T
he United States and Iran have traded military strikes again on Thursday, heightening tensions in the Gulf and sparking new worries about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy passage.
This latest escalation followed U. S. forces carrying out a second wave of attacks on Iranian military facilities overnight, with Washington stating that the operation aimed to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian assaults on commercial shipping.
In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against U. S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait just hours later, marking yet another direct confrontation between the two nations despite earlier diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
The U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its most recent operation targeted around 90 military sites throughout Iran, which included air defense systems, coastal surveillance posts, missile and drone storage locations, naval assets, and logistical support along Iran’s southern coast.
These strikes came after an earlier series of attacks this week where U. S. forces hit over 80 Iranian military targets.
While returning from the NATO summit in Türkiye, U. S. President Donald Trump spoke to reporters about the operation, calling it retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We just hit them very hard,” Trump said. “Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20.”
Earlier statements by Trump indicated that any interim agreement meant to stop hostilities between Washington and Tehran was essentially “over.”
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