US President Donald Trump says the latest American military strikes on Iran were carried out “in honour” of three US service members killed in recent attacks linked to Tehran.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it launched a new wave of strikes early Monday, marking the ninth consecutive night of military operations against Iranian targets.
Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities as the US said it targeted military facilities and communications infrastructure to weaken Iran’s ability to carry out attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking after the operation, Trump said the strikes hit Iran “very hard” and were intended to honour two American soldiers killed in Jordan and another killed in Iraq in recent days.
Iran claimed it had responded with a “surprise attack” in Syria and targeted US aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport. Kuwait also reported intercepting Iranian drones.
Iranian media said cities including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini were struck during the overnight attacks.
State media also claimed that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, although CENTCOM disputed the report.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that the strategic waterway would remain unsafe for oil and gas shipments as long as US military operations continue, pledging further retaliatory action.
The latest escalation follows the deaths of three US service members.
One soldier was killed in an Iranian attack in northern Iraq on Saturday, while two others identified by the Pentagon as Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, and Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25 were killed during an attack on a US base in Jordan.
A third service member remains missing, with officials saying unidentified human remains have been recovered.
Despite the continued exchange of attacks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to a diplomatic solution, while stressing that the international community cannot allow Iran to control a critical global shipping route.
The renewed fighting comes after a temporary ceasefire reached in June collapsed, with negotiations toward a permanent peace making little progress after President Trump declared the agreement “over” earlier this month.
