US Completes 13th Night of Iran Strikes; Tehran Rejects Iraq-Brokered Ceasefire

The U.S. military confirmed its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran in the early hours of Friday, July 24, with CENTCOM reporting the latest round lasted more than two hours. Targets included Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, and other military installations across southern, central, and western Iran — with explosions reported in Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, Andimeshk, Qeshm, and other cities. Iranian officials say four people were killed and seven wounded in Friday's strikes. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei cited a video of CENTCOM commander General Brad Cooper as evidence that five regional countries and Jordan participated in the U.S. military operations — a charge that, if accurate, signals significant coalition breadth. Separately, Iraq's prime minister, who recently visited the White House, carried a U.S. cease-fire proposal to Tehran, which Iran rejected. The IRGC issued a direct threat that any base used to strike Iranian soil — including a UK facility from which a B-1 bomber reportedly flew — constitutes a 'legitimate target,' prompting London to withdraw diplomats.