US Central Command reported that its forces successfully conducted a five-hour operation, striking military targets across Iran including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas. These strikes mark the third consecutive night of US military action in the region. Shortly after the announcement, President Donald Trump addressed the situation from the Oval Office, describing the operation as another major attack. He stated that the US is hitting Iranian forces hard and will continue to do so to eliminate their offensive capabilities, adding that the administration is re-establishing a blockade and controlling the straits.
In response, Iran launched strikes targeting Bahrain and two UAE-linked tankers situated in the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates’ Defence Ministry confirmed that the attack on the tankers resulted in the death of one mariner and left eight others wounded. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the tanker assault, asserting that the vessels had ignored repeated warnings. Furthermore, the Revolutionary Guards reported carrying out drone and missile strikes against Bahrain. According to Iranian state television IRIB, these attacks targeted several weapons support warehouses, a satellite communications center, and a residential building used by US forces in the Gulf country, which had previously urged its citizens to take shelter.
The current hostilities center on the competition for control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage through which one-fifth of global crude oil and natural gas previously flowed. President Trump indicated a shift in policy regarding the waterway, announcing that the US would now act as the "Guardian of the Hormuz Strait" and impose a 20% fee on all shipping. He stated that the US is spending money to protect a wealthy portion of the world and expects to be reimbursed for these efforts.
Regarding the status of diplomatic efforts, Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier on Monday that the agreement reached last month was intended to test Iran, but they failed to honor it. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei had previously commented that the June memorandum of understanding, which had led to the lifting of the US blockade, was currently in crisis. Meanwhile, the White House confirmed that President Trump formally notified Congress last week that the US has resumed military conflict against Iran, granting the Pentagon an additional 60 days to operate in the region without further congressional approval.
