U.S. Central Command Iran Strike Wave Features F/A-18E Super Hornet Carrying Probable AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon.

U.S. forces struck Iranian air-defense, radar, maritime, mine-laying and communications infrastructure in another wave of attacks announced by U.S. Central Command on September 1, 2026, following attempted Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and American personnel. The target mix could weaken Iran’s ability to detect and engage incoming threats while disrupting maritime operations and command networks, potentially improving conditions for follow-on U.S. strikes.

CENTCOM combat footage also appears to show an F/A-18E Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush carrying an AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon, indicating that carrier aircraft may be using precision standoff weapons against Iranian military infrastructure. Such a capability would allow U.S. naval aviation to attack defended targets from greater distance, reducing exposure to Iranian air defenses while sustaining pressure on critical military systems.

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CENTCOM’s September 1 strikes on IRGC air-defense and maritime targets in Iran were accompanied by footage appearing to show a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet carrying an AGM-154C-1 JSOW, offering a rare glimpse at the precision weapons supporting ongoing operations (Picture Source: U.S. CENTCOM / U.S. Navy / Edited by Army Recognition Group)

On September 1, 2026, U.S. Central Command announced the completion of another wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military targets inside Iran. CENTCOM said U.S. forces attacked air-defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities following attempted Iranian attacks against commercial shipping and American service members. Beyond the official statement, CENTCOM's accompanying combat footage reveals an important technical detail: an F/A-18E Super Hornet operating from USS George H.W. Bush appears to carry what is most probably an AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). The imagery offers a rare indication of the precision-strike capabilities potentially supporting continuing U.S. operations against Iranian military infrastructure.

CENTCOM Targets Iran's Air-Defense and Maritime Infrastructure

CENTCOM's September 1 statement confirms attacks against several categories of IRGC infrastructure but does not disclose the number of aircraft involved, individual weapon types, launch platforms or specific target locations. Of particular operational importance is the combination of radar and air-defense targets with maritime and communications infrastructure. Degrading surveillance radars, command-and-control nodes and surface-to-air missile systems can reduce an opponent's ability to detect, track and engage incoming strike aircraft and weapons, potentially creating more favorable conditions for subsequent operations. Such a target set is compatible with suppression or degradation of an integrated air-defense network, although CENTCOM has not disclosed the sequencing of the strikes or confirmed that the operation constituted a dedicated Suppression or Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses mission. More than 50,000 U.S. personnel remain deployed across the Middle East, according to the command, underscoring the scale of the wider regional force posture supporting current operations.

VFA-131 Super Hornet Provides a Clue to the Strike Weapons Employed

One of the most significant sequences in the CENTCOM video shows a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet preparing to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The aircraft is associated with Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-131 "Wildcats," a component of Carrier Air Wing 7 embarked aboard George H.W. Bush. Beneath the starboard wing is a large, box-section air-to-surface weapon whose external geometry, proportions and configuration are consistent with the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon family. Based on the available imagery, similarities with known JSOW configurations and the weapon's compatibility with the F/A-18E/F, the store is most probably an AGM-154C-1 JSOW. This remains a visual and technical assessment rather than an officially confirmed identification: CENTCOM has neither publicly named the munition nor established that the aircraft shown subsequently released the weapon against an Iranian target.

The AGM-154C-1 is the latest JSOW variant identified by U.S. Naval Air Systems Command and is particularly relevant to the mission profile disclosed by CENTCOM. The weapon combines GPS/INS guidance with a terminal imaging-infrared seeker and a BROACH multi-stage warhead designed to provide penetration and blast effects against fixed targets. The C-1 configuration additionally incorporates a Link 16 weapon data link and updated seeker algorithms, enabling engagement of moving maritime targets while retaining its capability against stationary land targets. With an approximate maximum range of 70 nautical miles, the unpowered glide weapon allows an F/A-18E/F to deliver precision effects from significant stand-off distance and outside many localized point-defense envelopes. Those characteristics are compatible with several target categories identified in CENTCOM's statement, particularly fixed military facilities and maritime assets. This mission-set correlation strengthens the assessment that the weapon visible beneath the VFA-131 aircraft is most probably a C-1, but it does not establish that an AGM-154C-1 was actually released or identify any target against which it may have been employed.

Unidentified Naval Missile Launch Suggests a Broader Strike Architecture

Another sequence in CENTCOM's video appears to show a missile launch from an unidentified U.S. naval vessel, raising the possibility that carrier aviation was presented alongside surface-launched long-range precision fires. The launch could invite comparison with the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, particularly given the fixed military infrastructure included among CENTCOM's declared targets, but neither the command's statement nor the accompanying footage officially identifies the weapon as a Tomahawk. The launching ship also remains unidentified. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group deployed in March 2026 with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Mason (DDG 87), but available official information does not establish that any of these ships is the vessel visible in the September 1 sequence. CENTCOM released the 58-second product as B-roll rather than a shot-by-shot operational chronology, meaning the imagery alone also cannot establish that every sequence represents the same strike package, sortie or weapon-target pairing. The footage can consequently be assessed as showing elements of a broader naval strike architecture without attributing the ship, missile type or target beyond the available evidence.

CENTCOM's September 1 strike wave highlights the continuing use of U.S. joint and naval combat power against several critical layers of Iran's military architecture, including air defenses, surveillance systems, maritime capabilities and communications infrastructure. The most revealing technical detail contained in the released imagery is the VFA-131 F/A-18E Super Hornet preparing to launch from USS George H.W. Bush carrying a weapon that is most probably an AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon. Its external configuration, compatibility with the Super Hornet and the C-1's combination of stand-off precision, hardened-target effects and maritime-strike capability make that variant the strongest candidate based on the currently available visual evidence. CENTCOM, however, has not officially confirmed the weapon type, variant or its combat employment during the September 1 strikes.

The imagery also points toward a potentially broader naval strike construct in which carrier-based tactical aviation was presented alongside surface-launched missile fires. CENTCOM has left key elements of the strike architecture undisclosed, including individual weapon inventories, target-to-weapon pairings and the identity of the missile-launching vessel. The released footage consequently provides a carefully controlled glimpse into the capabilities supporting the operation while preserving uncertainty surrounding the precise composition, sequencing and employment of U.S. long-range strike assets against Iranian military targets.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.

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