Fresh US strikes target Iranian military infrastructure
The United States launched strikes on Iran for the 11th consecutive night late on Tuesday, as Tehran warned Washington against attacking its nuclear facilities.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest wave of strikes was intended to continue weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported that air defences were activated in Tehran, while explosions were also heard in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak and Bushehr, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant.
Iran, which has retaliated against the US and its regional allies in recent weeks, warned of further reprisals after President Donald Trump suggested the US would soon target an underground nuclear site near Natanz.
Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of conflict
Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire in April, but fighting resumed last week as both sides clashed over control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
According to Centcom, US forces struck Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and logistics infrastructure.
The command also accused Iran of attacking more than 30 commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months.
“The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation,” Centcom said, adding that the waterway remains open to commercial shipping.
Regional tensions continue to escalate
Kuwait’s military said its air defences intercepted Iranian drones early on Wednesday, while Bahrain and Jordan also reported shooting down drones and missiles.
Earlier, Trump said the next target could be Pickaxe Mountain, an underground complex where Iran is suspected of constructing an undeclared uranium enrichment facility.
“We’ll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily,” Trump told reporters during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
He added that he would not normally reveal military targets but claimed “there’s not a thing they can do about it”.
Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command responded by warning that such an attack would be viewed as “an expansion of war in the region” and threatened strikes against “all the interests of America, the allies and supporters”, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Houthi threats raise fears over Red Sea shipping
Trump also warned the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen that the US would “take care of” the group if it carried out its threat to blockade Saudi ports.
Earlier, a Houthi media official announced that the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, would be closed to Saudi vessels.
The Red Sea has become an increasingly important route for Saudi oil exports during the conflict after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted.
Following the Houthi announcement, British maritime risk management firm Vanguard said two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to China and India turned back after departing Yanbu on Tuesday and instead headed towards the Suez Canal.
The growing threat from the Houthis has added to concerns over further disruption to global shipping and energy markets, with fuel prices already experiencing significant volatility.
Ceasefire collapsed despite June agreement
Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June aimed at halting military operations, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and negotiating an end to the conflict within 60 days.
However, just three weeks later, Trump declared the ceasefire over following Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent US retaliatory strikes.
Speaking before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the conflict had so far cost the United States around $37.5 billion (£28 billion), nearly $8 billion more than estimates released in May.
Hegseth warned that military training programmes would need to be scaled back unless Congress approved additional emergency funding.
Source: BBC
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