Tipsheet

Day 6 of Iran Strikes: America Is Crippling Iran's Supply Chain and Infrastructure

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  July 17, 2026 11:15 AM

Thursday night was infrastructure and supply-chain night in Iran, as the U.S. military launched its sixth consecutive night of strikes on targets across the country. The apparent objective was to sever the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from its supply lines and cripple the critical infrastructure that keeps them running. Many of the strikes concentrated around Bandar Abbas, a vital port city the IRGC relies on to control the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command wrote on X that last night’s strikes hit “military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.” Around half a dozen bridges were struck in Hormozgan province, a railway station west of Bandar Abbas was destroyed, and reports are swirling that a civilian airport in Iranshahr, in southeastern Iran, was also hit.

Power plants were also struck, compounding the strain as Iran reels from a cascade of rolling blackouts. The country’s Energy Ministry is reportedly begging citizens to shut off their air-conditioning units to conserve power after American strikes damaged critical power lines. The very areas where Iranians are being asked to endure the heat are currently sweltering at over 120 degrees.

The attacks offer only a taste of the much-discussed “bridge day” President Trump has warned about. A more serious version of these strikes remains possible in the future, as the president no longer has any desire to negotiate with Iran after they disrespected and broke the memorandum of understanding.

Tehran has retaliated in response to Thursday’s strikes, firing missiles and drones at civilian infrastructure in surrounding Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.