The United States military has carried out fresh strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, following recent attacks involving commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US troops deployed in the region.
US Central Command (cent-com) announced the strikes on Tuesday, saying they began at noon Eastern Time.
According to cent-com, the operation was in response to recent attempts by the IRGC to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members stationed in the region.
The latest strikes followed an overnight exchange of fire between the US and Iran, the first direct confrontation between both countries in more than a month.
Iran had earlier fired missiles towards US military positions in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, describing the action as retaliation for a US strike on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island.
The United States said the earlier strike was carried out after Iranian forces were observed preparing to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian authorities said four projectiles struck the port cities of Chabahar and Konarak in southeastern Iran on Tuesday, while several explosions were also reported around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.
US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face more severe military action if it retaliated against the latest US strikes.
Trump said the US operation near the Strait of Hormuz was “large and powerful,” accusing Iran of attempting to place sea mines in the strategic waterway and fire missiles at a US military base in Jordan.
The renewed military confrontation has also pushed global oil prices higher, with oil futures rising above $94 per barrel on Tuesday.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major global energy-shipping route and has become a focal point of the escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
