US President Donald Trump says the latest round of American strikes on Iran was carried out in honour of US service members killed in recent attacks, insisting the military operation struck Iranian targets “very hard”.
Speaking on Monday, Trump said the attacks were launched in tribute to three American soldiers who died in recent days, two in Jordan and one in Iraq.
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had launched a “new wave” of strikes, marking the ninth consecutive night of military operations against Iran. Explosions were reported in several parts of the country.
According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted military installations and communications infrastructure in a bid to further weaken Iran’s ability to carry out attacks on commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, however, said it responded with what it described as a “surprise attack” on US positions in Syria and also targeted American aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport.
Elsewhere in the region, Kuwait’s armed forces said they intercepted Iranian drones during the latest escalation.
Iranian media reported that explosions were recorded in several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini following the US strikes.
Iranian state media also reported that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the vessels were travelling through what it described as an unsafe southern route in the strait before they exploded and became immobilised. CENTCOM disputed the claim.
The IRGC warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain unsafe for the transportation of oil, gas and petrochemical products as long as US military operations continued, adding that it would launch what it called a “punitive operation” in response.
The latest escalation follows the deaths of three US service members over the weekend.
The US military confirmed that one soldier was killed during an Iranian attack in northern Iraq on Saturday, a day after two other American troops died in an attack on a military base in Jordan. Another service member remains missing, while unidentified remains recovered from the scene are undergoing verification.
Despite the continuing exchange of attacks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained willing to pursue a diplomatic solution.
Rubio also argued that the international community must decide whether Iran should be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of using the strategic shipping route as leverage in the conflict.
The renewed fighting comes after a temporary ceasefire reached in mid-June collapsed, with efforts to negotiate a lasting peace making little progress after Trump declared the agreement “over” on July 8.
Ojo Triumph
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