US launches more strikes on Iran with blasts reported in south of country
The US has launched a new round of strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump signalled he'd "hit them hard again tonight" following an overnight
The US has launched a new round of strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump signalled he'd "hit them hard again tonight" following an overnight exchange of attacks on Tuesday. Explosions have been reported by Iranian state media in parts of the country's south, including Sirik and Bandar Abbas - port cities on the Strait of Hormuz. After the latest strikes, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" Iran has not yet commented, but senior officials earlier warned any attack from the US would be met with an "immediate response". US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes were carried out to "further degrade Tehran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation" in the vital waterway. In a statement it added: "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway." Several explosions have also reportedly been heard in other parts of the Iranian coast, including the cities of Konarak and Chabahar.
Iranian state TV reported eight explosions in Bandar Abbas, and said two missiles had hit the ports of both Sirik and Jask - also in southern Iran. It added that two projectiles hit the island of Abu Musa, which has been the subject of a longstanding ownership dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Air defence systems have been activated in Bandar Abbas, according to reports in Iranian state media. The extent of damage from the US strikes is not yet known, but Iranian media has reported power cuts in Chabahar and a fire at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks in Bushehr. Two of three power lines cut off in Chabahar had been restored quickly and a third would be operational soon, the Iranian Students' News Agency said. On Tuesday, the US military said it had launched "powerful" strikes in response to attacks on three tankers in the strait.
On Wednesday, Iran said it targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation. Tuesday into Wednesday saw the worst exchange of strikes between the US and Iran since the deal - known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) - was signed on 17 June. Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement signed last month with Iran is "over", and added the US "hit them very hard last night" and will "probably hit them hard again tonight". In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on The deal between the US and Iran included 14 points, among them a 60-day period for a ceasefire during which negotiations should continue, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting sanctions on Iran. The 60-day-period for negotiations is not yet up, but Trump has said he saw further talks as "a waste of time".
The BriefWire