The United States initiated a new series of attacks on Iran following Iranian forces’ assault on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions between the two nations. US Central Command confirmed the commencement of strikes against Iran to diminish their capacity to target civilian ships in the strait. These strikes, directed by the US Commander in Chief, mark the third consecutive wave of American military actions against Iranian assets within a 24-hour period.
The recent strikes primarily targeted regions near the strait and along the Iranian coast, as reported by a senior US official to The Wall Street Journal. Concurrently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps engaged in firing at civilian ships navigating the waterway, according to CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins. US forces successfully intercepted an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone during the confrontation, aiming to hold Iran accountable for its actions.
In response to the US operations, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported explosions in several locations in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, including Jask, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik. Despite the incidents, no immediate reports of civilian casualties or damage to infrastructure emerged. The recent US military activities followed previous strikes against Iranian missile systems, air-defense installations, and small IRGC boats near the Strait of Hormuz, with the total number of Iranian military targets hit exceeding 300 over three nights.
Iran retaliated by targeting US-affiliated sites and neighboring countries, causing material damage to three northern border posts in Kuwait and injuring a worker at a Kuwait Oil Company offshore drilling platform. Iran claimed to have attacked US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers in Kuwait, although CENTCOM denied reports of American troop casualties. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed profound concern over the escalating hostilities, emphasizing the need for all attacks to cease and urging Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations promptly.
