US Deploys B-1 Bomber in 12th-Night Iran Strikes; 2 Killed at Shalamcheh
US Central Command completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, deploying a B-1 bomber from the UK for the first time since the conflict resumed as a border-crossing hit killed two.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
US Central Command said it completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with a B-1 heavy bomber flown from the United Kingdom joining the operation for the first time since the current conflict resumed, according to reports on 23 July. Iranian state media said a US strike on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq killed at least two people and wounded 11 others.
What we know
CENTCOM said in a statement that it “completed” its latest wave of attacks against Iran, Middle East Eye reported, marking the 12th straight night of US action. Reuters and AP confirmed the 12th-night operation.
The Jerusalem Post, citing Axios, reported that a US B-1 bomber began its mission from a base in the United Kingdom, its movements tracked online on plane-tracking websites. The exact target of the B-1 was not disclosed. It is the first reported B-1 sortie against Iran since the resumption of the conflict.
Iran’s state media, cited by Middle East Eye, said the US strike on the Shalamcheh border crossing on the Iran–Iraq frontier killed at least two people and wounded 11. Oil markets moved sharply on the news: Brent crude climbed toward $96, its highest in more than six weeks, OilPrice reported.
What we don’t know
The full target list for the 12th-night operation, the specific munitions delivered by the B-1, and any US or coalition casualties have not been disclosed. Iran’s claim that it targeted US military assets in Kuwait and Jordan in response, cited by the Times of Israel, has not been independently confirmed by US Central Command. This is a developing story.
Context
Tuesday night’s 11th-round strikes were also confirmed by CENTCOM with Hormuz-related targeting and followed a Trump-directed CENTCOM operation earlier the same day. The introduction of a B-1B Lancer — a supersonic long-range heavy bomber capable of carrying the largest conventional payload in the US inventory — marks a step up in capability from the fighter-strike packages that have defined most of the current campaign.
The 12th-night operation lands the same night Yemen’s Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, opening a second maritime front alongside the Strait of Hormuz, where President Trump this week threatened to target Iranian infrastructure if Tehran attempted to close the strait.
What to watch
- Whether CENTCOM or the White House confirms the B-1 sortie and identifies the target set.
- Independent confirmation or denial of Iran’s claim of retaliatory strikes on US assets in Kuwait and Jordan.
- Brent crude and gold pricing at the London and New York opens as the campaign passes two continuous weeks.
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