Washington, July 15: The United States carried out a seven-hour wave of strikes against dozens of Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran’s coast hours after resuming a naval blockade of vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports, the US Central Command said.

CENTCOM said the operation ended at 10 p.m. ET. US fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels fired precision munitions at Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems.

The strikes were intended to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews, according to the command.

The operation marked another escalation in US military action against Iran around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for international shipping and global energy supplies.

The strikes took place on the same day that US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade went into effect at 4 p.m. ET, six hours before CENTCOM announced the completion of the latest attacks.

“U.S. forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas today at 4 p.m. ET,” CENTCOM said in a separate statement.

The command said more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft were operating across the Middle East.

“American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” it said.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the latest US military action followed a series of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and neighbouring Gulf countries.

“Over the past seven days, Iran has intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships resulting in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured,” Cooper said in a statement released by the command.

“Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries,” he said.

“U.S. forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,” Cooper added.

CENTCOM did not identify the precise locations struck during the operation. It also did not provide an assessment of damage or say whether there were casualties.

The command did not identify the commercial ships mentioned by Cooper, give the nationalities of their crew members or name the Gulf countries targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.

CENTCOM said US forces remained prepared to conduct further operations ordered by the commander in chief.

New Delhi, July 15: For Shehzad Bhatti, the social media has become a major platform to recruit Indians and make them carry out anti-national acts. The police of various states have cracked down on these networks, but as each day passes more such modules are cropping up.

Bhatti who is backed by the ISI has not just been tapping people who are in need of money. There are a variety of persons who are being watched by Bhatti and his aides who are based in Pakistan.

Comments, opinions and content on social media that the people share is being closely monitored by the Bhatti syndicate. There are certain posts where people have made comments or posted their opinion against the establishment or authorities governing it.

An official said that such persons are under Bhatti’s radar and could become potential recruits if not acted upon.

Such persons are being contacted by Bhatti’s aides and once they fall into the trap they are given minor tasks, the official added.

The official further stated that the minor tasks would include posting against the establishment and also commenting on incidents that take place within the country.

These recruits have been told to indulge in a perception battle. The idea is to create a perception that goes against the country. On his part, Bhatti uses all tools at his disposal to ensure that these posts go viral in various parts of the world.

Getting people to engage with the post and reach a wider audience is the Bhatti network’s responsibility, the official added.

Shehzad Bhatti who is an ISI stooge has set up multiple modules in India. He had adopted multiple strategies where recruitment is concerned. There are some modules that he has set up, which are only meant to make attacks.

There are others which only undertake surveillance activity which includes gathering information about sensitive locations.

There are also modules which are meant to gather information about crowded locations and also instal solar powered CCTV cameras.

This module that Bhatti has set up is only meant to post content against the establishment and speak about incidents that take place which have not been good for the country.

An Intelligence Bureau official says that this module is extremely dangerous as it is intended at carrying out a perception battle against India.

The idea is to defame and create an anti-India perception across the globe. Bhatti who himself was a social media influencer before being roped in by the ISI, knows the tricks of the trade.

He is aware on how to get a huge audience to engage with such content. He also has a dedicated team in Pakistan which knows how to keep tabs on social media.

Another official said that for now, Bhatti and his aides want these social media handles to keep posting content on their own. Once things are set, the content would be provided by Bhatti and his associates and the recruits would be told to use their social media handles to post the same.

While the Maharashtra ATS has bust a module that indulged in an anti-India perception battle, officials warn that Bhatti would look to set up more such networks in different parts of the country.

The ATS had raided over 200 locations in Maharashtra in connection with the Shehzad Bhatti case.

An agency official said that apart from Bhatti, the Pakistani handlers who were controlling this module include Abu Musa, Amjal Gujjar, Abit Jat, Rana Husen, Abdul Memon, Munna Jhingada, Farooq Khokar, Zafar Supari, Shani Tiger, Sheikh Salman and Sarfaraz Dongar.

Each one of them have individual social media handles through which they would recruit Indian youth, the official also added.

Officials also point out that Bhatti’s next big operation could be in Punjab and this would be linked to the Khalistan issue. The ISI has been desperately trying to revive the movement and will get Bhatti to commence operations in the state, officials also say.

Tehran, July 14: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday struck several facilities of the US military, including a Patriot radar system and the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and American targets in Jordan, local media reported.

According to the latest statements by the IRGC on Tuesday, its Navy struck several weapons support depots, a satellite communications centre, accommodation used by US troops, and several military radar systems in Bahrain, Press TV reported.

The IRGC also noted that its Aerospace Force had conducted “coordinated missile and drone strikes” against the US Fifth Fleet’s headquarters, setting its fuel storage facilities “ablaze.”

“They also struck and destroyed a Patriot radar system, the Fifth Fleet’s air-control radar, and a C-RAM early warning radar system,” it added.

“A key facility and the location where the American enemy was stationed at an airbase” in Jordan was also struck by a “ballistic missile,” said another statement.

“This base had been used to launch attacks against us, and the American criminals have now been made to pay for their actions,” the Corps said, as reported by Press TV.

It also noted that the IRGC underlined that the reprisal is not against the Jordanian nation.

Meanwhile, the United States launched another round of strikes against Iran on Monday (US time), the US Central Command said in a statement.

“At 4:45 p.m. ET today, US Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” the command said.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” US President Donald Trump said at the White House earlier on Monday.

He also said wealthy Gulf nations should reimburse the United States for protecting one of the world’s most strategically important regions, arguing that Washington is bearing the cost of defending allies despite no longer depending on Middle Eastern oil.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said countries benefiting from US military operations should help finance those efforts.

“I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said.

Trump said the United States was safeguarding key regional partners while maintaining security in the Gulf.