WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. forces launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday evening for the ninth consecutive night, according to the U.S. Central Command.

A man sits on a bench in a memorial, set for the school children who were killed during a strike on a primary school in southern town of Minab on Feb. 28, in northern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (Photo: AP)

The latest strikes began at 7 p.m. ET (2300 GMT) on Sunday, the command said on X.

"The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz," it said.

As of Sunday, the U.S. military had redirected six commercial vessels and disabled another to ensure compliance as the United States continued to enforce the naval blockade of Iran, the command said.