab and Bashagard to the east, and the Sea of Oman to the west.
Why Sirik is so important
The importance of Sirik is due entirely to its unique geographical location. The most significant of these features are the following:
A. Central Point in the Strait of Hormuz Sirik is located right at the entrance to Hormuz from the Sea of Oman. Hormuz represents a vital bottleneck for the passage of a significant portion of global oil exports.
B. Intelligence and military superiority: Sirik's elevation and location at the foothills provide full control over all entrances and exits of the Strait of Hormuz, making it Iran's eye on this waterway.
C. Center of Iranian naval operations As an important base, this area provides Iran with the ability to observe, monitor, and, if necessary, control ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. It is also a suitable location for deploying defense systems and launching anti-ship cruise missiles.
Why the United States seeks to attack Sirik
Given the extreme importance of Sirik to Iran, this area has become a primary target for the United States. The objectives of the United States for a potential attack on Sirik are the following:
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Neutralizing Iran's surveillance capabilities: The main goal of the United States is to destroy Iran's military facilities in Sirik, including radar and telecommunications, in order to severely weaken Iran's ability to monitor and control the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iranian military installations: According to US officials, the area hosts key facilities such as missile launchers, drone systems, weapons depots, and support facilities, making it a high-value military target.
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Prominent position in the wider conflict: The attack on Sirik is part of a broader conflict between the US and Iran that has escalated since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following American attacks in February 2026. In short, Sirik is Iran's strategic "eye" due to its unique location at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz. For this reason, weakening Iran's military capability at this point is one of the main US goals to reduce Iranian control over Hormuz.
Unbelievable – US President Jimmy Carter was advised in 1979 to seize Kharg Island... and he rejected it - Operation Eagle Claw failed
Former US President Jimmy Carter was twice presented with a plan for the US military to seize Kharg Island in Iran, but the plan was rejected. "President Jimmy Carter recognized that military action in the Persian Gulf was too dangerous and could start a broader regional war. The best leverage Carter had was to try to work behind the scenes with the new Iranian government to protect and free American captives," said a University of Texas historian. The Quincy Think Tank wrote: "The president found himself in a humiliating situation. The American public was shocked by the horrific images of blindfolded and handcuffed hostages. They prayed that their government would find a way to free them. Desperate to find a way out of the crisis, some White House advisers pushed the president to go to war. This is not the story of the Trump administration finding itself in a quagmire of its own making. This is the story of the dilemma that occupied President Jimmy Carter starting on November 4, 1979, when hundreds of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 63 hostages. Among the many similarities between then and now, one is the importance of a small coral island in the northern Persian Gulf, about 20 miles off the Iranian coast. Kharg Island hosts a major oil terminal through which nearly all of Iran's oil exports pass. Trump says he is considering seizing the island, a threat he has repeatedly made since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, 2026. However, Trump is not the first president to consider such an operation. President Jimmy Carter had also considered a plan to seize Kharg Island, but rejected it. In a top-secret memorandum in late December 1979, Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, urged him to "consider military measures that would contribute to the fall of the Iranian regime and thus secure the release of the hostages." In Brzezinski's view, seizing Kharg and two other islands near the entrance to Hormuz would "impose a long-term humiliation on Tehran that would only end with the hostage release." He hoped to combine military action with regime change. As the Washington Post revealed, the dangerous plan involved sending amphibious assault ships into the Persian Gulf and landing US Marines. The newspaper noted that proponents of the plan hoped that controlling Kharg would "exert enormous pressure on Iran without the widespread societal backlash that would follow the bombing of mainland Iran." Jimmy Carter rejected the idea of using military force to compel Ayatollah Khomeini to release the hostages: "Such measures would only unite Iranians around Khomeini." Brzezinski was frustrated by Jimmy Carter's "stubborn instinct to do what he knew was right, even if it hurt his reelection chances." Four months later, on April 10, 1980, with the hostages still held captive and the American public obsessively following their fate, Brzezinski wrote another memo to Jimmy Carter, lamenting the lack of diplomatic progress and proposing military strikes. "President Jimmy Carter recognized that military action in the Persian Gulf was extremely dangerous and could trigger a wider war." "The best leverage Carter had was to try working behind the scenes with the new Iranian government to protect and release American forces." On April 24, 1980, Jimmy Carter authorized the long-planned rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, which failed in a desert 200 miles from Tehran, marking another humiliating incident for an administration that appeared helpless. The failure of Operation Eagle Claw had the same result as bombing Iran or seizing Kharg: "If there was any chance of a diplomatic resolution to the hostage crisis, it had now vanished." Today, there are no hostages in Iran to rescue. This time, Trump is a hostage of his own crisis, having attacked Iran twice within eight months during diplomatic negotiations. Trump may desperately want to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but the new structure in Iran has shown it can withstand enormous pressure. Thus, seizing Kharg Island as leverage is likely doomed to failure.
What the general proposes
Retired General Frank McKenzie, former commander of CENTCOM, emphasized: "We are talking about changing the views and actions of a ruling regime." He argued that seizing Kharg could achieve this goal. "Occupying Iranian territory," he claimed, "will be a major factor in future negotiations with Iran." National security analysts believe the US military has the capability to capture Kharg Island, but doing so would create additional military and diplomatic problems and lead to much higher American casualties. "An invasion of Kharg, regardless of the type of forces used, would be fraught with severe risk. An amphibious operation would require direct naval and air support. But that would mean a fleet of ships within range of Iranian missiles and drones stationed on the mainland coast. US ground forces would also be under constant threat from the same Iranian weaponry. "If the United States occupies an Iranian island, that island becomes a bargaining chip. The idea is based on the assumption that it costs the United States less to hold an island than it costs Iran. But placing large numbers of American forces on an island adjacent to Iran becomes a machine for generating casualties." Trump has threatened 9 times to destroy Iran's power plants and other civilian infrastructure, but each time he has pulled back from the brink while simultaneously talking about imminent deals to restore peace and trade. Trump should perhaps take a lesson from Jimmy Carter and tell himself: Stay away from Kharg Island at all costs.
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